Mrs Appleyard

One character who the narrator develops throughout the course of the novel is Mrs Appleyard. In the beginning chapters, Mrs Appleyard is portrayed as a traditional English woman who has a Romantic, idealistic view of England. She clings to her past and her English ways of life by keeping a portrait of her late husband on her chest.

“On the gently heaving bosom, a cameo portrait of a gentleman in side whiskers, framed in garnets and gold.”

Her constant referral to him shows her unwillingness to move on and accept that she lives a different life now, a life in Australia. Her husband is the essence of her old life in England which she does not want to lose, hence her clinging to the memories she has of him.

“She had been dreaming, as she often did, of her late husband.”

Mrs Appleyard is very conscious of the image she projects to the world. She strives to achieve an image of a typical English headmistress. Her appearance reflects this image.

          “The powerful lungs encased in a fortress of steel busks and stiff grey calico.”

The narrator metaphorically describes her constricting clothing from which the reader can gather how impractical it is in the Australian climate. Mrs Appleyard holds a high status in Appleyard College which can be seen through her language which is mainly composed of instructions.

          “Stand up straight when you answer me, please, and put your shoulders back.”

Mrs Appleyards attitude to the bush is unambiguously negative. She is unaccustomed to the vast disorder of the Australian bush and the dangers it poses as it is the direct opposite of the ordered landscape of the English countryside.

“I also wish to remind you that the vicinity is renowned for its venomous snakes and poisonous ants of various species.”

From her instructions to the girls, it is clear to the reader that much like the majority of English settlers at the time, she fears the bush. As the novel progresses, Mrs Appleyard’s composed image deteriorates. The policeman’s interior monologue as he interviews Mrs Appleyard shows her composure slipping away.

“For a moment he wondered if the old girl was going off her head. Her face was an unpleasant mottled red.”

Mrs Appleyard is disturbed by the college mystery and becomes less aware of the way in which she holds herself in public. She does things which are quite unlike her usual poised self, such as giving Minnie five pound as a wedding present.

“’And Laws, Tom,’ said Minnie that night, ‘the old girl looked something awful – white as chalk and breathing like a steam engine. Five pound? You could have knocked me down with a feather.’”

The stress of the college mystery also takes a toll on Mrs Appleyard’s physically appearance, as shown through the narrators descriptions.

“She had lost a great deal of weight in the past few weeks and the full silk skirts hung loosely about her massive hips. The flaccid cheeks were sometimes pale and sunken.”

Mrs Appleyard also took to drinking to calm herself down.

“There was a bottle of cognac in the cupboard behind the desk. She unlocked it and half filled a glass. The thread of fiery spirit touched off a train of clear factual thinking.”

This truly shows her character falling apart as no mention to drinking was made towards the beginning of the novel when Mrs Appleyard was in control of her life. The most obvious sign that Mrs Appleyard’s life is falling to pieces is when she commits suicide. This ultimately shows her inability to cope with the situation of the missing girls and her college deteriorating.

“An eagle hovering high above the golden peaks heard her scream as she ran towards the precipice and jumped.”