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What Has Happened To Lulu 2
What Has Happened To Lulu 2
Charles Causley
What has happened to Lulu, mother? (To whom is the persona/speaker asking the
question?)
What has happened to Lu? (Why is he repeating his question?)
There's nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll (Why does he think(suspect) something
had happened to Lulu?)
And by its side a shoe. (In what manner did Lulu leave the room?)How do you think
Lulu left the room?)(Was
it in a leisurely manner?)
Why is her window wide, mother, (How did Lulu leave the room?) (Did she use the front
door?)
The curtain flapping free, (What does this line signify? What can we imply from this
line? What does this line
say about Lulu?)
And only a circle on the dusty shelf (How does the persona know something was
missing?)
Where her money-box used to be? (What did Lulu take with her?)
Why do you turn your head, mother, (Why does the mother turn her head away?/How is
the mother feeling?)
And why do tear drops fall? (Why do you think she is crying?)
And why do you crumple that note on the fire (What do you think is written in the
note?)(Why does the mother
throw the note into
the fire?)
And say it is nothing at all? (Why is she hiding everything from the persona?)
I woke to voices late last night, (When did the persona hear voices?/Whose voices do you
think they were?)
I heard an engine roar. (What can we assume/say from this line?)
Why do you tell me the things I heard (Who is you and me here?)
Were a dream and nothing more? (Why does the mother keep saying nothing is wrong?)
I heard somebody cry, mother, (The persona keeps wanting to find out what had
happened to Lulu- how is he
feeling?)
In anger or in pain, (Who do you think were arguing in the night?) (What do you think
they were arguing
about?)
But now I ask you why, mother, (What is the mother trying to do?)
You say it was a gust of rain.
(How does the mother avoid answering the persona?)
Why do you wander about as though (What is the mother doing?)
You don't know what to do?
(How is she feeling?)
What has happened to Lulu, mother? (The questions are repeated...So do you think the
persona has found out
what has happened to Lulu?)
What has happened to Lu? ***(Now....who do you think is Lulu to the persona?)
Themes
Grief n love
Feeling of helplessness
Confusion over family situation
Moral Values
We should not cause grief to others.
Running away will never solve any problems.
We must learn to settle our problems instead of running away from them.