Theme of Growing up in Spies by Michael Frayn

How does the author Michael Frayn discuss the theme of growing up?

The theme of growing up is just one of many in the novel Spies. Frayn shows us Keith and Stephen?s coming of age throughout the book. There are numerous ways in which Frayn chooses to illustrate how the two young boys mature within their sexuality, maturity and general understanding in various ways. The reader is given a deep insight on the hardships, excitement and incomprehensions of childhood and how the boys mature to conquer it, making the reader in return remember similar aspects of their childhood. You become drawn in by the cleverly conceived and intricately executed storyline. It becomes clear when the boys begin to grow up as time goes on as the secrets are slowly revealed just like uncovering the layers of a ?Russian doll?.

Stephen?s personal growth is quite remarkable. His outlook on life and general interactions with other characters becomes revolutionized. At the beginning of the story he is always inferior in comparison to Keith and was always seen as more of Keith?s follower. This is obvious as we are told ?without Keith there to tell Stephen what to think, he?d stop thinking at all?. There prominence is mirrored by the state of their possessions such as their toys. Their toy car was ?designed by Keith? but he had allowed Stephen to also be ?actively involved?. It was not created from Keith?s ample toy supply but from bits of ?Stephen?s broken ones in his muddled toy cupboard?. The use of these toys is a representation of their owners and how they are portrayed in society and among their selves.

In contrast to this, later in the novel Stephen is less obedient of Keith and breaks his rule about bringing anyone into their secret hideout or t...

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... by him. Keith equips himself with the iconic bayonet and instinctively begins a skilled interrogational styled torture method on Stephen?s neck which is obviously not something he has just conjured on the spot. It is clear that he has seen this from his role model father in the privacy of his home. Enigmas and dilemmas are solved such as the reason for Mrs Hayward choosing to wear her warm concealing neck scarf in the middle of summer.

Eventually contact among one another becomes a rare event without either of them having much apprehension towards the matter. After a while Keith just ?stopped coming out to play? which was the first domino in their fall out of friendship and the slow diffusion of the bond they once thrived on. New interests consumed their lives leading them down new paths and further out of childhood and into adulthood. They had simply grown up.