The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen is a captivating and thoughtful exploration of relationships, identity and the consequences of social propriety set against a backdrop of personal tragedy and the looming tragedy of World War II. The protagonist, Portia Quayne, is a sixteen-year-old girl from a privileged background who is sent to stay with her wealthy relatives in London. Despite her seemingly comfortable life and her enviable social status, her difficult relationships with her family, her unrequited love for a childhood friend and the ominous premonition of a coming war challenge her understanding of the world and the relationships around her.
As the novel begins, Portia is dropped off at the Fitzherberts’ home with only a few belongings and very little idea of who she is or where she is going. She is an orphan, and it is evident that her aloofness and uncertainty reflect the emptiness she feels from not having the traditional family structure in her life. Despite her family’s attempts to treat her kindly, she is still largely isolated from her false relatives, who Portia instinctively knows are indifferent to her well-being. As she struggles to make sense of the Fitzherbert’s relationship with each other and that of the other characters, Bowen paints a vivid and lucid portrait of a society in flux.
Bowen’s intricate attention to detail and her sensitive descriptions of her characters’ interior lives bring the novel to life. As Portia moves through the households of London, Bowen’s focus shifts from the superficial aspects of high society to the complexities of the human heart and relationships. Rather than depicting the mundane conversations of polite society, Bowen’s writing employs vivid descriptions and powerful dialogue to explore the connections between her characters and to express deeper themes.
The life Portia has in her newfound home appears glamorous and exciting, and Portia herself starts to enjoy being in the spotlight of London’s upper classes. But she soon discovers that the relationships she forms with her cousins, friends and suitors do not come from true affection, rather from the expectations of her family and society. As her relationships become entwined in subtle deceptions, the novel examines how love, genuine or otherwise, can become twisted when it depends on socially accepted proprieties.
The Death of the Heart is an insightful exploration into the fragility of adolescent emotions and the deceptive nature of adulthood. Portia’s naiveté and naive belief in love are juxtaposed with the realities of life, and the war looming over the narrative serves as a constant reminder of the shared human experience. The strong yet vulnerable characters, the sense of tragedy and the beautiful language make The Death of the Heart an enduringly poignant read.
