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Amy and Her Parents

Other People

This flow traces Amy’s estrangement from her family, the grief left by her absence, and her return to childhood forgiveness.

increasingupBearing stren­gth in each eventdowndecreasing
A Family PhotographA Family Photograph from "Other People". A Family Photograph A Past in the Room Mary sees a photograph of the Professor, Mrs Hide, and a young girl called Baby.
A Family Photograph A Past in the Room Mary sees a photograph of the Professor, Mrs Hide, and a young girl called Baby. The image shows a family structure from which Amy has become absent. An Unanswered Place The photograph gives Mary a visual clue but no account of the relationships it contains. She must approach the family while fearing what her name may mean to them.
Marge’s GriefMarge’s Grief from "Other People". Marge’s Grief Anger and Mourning Marge speaks bitterly of Amy and says that Amy caused deep pain to her parents.
Marge’s Grief Anger and Mourning Marge speaks bitterly of Amy and says that Amy caused deep pain to her parents. Her tears reveal that condemnation has not ended the attachment or the grief. Mary’s Apology Mary feels responsible without knowing what she has done. The family’s response makes Amy’s history emotionally real before Mary can remember it.
The Room Without AmyThe Room Without Amy from "Other People". The Room Without Amy A Changed Interior Amy’s former bedroom has become a visitors’ room, and the objects no longer belong to the person Mary may once have…
The Room Without Amy A Changed Interior Amy’s former bedroom has become a visitors’ room, and the objects no longer belong to the person Mary may once have been. The room seems to recognize her and then reject the possibility that she belongs there. Absence Made Material Photographs and rearranged furniture make the family’s long separation tangible. Mary’s search encounters not a preserved past but a home that has had to continue without her.
The Sister’s ReturnThe Sister’s Return from "Other People". The Sister’s Return Baby Arrives Baby visits Amy, and the sisters embrace. Baby says Amy was once awful but now seems like the younger girl she remembers.
The Sister’s Return Baby Arrives Baby visits Amy, and the sisters embrace. Baby says Amy was once awful but now seems like the younger girl she remembers. A Family Link Reopened Their meeting gives Amy a living connection to her former family without restoring all of her memory. Baby’s visit makes future contact possible and affirms that Amy’s absence did not erase kinship.
Forgiveness at HomeForgiveness at Home from "Other People". Forgiveness at Home Childhood Revisited After the confrontation with Mr Wrong, Amy wakes in her childhood room and asks whether she is forgiven.
Forgiveness at Home Childhood Revisited After the confrontation with Mr Wrong, Amy wakes in her childhood room and asks whether she is forgiven. Her father takes her hand and says that she is. A Return with Uncertainty The family scene offers emotional repair without supplying a complete explanation of Amy’s adult life. It frames a new beginning as possible, while the epilogue leaves the future unsettled.
Before Mary visits the Hide home
During Mary’s visit to the Hide family home
During the same visit
After Amy has returned to Prince’s home
At the ending