Daddy
Danielle Steele
This is an extract from the novel Daddy by Danielle Steele, published in 1989. The novel centres on Oliver whose wife Sarah decides that she has had enough of being a wife and mother and she is leaving to return to her studies and “find herself”. In this extract, however, it is not clear that this is the reason for the mother’s absence: we know only that she is “gone” which could be a euphemism for “dead”.
Oliver therefore has to play the role of both parents and earn a living and it is clear that it is not easy for him. He talks of catching the train (l.31) so we can presume he commutes to work. He takes his new responsibilities seriously – he explains to his son that he makes a point of getting home by eight at least (l.30) and we know that’s true because the very first line of the text tells us that he got home at 7.15 on this particular evening.
We do not know the precise ages of the children but Melissa and Benjamin appear to be in their late teens – old enough to be out alone in the evening. Sam, on the other hand, is obviously much younger so “Aggie” made his meal for him – Aggie could be a helpful neighbour, or she may be someone whom Oliver pays to help with the house and the children. However, as she didn’t stay until Oliver got home we can assume that Sam must be at least eight years old – old enough to be left alone asleep in bed for a short time. As she did not make a meal for Oliver she may just be a neighbour – surely if Oliver employed a housekeeper she would make his meals too. As it is, Oliver has to “fend for himself” and we get the impression that not only is this often the case as he had fried eggs “again” (l.3), but aldo that he is often too tired to bother cooking anything else.
This extract focuses on the relationship between Oliver and his two older children. He waits alone for them to come home and the first to appear is his daughter Melissa. She is involved in a theatre group which appears to be very positive