The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by

Ann Shaffer

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Elizabeth McKenna Character Analysis

Elizabeth was a witty, loyal, and quick-thinking young woman who, though not a Guernsey local, had a long history on the island. Her mother was in Lord Ambrose's service, and Lord Ambrose treated Elizabeth like a daughter and later sent her to the Slade School of Art. Because Lord Ambrose summered on Guernsey, he brought Elizabeth with him every year as a child. During those summers, Elizabeth met Jane and the girls got into all sorts of mischief. While some, like Amelia and Eben, found this charming, others, like Adelaide, thought Elizabeth was a pompous disgrace. At the start of the war, Lord Ambrose sent Elizabeth to close up his house on Guernsey. Elizabeth ended up staying on the island, where she became a nurse and volunteered to help evacuate Guernsey's children. Elizabeth loved playing with children and was able to distract them from the fact that they were leaving their parents. During the occupation she fell in love with Christian Hellman, a German soldier. She gave birth to Kit not long after Christian was sent away from Guernsey and died at sea. Elizabeth also invented the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which was just one of several instances in which Elizabeth's quick thinking saved her friends from persecution. She also conceived of John Booker's impersonation of Lord Tobias and painted a portrait to complete the effect. Because of this, the entire island and the Society especially loved Elizabeth dearly. When Kit was about a year old, Elizabeth was sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp for providing medical attention to a Todt worker, Lud Jaruzki. There, she befriended Remy and was instrumental in lifting Remy's spirits. Elizabeth was executed at the camp after defending a woman from a guard who was beating her for menstruating. Remy writes the Society to share this, as she wants Kit especially to know how loyal, brave, and kind her mother was. Juliet feels as though Elizabeth is a dear friend, though they've never met, and decides to use Elizabeth's story to frame her book about the German occupation of Guernsey.

Elizabeth McKenna Quotes in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society quotes below are all either spoken by Elizabeth McKenna or refer to Elizabeth McKenna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Literature and Connection Theme Icon
).
Part 1: 12 Mar, 1946 Quotes

Though I had little hope of success, I knew it was my duty to warn her of the fate that awaited her. I told her she would be cast out of decent society, but she did not heed me. In fact, she laughed. I bore it. Then she told me to get out of her house.

Related Characters: Miss Adelaide Addison (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Kit McKenna, Captain Christian Hellman
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:

The principal work of the baby's maintenance was undertaken by Amelia Maugery, with other Society members taking her out—like a library book—for several weeks at a time.

They all dandled the baby, and now that the child can walk, she goes everywhere with one or another of them—holding hands or riding on their shoulders. Such are their standards!

Related Characters: Miss Adelaide Addison (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Mrs. Amelia Maugery, Kit McKenna
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1: 22 Apr, 1946 Quotes

The States didn't want the parents to come into the school itself—too crowded and too sad. Better to say good-byes outside. One child crying might set them all off.

So it was strangers who tied up shoelaces, wiped noses, put a nametag around each child's neck. We did up buttons and played games with them until the buses could come.

Related Characters: Isola Pribby (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Miss Adelaide Addison
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 12 Jun, 1946 Quotes

I also know that she cherished you as her family, and she felt gratitude and peace that her daughter, Kit, was in your care. Therefore, I write so you and the child will know of her and the strength she showed to us in the camp.

Related Characters: Remy Giraud (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Isola Pribby, Kit McKenna, Eben Ramsey
Page Number: 178
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 16 Jun, 1946 Quotes

It's odd, I suppose, to mourn so for someone you've never met. But I do.

Related Characters: Juliet Ashton (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Sidney Stark
Page Number: 184
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 17 Jul, 1946 Quotes

Maybe every mother looks at her baby that way—with that intense focus—but Elizabeth put it on paper. There was one shaky drawing of a wizened little Kit, made the day after she was born, according to Amelia.

Related Characters: Juliet Ashton (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Sidney Stark, Mrs. Amelia Maugery, Kit McKenna
Page Number: 203
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 19 Jul, 1946 Quotes

Why, there'd be soldiers riding guard in the back of potato lorries going to the army's mess hall—children would follow them, hoping potatoes would fall off into the street. Soldiers would look straight ahead, grim-like, and then flick potatoes off the pile—on purpose.

Related Characters: Captain Christian Hellman (speaker), Sam Withers (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Sidney Stark, Kit McKenna
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 7 Sep, 1946 Quotes

She was showing me her treasures, Sophie—her eyes did not leave my face once. We were both so solemn, and I, for once, didn't start crying; I just held out my arms. She climbed right into them, and under the covers with me—and went sound asleep. Not me! I couldn't. I was too happy planning the rest of our lives.

Related Characters: Juliet Ashton (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Kit McKenna, Sophie Strachan, Captain Christian Hellman
Page Number: 259
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society PDF

Elizabeth McKenna Quotes in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society quotes below are all either spoken by Elizabeth McKenna or refer to Elizabeth McKenna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Literature and Connection Theme Icon
).
Part 1: 12 Mar, 1946 Quotes

Though I had little hope of success, I knew it was my duty to warn her of the fate that awaited her. I told her she would be cast out of decent society, but she did not heed me. In fact, she laughed. I bore it. Then she told me to get out of her house.

Related Characters: Miss Adelaide Addison (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Kit McKenna, Captain Christian Hellman
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:

The principal work of the baby's maintenance was undertaken by Amelia Maugery, with other Society members taking her out—like a library book—for several weeks at a time.

They all dandled the baby, and now that the child can walk, she goes everywhere with one or another of them—holding hands or riding on their shoulders. Such are their standards!

Related Characters: Miss Adelaide Addison (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Mrs. Amelia Maugery, Kit McKenna
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1: 22 Apr, 1946 Quotes

The States didn't want the parents to come into the school itself—too crowded and too sad. Better to say good-byes outside. One child crying might set them all off.

So it was strangers who tied up shoelaces, wiped noses, put a nametag around each child's neck. We did up buttons and played games with them until the buses could come.

Related Characters: Isola Pribby (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Miss Adelaide Addison
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 12 Jun, 1946 Quotes

I also know that she cherished you as her family, and she felt gratitude and peace that her daughter, Kit, was in your care. Therefore, I write so you and the child will know of her and the strength she showed to us in the camp.

Related Characters: Remy Giraud (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Isola Pribby, Kit McKenna, Eben Ramsey
Page Number: 178
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 16 Jun, 1946 Quotes

It's odd, I suppose, to mourn so for someone you've never met. But I do.

Related Characters: Juliet Ashton (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Sidney Stark
Page Number: 184
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 17 Jul, 1946 Quotes

Maybe every mother looks at her baby that way—with that intense focus—but Elizabeth put it on paper. There was one shaky drawing of a wizened little Kit, made the day after she was born, according to Amelia.

Related Characters: Juliet Ashton (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Sidney Stark, Mrs. Amelia Maugery, Kit McKenna
Page Number: 203
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 19 Jul, 1946 Quotes

Why, there'd be soldiers riding guard in the back of potato lorries going to the army's mess hall—children would follow them, hoping potatoes would fall off into the street. Soldiers would look straight ahead, grim-like, and then flick potatoes off the pile—on purpose.

Related Characters: Captain Christian Hellman (speaker), Sam Withers (speaker), Juliet Ashton, Elizabeth McKenna, Sidney Stark, Kit McKenna
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 2: 7 Sep, 1946 Quotes

She was showing me her treasures, Sophie—her eyes did not leave my face once. We were both so solemn, and I, for once, didn't start crying; I just held out my arms. She climbed right into them, and under the covers with me—and went sound asleep. Not me! I couldn't. I was too happy planning the rest of our lives.

Related Characters: Juliet Ashton (speaker), Elizabeth McKenna, Kit McKenna, Sophie Strachan, Captain Christian Hellman
Page Number: 259
Explanation and Analysis: