Our book group choice for October 2017 is Elmet by Fiona Mozley. Daniel is heading north. He is looking for someone. The simplicity of his early life with Daddy and Cathy has turned sour and fearful.
Elmet is a novel by Fiona Mozley, first published in 2017. It tells the story of Daniel, a fourteen-year-old boy who lives with his sister Cathy and their troubled father, Daddy, in a makeshift cottage in the woods of West Yorkshire. The novel is set in the early 1980s, and it explores themes of family, violence, and the loss of innocence.
The novel begins with Daniel recounting a childhood memory of being chased by a dog. This memory sets the tone for the rest of the novel, which is full of violence and danger. Daniel and his family live on the edge of society, and they are constantly at odds with the outside world. Daddy is a former boxer who is prone to violence, and he often disappears for days at a time. Cathy is a fierce and independent girl who is fiercely protective of her brother.
As the novel progresses, the tension between Daniel’s family and the outside world grows. Daddy becomes increasingly violent, and he begins to abuse Daniel and Cathy. The children are also threatened by a group of local youths who are led by a boy named Tommy. Tommy is a bully who takes pleasure in tormenting Daniel and Cathy.
One day, Daddy disappears for good, and Daniel and Cathy are left to fend for themselves. The children are eventually taken in by a social worker, but they are unable to adjust to life in the outside world. Daniel continues to be haunted by the violence of his childhood, and he is unable to forget the loss of his father.
The novel is also notable for its exploration of the theme of family. Daniel’s family is deeply dysfunctional, but they are also fiercely loyal to each other. Daddy may be a violent man, but he loves his children deeply. Cathy is a strong and independent girl, but she is also fiercely protective of her brother.
Discussion Questions Elmet
- John has almost two different representations in the novel: as “Daddy” to Cathy and Daniel and as a physically bare-knuckled gargantuan of a man. How do his children see him … and how do outsiders see him? How do you see him?
- The novel is set in contemporary times, but Fiona Mozley locates it in a “strange, sylvan otherworld,” a fable-like setting, that evokes ancient Celtic Britain. How does she accomplish this? (Try pointing to passages that establish this near mythic quality.) Why might the author wish to create an otherworldly atmosphere?
- Danny says his father “wanted to strengthen us against the dark things in the world. The more we knew of it, the better we would be prepared. And yet there was nothing of the world in our lives, only stories of it.” Is he in fact preparing his children to face the world or endangering them?
- How would you describe the two siblings? Start with Cathy, who describes herself as “angry all the time.” Why?
- Follow-up to Question 4: Talk about Danny, who seems almost the opposite of his sister. While Cathy’s strength is underestimated by those who provoke her, Danny admits that he “never thought of [himself] as a man.” How does Danny think of himself. How do you think of him?
- “Mentioning her was so rare that we did not know whether to take it as an invitation or a warning.” Where is the children’s mother?
- Talk about the economic conditions of Elmet and the tinder box of its inequality.
- What is the back history of John and Price’s relationship?
- What do you think of Vivien? What is her role vis-a-vis the two children? How does she help Daniel to think of his father’s tendency toward violence?
- What are the signposts Mozley offers of the disaster in waiting?
- Follow-up to Question 2: Even though the novel is based in realism, in what way can Elmet be thought of as a fable? Fables usually end with a moral: is there a lesson, or overarching theme, say, that the author seems to be reaching for in Elmet?
- Is the ending too overwrought? Too gory? Or does it serve the expectations of the storyline?