Themes - Isolation
Like Mary in Hieroglyphics, Clare suffers from isolation. This is largely due to the death of her father. Clare鈥檚 mother becomes increasingly distant from her daughter, highlighted by her absence from the final scenes of the story. Auntie Pauline鈥檚 objection to Clare鈥檚 way of remembering her father further emphasises that Clare is alone and feels a sense of isolation.
Although Clare feels isolated, it does not stop her from remaining true to herself and what she believes her father would have wanted. This underlines her strength of character. After covering herself in glitter, she looks in the mirror at the:
glowin figure afore me
and remembers her conversation with her father about subtlety. This helps to alleviate her sense of isolation, realising that she carries her father with her in her memories.