Alternate Realities

Throughout Human Croquet, different narrators present alternate versions of reality. The first dramatic example concerns the death of Isobel's mother, Eliza. Isobel begins the novel by stating that her mother disappeared, and no one knows her whereabouts. Later, a third person narrator tells the story in the chapter "Half-Day Closing", where the children find their mother bloodied and crumpled against a tree. The reader recognizes that Eliza is most likely dead, but the young children believe their mother is merely sleeping. Over the years, the children are told various stories by relatives that include versions where Eliza is well but in a hospital and Eliza ran off with another man. Throughout the book, the fate of Eliza is revised, and it is ultimately up to the reader to decide which version of reality to chose.

Yet another example of alternate realities concerns Isobel's triple repeat of Christmas...