Rebuilding Coventry
Encyclopedia
Rebuilding Coventry is a 1988 novel
written by Sue Townsend
about a woman from Middle England
who is accused of murder
ing her neighbour and goes on the run to London
, and captures the zeitgeist
of England
in the 1980s.
The protagonist
is a self-described beautiful
woman with the unlikely name of Coventry Dakin who is thoroughly fed up with her life, generally for reasons of ennui. Her neighbour has been spreading rumours of an illicit affair and whilst the neighbour is strangling
his wife, she rushes over to his house, hits him over the head with her son's
Action Man
and he falls down dead
. Coventry then escapes to London and lives as a down-and-out
on the streets of the capital, encountering a bizarre menage of characters from across the social spectrum
.
As the novel progresses, it becomes clear through the writing and the protagonist's musings that Coventry has allowed herself to fall into the quagmire
that she finds herself in. This is quite typical of Sue Townsend's writing and has become a running theme through most of her novels; a rejection of predestination
and that circumstance is governed by the choices of the individual. The novel is also a commentary on Thatcher's
Britain and the hypocrisy
of the middle
and upper class
es.
In a nod to Townsend's feminist
beliefs, Coventry's actions stir feelings of independence in the other women who feature in the novel, emancipating some and causing rebellion in others. She is even able to help manipulate the diversion of four aeroplanes from Gatwick Airport in her quest for freedom at the highest levels of government
.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Sue Townsend
Sue Townsend
-Adrian Mole series:* The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ , her best selling book, and the best-selling new British fiction book of the 1980s.* The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole * The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole...
about a woman from Middle England
Middle England
The phrase "Middle England" is a socio-political and geographical term which originally indicated the central region of England, now almost always referred to as the "Midlands"....
who is accused of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ing her neighbour and goes on the run to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and captures the zeitgeist
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1980s.
The protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
is a self-described beautiful
Beauty
Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture...
woman with the unlikely name of Coventry Dakin who is thoroughly fed up with her life, generally for reasons of ennui. Her neighbour has been spreading rumours of an illicit affair and whilst the neighbour is strangling
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
his wife, she rushes over to his house, hits him over the head with her son's
Son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
Action Man
Action Man
Action Man is an action figure boys' toy launched in Britain in 1966 by Palitoy as a licensed copy of Hasbro's American "moveable fighting man": G.I...
and he falls down dead
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. Coventry then escapes to London and lives as a down-and-out
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
on the streets of the capital, encountering a bizarre menage of characters from across the social spectrum
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
.
As the novel progresses, it becomes clear through the writing and the protagonist's musings that Coventry has allowed herself to fall into the quagmire
Quagmire
Quagmire may refer to:* Water infused earth or a bog. Solid ground may turn to quagmire following substantial rainfall.* By extension, a situation that is difficult to get out of.* A tactical defense made when defending a territory close to a river...
that she finds herself in. This is quite typical of Sue Townsend's writing and has become a running theme through most of her novels; a rejection of predestination
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
and that circumstance is governed by the choices of the individual. The novel is also a commentary on Thatcher's
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
Britain and the hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
of the middle
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
es.
In a nod to Townsend's feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
beliefs, Coventry's actions stir feelings of independence in the other women who feature in the novel, emancipating some and causing rebellion in others. She is even able to help manipulate the diversion of four aeroplanes from Gatwick Airport in her quest for freedom at the highest levels of government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
.