Frangipani House

Frangipani House

Chapter Summaries:

Chapter one (1) Summary

In chapter one, we are introduced to Olga Trask often called Matron, who is short and crisp with blue grey eyes and has coarse black hair. She has an excellent reputation for she brought and developed Frangipani house, a home for old black women. Then there is Mrs. Mabel Alexandrina King often called Mama King. She has been sick for a long time and her daughters decided that Frangipani House was the best choice for her. Matron receives a phone call from Token, Mama King’s older daughter. It was agreed that five hundred dollars would be paid each month to look after Mama King. At frangipani house. Upon her arrival, Mama King feels thrilled and delighted as she is now exploring frangipani House but all this triumph quickly vanishes and becomes discontentment and weariness as she gets fed up with doing the same routine everyday and urges for a change. She complains to Matron but is ignored. This chapter ends with Miss Tilley and some other women screaming.

Characters presented in chapter one (1) of frangipani house are:

Olga Trask Mrs Mabel Alexandrina King, Mama King Token Nurse Douglas Miss Tilley Miss Carey

Chapter Two (2) Summary

Mama King lies in her own solitary. She remembers the day she met Danny but is disturbed by Nurse Carey who tries to get her to eat. Mama king, noticing familiar with the nurse, ask her about her family and it turns out she know some of Nurse Carey’s family. She then dozes off and wakes up. She buries herself in memories of Danny and their private meeting. She wakes up, realizing where she was and screamed that she wants to go home.

Characters presented in chapter two (2) of frangipani house are:

Cyril Ginchi Danny Carol Carey Julie Carey Sarah Matron

Chapter Three (3) Summary

The nurses had to give Mama King drugged coco cola to get her to be relaxed. Matron orders Nurse Douglas to go and check on Miss Mason, an old retired teacher who is active and mischievous. The nurses and Miss Mason shared an interesting conversation bases on men and love, but is interrupted by Mama King’s loud noise and the nurses attempting to calm her. She talks about Danny and a call for him, but there was no reply.


Mama King Matron Nurse Douglas Miss Mason Nurse Carey Nurse Tibbs Danny Token Ginchi Abel Cyclette

Chapter Four (4) Summary

Miss Mason entertained the nurses nighttime by wearing all her nightclothes and the nurses had to wait till she dozed off to undress her; while the nurses were chatting about how they feel about Miss Mason they were interrupted by Mama King who wants to get outside. She plays with some leaves like a little child and immerses into some memories of her daughters, how Token was a good dwarf and how she felt sick and they went to Maraj, a man who knows about sickness for help. She also recalls how Cyclette becoming a secretary and Token as a nurse and wondered where Danny was. Matron jumps her and once again tells her she is starring as if she is mad. She then retired to her room where she dozed off. She woke up around twilight and Nurse Douglas gave her cocoa tea. She demands for pen and paper to write to her daughter telling her that she wants to go home. Miss Mason visits Mama and tells her about Danny but she snarls at her. She sinks into memory and recalls a man name Ben Le Cage who wanted to court her but she refused. She sleeps again and dreams that Danny wants Matron and not her because she is old and ugly.


Mama King Matron Nurse Douglas Miss Mason Nurse Carey Nurse Tibbs Danny Token Ginchi Miss Tilley Maraj

Chapter Five (5) Summary

Miss Ginchi comes by Frangipani House on Sunday, visiting day; everyone is on their best behaviour. Miss Ginchi enters Mama King’s room and they talk about Miss Tilley. Mama complains about not receiving any replies from Token. Ginchi says she will ensure that the letters are mailed and reassures her. Nurse Tibbs enters the room with a tray of food and asks Mama is she wants something to eat. At that same time, Ginchi spots one of the letters in Nurse Tibbs apron. Ginchi snatches the letter from her pocket. She goes and Matron’s dog enters. Mama King ordered it out of the room because it belongs to Matron.


Mama King Nurse Douglas Nurse Tibbs Danny Token Ginchi Abel Cyclette Miss Mason Solomon Cindy Carlton

Chapter Six (6) Summary

As the visitors leave, every thin goes back to normal. Mama recalls taking care of Solo and Cindy, and also Cyclette’s children. She becomes exhausted and falls asleep. Nurse Agnes claims that Mama King is moody and is uncertain about her feelings towards her. Nurse Agnes wants to go home early so she starts her chores early. She enters Mama’s room and roughly tries to wake Mama king and Nurse Douglas snaps at her. Mama King lies in a semi- conscious state and recalls fishing with Aunt Lula. She wakes up in the morning to find out that Miss Tilley died during the night. Mother Turvey began to sob because she thinks she is next. Mama attempts to comfort her but as she was showering, she talks to herself about what Turvey had done and yells at the nurse for rubbing her back too rough. She sinks into memories and remembers herself and Danny at the beach.


Mama King Cindy Token Uncle Abel Nurse Carey Cyclette Marcey Ginchi Boyson Miss Agnes Miss Tilley Nurse Douglas Matron Aunty Lula Mother Turvey Dan

Chapter Seven (7) Summary

Miss Tilley’s funeral took place in the ‘dead room’. Women entered in ones and twos to pay their respects. Mama King walked in alone and recited a blessing. Then she sang Tilley’s favourite hymn and wishes that she was in Tilley’s place. She was looking through the window when Matron entered the room and told her she had a visitor. It was Ben Le Cage. They ended up in an argument and he tells her how Danny physically abused her. He leaves, shocked and upset about their meeting.


Miss Tilley Mama King Miss Mason Carlton Nurse Douglas Danny Miss Mason Ben Le Cage Ginchi

Chapter Eight (8) Summary

The confrontation with Ben Le Cage devastated Mama King. she became upset and grumpy. Matron punished her by collecting her false teeth because she asked for two sausages, one for her and the others for Danny. Because she didn’t had any teeth in her mouth, it was very difficult to eat the sausages and Matron’s dog ended up eating it. Miss Mason visits Mama King and gives her the false teeth and two five dollar bill which she snatched from Matron, who was on the phone. As she holds the money in her hand and examines it, she remembers Cyclette’s children; when she to work to maintain them and how they ended up. She then recalls a half Portuguese man, Franky who wanted to court her but she refused. Ginchi was disagreeing with her but Miss Tilley replied to his approach received groceries and a baby. Carlton visits Mama and delivers a message that Miss Ginchi will not be attending her usual Sunday visit because she had to go to the village to ‘wash bedding’. And then tells her that Markey is coming to see her. The topic marriage fills the air as Nurse Douglas was getting married. The chapter ends with the Nurses questioning Mama King whether she was going to the party tomorrow or not. There was no reply.


Mama King Nurse Tibbs Markey Cindy Matron Miss Mason Mrs. McAbe Charlie

Boyson Cyclette Nurse Douglas Franky Ginchi Tilley Carlton Dolly May Nurse Carey

Chapter Nine (9) Summary

Miss Mason celebrates her 90th birthday and dies whiles sleeping. We are introduced to Miss Ida Gomez who is Miss Mason’s replacement. Mama King stayed in her room and recalls her job as a brick breaker along with memories of Markey and his promise to carry her home. She has mixed feelings as she waits for Markey to come. The day is finally here and Markey arrives but he is shock and astonished when he sees the state Mama is in. he talks to her and tells her that her family sends love and greetings. Markey speaks to Ginchi about how he felt when he saw Mama and gives Ginchi: $20 to look after Mama.


Miss Mason Nurse Douglas Matron Nurse Tibbs Mrs. Gomez Mama King Marie Mason Markey Token Cyclette Nurse Carey Miss Agnes Turvey Ginchi Carlton Cindy Solo

Chapter Ten (10) Summary

Markey stops and buys souse. He starts to cry and driver talks to him. He buys flowers and sends them for Mama King. He asks the driver to deliver them to her because the living should get flowers. When Mama gets the flowers, she is uncertain as to why she has received them because only the deads receives flowers. Mama King became friends with Miss Gomez and knows that she has fits. She cleverly tells Miss Gomez that if she had an attack on Friday when the beggars come that her sickness will go away. She tries to come up with a plan to escape using Miss Gomez sickness as a diversion.


Markey Uncle Abel Nurse Tibbs Mama King Nurse Douglas Matron Mrs. Gomez

Chapter Eleven (11) Summary

Mama King is sad and sulky because she missed Cindy’s wedding and blames Matron for this. She recalls a game she played with her grandchildren when they were ill. She hugged herself and Ginchi and Carlton sees her like that. She says that Markey is coming to take her home and if he doesn’t, she will find him. Ginchi advises her not to do anything foolish but she is very private. The days flew by quickly as she was planning her escape but Miss Gomez had a stroke and became a vegetable.


Matron Mama King Cindy Miss Ginchi Carlton Markey Quango Miss Gomez Nurse Tibbs Markey

CHAPTER 12

Mama King escaped from Frangipani House at last. She got of the house and to the latrine where she kept wondering if she will get caught_ “What if walls should fall down like walls of Jericho? What if Good should expose her and make a Jonah of her?” She had a fear of getting caught by one of the nurses. Getting out of frangipani house was something Mama King wanted and was determined to get through with. She was encountered by a little beggar girl which led to her meeting up with the other beggars. Mama King asked the ‘boss-man’ to stay with them, she told them that she doesn’t belong to anybody. The beggars decided to keep her but told her if police ever come around searching for her, they will leave her. They journey out of the village and spend the night in an abandoned boothy. Sumentra (one the beggars), gave Mama King a bowl of soup .The beggars sat with Mama King and they asked her questions and also told her about their experiences of being a beggar. Mama King felt good inside, she felt as if she belonged and so slept well that night.

CHAPTER 13

Mama King felt good to be in and a part of what was once the ‘outside’ world to her while in Frangipani house. With the beggars, she felt that she was surrounded by people who cared for her. Eventually, a police came looking for her, Pandit Prem managed to persuade the police and when he asked questions Pandit told him that he didn’t see Mama King around. The police went away, and Mama King accompanied the beggars on their expedition hoping to meet up with Markey but did not. She was very disappointed, she worried about him and thought about Mrs Gomes and Nurse Carey. Pandit Prem consoled Mama King and assured her that Markey will come for her. Three weeks after, Pandit was confronted by Matron but he told her nothing of what he knew of Mama King. She was scared, she feared the reporter Jack Roper. Bubble elder the police sergeant promised Matron to find Mama King in a day or two. Ginchi, Mama King’s best friend, fainted when she heard what happened to Mama King. The nurses were saying that they really liked Mama King although she can be a ‘hand full’ sometimes. Nobody Knew where she was, Carlton’s theory was that the martians came down and took her to nowhere land in their space ship. Matron feared the thought of Mama King’s body being found, she worried a lot about what Mama King’s family especially her daughters would tell her. The thought of this brought back memories of her uncle Zekie who died a terrible death.

CHAPTER 14

Mama King ate less food but felt stronger. She accompanied Sumentra to the fish market. Sumentra went to the fry fish shop to collect a parcel only to return and find Mama King gone. She found her telling someone’s fortune. The person gave Mama King some money which brought back memories of when she worked hard for money to take care of her grandchildren. She bought gifts for Charlie, Solo and Cindy. Mama King excitedly went to a shop to buy a big bottle of mauby with her money. Some young men kept taunting her, they sang a song about ‘grandmother’ for Mama King. They robbed and injured her, and left her on the ground. She was in pain. The young men that robbed her noticed that the twenty five dollars she bought the mauby with was all she had, “we kill she for nothing”. When Mama King’s moaning stopped Sumentra thought she was dead so she hurried back to the market and alerted the market constable. She then went off to tell Pandit Prem. Newsmongers and sightseers gathered around Mama King. Carlton was among the people, He was surprised to see Mama King, he exclaimed that its Mama King, She was lost for weeks and that she’s almost his grandmother. The people questioned him and he gave them answers then went off to tell Marton. The people were surprised when they heard Carlton said she got family. “If she got, where them gone?”. In Mama King’s unconscious state, she heard voices and saw a lot of people who were already dead like her mother,Miss Tilley, Dolly Mc Abe and her husband Danny, they were all young again and Danny came to her and asked her to go with him but she ran away without saying a word to him.

CHAPTER 15

Mama King was in the hospital’s intensive care unit in a coma. Cyclette and Token put money together to pay so their mother could be given the best of care in the hospital. Reporters gathered, Matron was there too. Jack Roper was asking her questions. She told the reporters to stop making herself and Frangipani House look bad because it’s a liberal place. She told them that Mama King went for a walk and got lost. Mama King was recovering slowly. She remembered how Cindy ran off after she beat her. Cindy wanted her to buy a new broom but Mama king hadn’t enough money but eventually did buy the broom. She later found herself in a place where Sumentra and herself were laughing. Then she opened her eyes and was now conscious. She muttered that her head hurts. The nurses came to her, they were relieved. Matron visited everyday, she felt pain in her heart, pain that make up nor the fancy clothes could hide. She went back to Frangipani house and put on a brave face. She heard that Mama King’s family was coming. She got angry and so remembered her mother. She hated her mother because she married her to an old man at a young age. Carlton came to tell Matron he will not work the next day because Miss Ginchi had to go to the hospital. Matron received a call from Bubble Elder saying Mama King woke up. She was relieved and so started to drink rum. Matron hated her mother very much for what she did that is why she look after the old women hoping she will find peace in her heart.

CHAPTER 16

Miss Ginchi refused to take a mastectomy. She had breast cancer. She said her breasts are no use to anyone so why cut them off. She was in pain but kept thinking about Mama King, she had to confess something to her before she dies. For years people had said that Miss Ginchi should have gotten married to Danny instead of Mama King, but he was to cruel. A night Danny came to her house with a friend ‘Esteban’ an Amerindian man who brought bush rum with him that Miss Ginchi encouraged Danny to drink in large amounts. Danny drank too much, it killed him. Ginchi got Esteban to get rid of Danny’s body. She said he deserved to die because of the way he treated her best friend. She kept telling Mama King that he went to Aruba to find a job. She felt she should tell her friend the truth of what happened to her husband. She walked a painful one to where Mama King was and confessed but Mama King acted as if she heard nothing. Miss Ginchi went out of the hospital to where Carlton was and went home. She told Carlton to take care of her flowers. She went into her room where she saw “shadowy forms”, she knew them all. She held out her hands towards them, then pulled them back. She held them out again, smiled then died. When Carlton realized what happened he was too numbed to speak and shocked to cry. Miss Ginchi didn’t want a fancy funeral or wake. She was buried the next afternoon and left a lot of friends to mourn her departure. Carlton went through Miss Ginchi’s things and saw a lot of letters from Danny, and thought there’s a lot of Dannys in the world when mama King’s Danny came to mind.

Mama King had seen it all Life and death. In her head, she was young again, asking her mother a lot of questions about heaven and hell and angels. Danny came to her, but she didn’t go with him. As she laid on the bed a beam of light magicall came upon her and ‘reawakened’ her “making her whole again”.

CHAPTER 17

Mama King, for the first time in a while was aware of what was going on around her. Nurses were taking care of her, she didn’t longer had to work to look after her grandchildren. The thought of them brought happiness to her. Carlton came to visit, and told her that Miss Ginchi passed away. He told her about the funeral service. He then asked where Miss Ginchi got him from, she never told him. Mama King told him of when there was a drought and two young people went in miss Ginchi’s garden to steal food, Miss Ginchi caught them, they ran away and left a baby behind under some bushes. The baby was Carlton. Carlton was now more than thankful. He realized that Miss Ginchi saved his life, took care of him and gave him everything he had. On his way home he could remember miss Ginchi telling him to be a good man. He was now cautious of everything he did, he knew what a life well –lived was. He went home and cried he lit a candle by the window then went off to look after the chickens and saw lights in Mama King’s house so he went over. He was surprised to meet Markey, Cindy, Solo, Token and Cindy’s husband Chuck. They talked of times past and their new lives. Carlton was about to go home when he smelled smoke and saw fire coming from Miss Ginchi’s house. The people helped to put out the fire but nothing was retrievable, everything was gone, all the memories. Carlton now blamed him self for everything that happened.

CHAPTER 18

Although Matron talked about Mama King’s Daughters as she didn’t fear them, she did. She spend everyday preparing for their arrival at the Frangipani House. Finally they came, Token and Cyclette. Token was the tall well-build one and Cyclette, the thick one that was almost as tall as the first. Cyclette walked up to Matron and started to ask what she did to her mother. Matron told them what she told everyone else, she went for a walk and got lost. She told them that they should not criticize her because when they failed to look after their mother, she did. Cyclette admitted her mistake but then said it wont happen again, this time she’s doing the right thing, she’d taking her mother with her, token didn’t want any of this to happen, she wanted Mama King to stay in Frangipani House. The two ladies left, Matron never felt so violated before, she asked Nurse Carey to comfort her, she felt suicidal, but as she thought more and more about it the reasons for wanting to take her own life just didn’t make enough sense. Carlton came b to help. He wants to become like Markey and Solo. Matron laughed at him and called him a fool. Matron questioned Nurse Carey about Solomon and her getting married as she heard Carlton mentioned. Nurse Carey told Matron to “Row her own boat”.

CHAPTER 19

The news of Carol Carey and Solomon Combs getting married was all around. It spread quickly in the Frangipani house. All the inmates were talking about it. The old women said only white people get married. Matron joined in the conversation when she heard Miss Titsy mention her name. They asked if she ever got married and she told them the story of when she got married to an old man old enough to be her grandfather at the age of sixteen. He had to marry him because they were liable to him. He drank rum a lot and abused her. “Rum choked him” he died. She said that as the happiest day of her life. She then went away to America and came back when her mother got sick.

Bubble Elder the sergeant, was attracted to Matron, he admired her body especially her skin. Matron never felt love, care, tenderness and appreciation. For the past weeks with everything going on with Mama King, she got to realize her mistakes and got to understand her life better. She was greatful to Mama King for this.

Matron visited Mama King in the hospital, the beggars were there too. Mama King didn’t want to see Matron. She remembered when Danny’s mother came to take Token from her but she didn’t give up her child. Danny physically abused her and the reason seems to be that Mama King was rude to him and his mother. Ginchi came to rescue her from Danny with a cutlass. Danny ran away and was never seen again. The nurse gave Mama Kind a drug to sleep, she was awakened by the voices of her children and grandchildren in the room. Cyclette wanted Mama King to go home with her, Token wanted her to sat in Frangipani House and Mama King wanted to go with the beggars. Pandit Prem wrote to Mama King saying that the police told him to leave her alone. Mama King was sad and disappointed. Now she had two choices, to go with Cindy who was willing to wait until the papers are ready to go or back to frangipani house. Markey had to go back to his job, Solomon had a wedding, and token and cyclette had their jobs too. All of them left leaving Cindy ad Chuck who were willing to take care of Mama King.

CHAPTER 20

Token went away, Cyclette went away, they all went away. Mama King remembered when her pet cat died ‘Brownie’. When she woke up, the others were gone. She decided to go with Cindy and Chuck. The took care of her, she was happy again this time she was surrounded by family. Chuck told Mama King of when he was apart of a tribe in Aferica.His father never gave him of his siblings anything, his mother brought them up by her self. Sometimes he had nothing but was still motivated.Cindy was getting closer to her ‘date’, she was scared to stay in this country and deliver her baby, she couldn’t wait to go home back. Mama King also couldn’t wait to se what the life in a foreign country has instore for her.

CHAPTER 21

Mama King was now at peace with everything. She reflected upon Julia Mc Abe and her daughter Tina. They used to look after two children then the children’s mother came for them. The chidren left, then returned because of how they were treated but was chased away by Tina. Sumentra came to Visit She brought greetings from Pandit Prem and the others. Some women from the neighborhood also came by to give Cindy advice and support. Mama King;s mother was a twin, But it skipped generations, she told Cindy this so she can look out for and not be surprised if she give birth to twin. The women told Cindy all about giving birth and that she should talk and sing to the baby. Cindy was thankful and greatful for the support she got.

CHAPTER 22

The next Monday, early the morning, Cindy’s water broke. Missy New Fangle, the mid-wife that was known by the ard people came to deliver Cindy’s baby. Cindy was in pain in the room. Mama King was upset because she thought that Cindy was being told wrong. Whie all of this was happening, Chuck was outside, excited but still worried. He remembered his mother and family from back in Africa. Mama King was with Cindy and Missy new Fangle, she told Cindy what to do. Cindy gave birth to twins both boys, this made everyone happy. Mama King wanted to bury the after birth. Cindy and Chuck named their sons Amos and Abel. Now Mama King saw that the family was complete and perhaps was thinking about staying in Guyana but Cindy needed her. The birth of the babies maked a new beginning, a new start, new life that mama king was greatful for.

Three of the main themes presented in Frangipani house are:

Life and Death Freedom Love and Family Relationship

Life and deathMama King’s stay at frangipani house she sees for herself the other old

women dying in the house. She also had wanted to die many times, she called death upon herself. Mama King thinks that her family does not care for her anymore, so at old people home, se has saw for her friend getting ill, suffering to die and then finaly die. As mama attended Miss Tilley’s funeral, she wished that she should have been the one to die. The one to lying there where Miss Tilley is .Any how further details into the story as it continues, Mama King escaped from the frangipani house with the beggars. Further staying with the beggars, she and one of the woman beggar (Sumintra) went to the market. Mama King wanted her own way in the market, so she escaped from Sumintra, suddenly became the victim of a choke and rob robbery. She was attacked by some boys. Awaking out of coma, becoming conscious she realized what has really happened to her.

With the conclusion Mama King chooses life instead of death because she had experienced a way of death and does not want that to happen to her again.

FreedomAnother theme also presented in frangipani house by Beryl Gilroy

is freedom. When learned that Mama King in frangipani house, loves to walk on the grass, it is understood that she is a free woman and that she refuses to give up her freedom. Frangipani house relates the tale of how Mama King to hates the old people home, she is confined in that she runs off with a group of beggars and street people in a quest for freedom and to find a measure of self- respect.

Love and Family relationshipThis theme presented in the novel frangipani house by Beryl

Gilroy focuses on Mama King’s family; and the relationships that have with her now, since they have went away and abandoned her in the old in the old people home. Trapped by age and infirmity, Mama King becomes too much for her family who send her away to a dreary and claustrophobic rest home but Mama King does not give in. As Mama king sits silently in her room she remembers the costumes worn by her two daughters, who now have abandoned her to the care of strangers. Mama King longs for the love of her family as she remembers the times that she spent with her children, grand children and Danny.

A flashback is a transition in a story to an earlier time, that interrupts the normal chronological order of events. A flashback in a movie might show what happened when a character was younger.

Effectiveness of flashback

1. It gives insight into a character’s current motivation and emotional state.2. It shows an event that happened years before the story begins, which is

vitally important for the reader to know in order to fully understand the tension or mysterious circumstances of the current story.

Don’t shy away from using a flashback because you aren’t sure how to make it work. Done well, a flashback adds depth to a main character’s struggle and insight into his or her actions and emotional responses in the story. Strong reasons to include them. Here are tips for writing an effective flashback:Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story or a chapter and helps the reader develop expectations about the coming events in a story. There are various ways of creating a foreshadowing. A writer may use dialogues of characters to hint at what may occur in future. In addition, any event or action in the story may throw a hint to the readers about future events or action. Even a title of a work or a chapter title can act as a clue that suggests what is going to happen. Foreshadowing in fiction creates an atmosphere of suspense in a story so that the readers are interested to know more.

EFFECT OF FORE SHADOW

Foreshadowing creates tension as it gets the reader guessing as to what might happen.

EXAMPLE OF FLASHBACK IN FRANGIPANI HOUSE

*Chapter 2,lines 11 -20 (I was once young – just like them. I go to fete with Ginchi and we meet two boys…………)

EXAMPLE OF FORESHADOW r

*Chapter 14 – ‘Come quick. Them boy a choke and rob in broad daylight. Dis old woman, she dead. Ah road top.’

Frangipani House

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