Themes - Relationships
鈥楬ieroglyphics鈥 explores the emotional impact that relationships have.
Mary has the misfortune of experiencing various relationships that have a negative effect on her:
- the failings of her teachers affect her academic progress
- her abandonment by her peers isolates her socially
These relationships create challenges for Mary and highlight, like in other stories by Donovan, the challenges of growing up.
Like in 鈥楧ear Santa鈥, 鈥楬ieroglyphics鈥 is a story that captures the challenges that family relationships can face as children grow up. Though Mary鈥檚 mother is a source of support to her in a social and personal sense, Mary thinks that her mother considers her to be daft
.
Although family relationships can be complex, their ultimate importance is symbolised by Mary鈥檚 composition to Mr Kelly鈥檚 task. Mary thinks to herself that:
ah hink if ah鈥檇 asked her, ma mammy wid say we are her three best hings; Catherine and Elizabeth and me.
This moment shows the importance of a child鈥檚 relationship with parents, something we also see in 鈥楢ll that Glisters鈥.