How do you think Clara rationalized leaving Beryl -- her youngest child, and a girl -- in Africa?
Created: 08/26/16
Replies: 22
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
Join Date: 02/08/16
Posts: 56
This is a tough one. I don't know how any mother could rationalize leaving a child. From what we see later in the book though, Clara is obviously more interested in her life than her children's, I think she was just a self-absorbed person who reasoned that Beryl would be better suited to stay with her father. I thought it was really interesting how Beryl's own parenting situation ended up being so similar though. We start the book thinking that Clara went back to England since she couldn't imagine leaving her life in England and that's exactly why Beryl didn't stay with her child, she didn't want to abandon her own life in Africa.
Join Date: 07/13/16
Posts: 26
I don't think Clara rationalized anything. She was a very selfish woman whose only concern was herself and what was best for Clara which manifested itself again when years later she returned and expected Beryl to
care for her but when it turned out not to be to her liking she split again. What Rebecca said was true the
Pattern repeated itself in Beryl's life and there also appeared to be a bit of selfishness in all her relationships.
Join Date: 02/08/16
Posts: 514
I first thought that Clara left because she couldn't handle the African farm life. I also thought she was concerned about Dickie's health and she felt Beryl was closer to her father and could handle the life there. Later we learn that Clara left for another man! How does one rationalize leaving a child for another man? I really don't think she cared about anyone but herself. She left the relationship with her daughter behind, only reaching out when she wanted her help. Then Beryl's help wasn't good enough for her and she took off again. Not a nice person!
Join Date: 07/13/16
Posts: 14
I'm in agreement with the sentiments already expressed. I suspect she might have expressed a rationalization to others, but for herself, she picked up and left one child for a man. She was completely self centered her entire life as far as I was concerned. I'm actually shocked she took her son, even if he was sickly. We see her for what she is when she returns and of course asks for help and is then not at all appreciative of it. At least at that point she leaves Beryl and becomes someone else's problem.
Join Date: 07/20/16
Posts: 13
Join Date: 04/15/12
Posts: 146
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 52
Join Date: 08/30/14
Posts: 265
Clara tells the adult Beryl that she was always the strongest of her siblings and stronger than Clara I assume. Clara wants to be taken care of in a certain way that she understands may not be what either of them wants and so she leaves Beryl her in Africa and doesn't contact Beryl again until she's able to help Clara.
Join Date: 10/13/14
Posts: 176
Join Date: 04/21/11
Posts: 11
Join Date: 01/26/16
Posts: 20
I think life for women in those times was very different. Clara didn't have a way to support her self and her children except through a man. It could be that she was very unhappy in Africa and her way out was a man who did not want her to bring both her children.
Join Date: 02/04/16
Posts: 77
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
Although, like everyone else I can find little sympathy for Clara's life choices, I think it is worth keeping in mind the context of the time where many children with parents in the colonies grew up far from their parents.
For example, my father (born 1926) was sent back from India at 8 years old to go to boarding school in England (with my uncle, who I think was 6 at the time). They were fortunate that they had a mass of cousins they could stay with in the "holidays" and thus actually probably had a much happier time of it than they would have with their parents, but those without family in England would end up having no where to go so they would spend all year at boarding school.
If Clara had taken Beryl back to England, I think it unlikely she would have had a close relationship with her. Most probably, Beryl would have been a hindrance to the new relationship and would have been shipped off to boarding school shortly afterwards, in which case society would have not batted an eyelid but Beryl would have been miserable. Whether Clara gave any consideration to Beryl's well being is debatable, but I think Beryl had a happier childhood in Kenya than she would have in England.
Join Date: 05/10/15
Posts: 17
I found nothing to admire or even like about Clara, more so when she showed up in later years begging for help & showed no gratitude for Beryl's help.......a totally selfish, self-absorbed woman. Leaving one's child behind is a totally unthinkable act to me.
Join Date: 04/04/12
Posts: 17
Join Date: 07/29/14
Posts: 101
Join Date: 03/06/12
Posts: 13
Join Date: 05/31/15
Posts: 30
Join Date: 12/03/11
Posts: 276
As others have said, I don't feel Clara rationalized her decision at all. For me, she is the least sympathetic character in the entire novel. When she comes back to Africa after the death of her second husband, she is portrayed as completely selfish, ungrateful, and unable to cope with the least bit of adversity. i found nothing to like about her, sorry to say.
Join Date: 10/04/15
Posts: 102
Join Date: 08/29/11
Posts: 61
She did it because she wanted to. She did not stop to analyze anything; she was accustomed to getting what she wanted.
As it turned out, of course, her daughter often behaved in a similar manner.
Years ago, I read Beryl Markham's supposed-autobiography (it is generally believed that she wrote only a small portion of it), and I was dismayed to find her so self-absorbed. In fact, I did not want to read another word about her.
However, I had really enjoyed Paula McLain's The Paris Wife, so I thought I would give this Circling the Sun book a chance. I loved the book, but am still not that much of a fan of Beryl.
Beryl's mother was selfish; it obviously ran in the family.
Join Date: 07/15/16
Posts: 7
Reply
Please login to post a response.