The War That Saved My Life

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-7

Chapters 8-13

Chapters 14-19

Chapters 20-25

Chapters 26-31

Chapters 32-39

Chapters 40-46

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Symbols & Motifs

Physical Contact

Ada is accustomed to mentally escaping from abuse and instinctively takes her mind elsewhere when she’s uncomfortable, such as when Susan wraps her twisted foot. Ada resists physical contact until her late-night conversation with Susan, after which she invites Susan to share the bed with her and Jamie. This is significant because it demonstrates that Ada is beginning to trust having Susan close to her.

Ada continues to grow more comfortable with physical interaction, which is evident when Grimes drives her home after Margaret’s fall: “[He] patted my hand, which was odd but okay with me” (104). The pat on the hand seems strange to her, but Ada doesn’t flee to a place inside her head. Ada begins to accept small physical gestures of affection from those around her, which is a step forward in learning to trust people.

Ada rushing to Susan’s open arms at the end of the novel symbolizes her final acceptance of physical contact as a form of comfort. Trust and happy relationships are new to Ada, and their development is progressive and parallels her growing physical strength and health.

Mam’s Cupboard

Mam’s cupboard under the sink in the London apartment is more than just a place for punishment. It’s a physical representation of Ada’s strict confinement and lack of freedom with no space to grow. When Ada emerges from a night spent in the cupboard, in addition to the emotional trauma, her body aches from being in the tight space for so long.

When Ada and Jamie return to London with Mam, Ada quickly notices the new apartment does not have a cupboard: “No cabinet under the sink. No cabinet to stuff me into. I looked first thing” (296). The symbol of her confinement is not here, foreshadowing Ada’s triumph over all that the cupboard represents for her. It’s in this apartment without a cupboard that Ada finally finds the courage to confront Mam.

World War II’s Impact on Daily Life

It’s significant that Ada’s story about being at war with Mam is set against the backdrop of World War II. There are reminders of conflict and sacrifice throughout the novel, creating an atmosphere of constant tension for the reader as the war gets closer and closer to the characters. Villagers in Kent open their homes to evacuated children because they have to do their part to support the war effort; school schedules are interrupted; blackout regulations are in place; wartime identity cards are issued; rationing begins. Day to day life goes through constant changes, just like Ada does throughout the novel. Even Ada’s improvements are an indirect result of the war that brought her to Susan’s home. The climax of the war in the story comes with the climax of the plot—Mam arrives just before bombs strike the buildings where Ada lives.