The Shell Seekers

Penelope’s actions in the final few days of her life suggest that she knows her time is growing short. The decisions she makes to see Lalla Friedmann and the changes she makes in her will also suggest this. At the beginning of the novel, Penelope feels satisfied with her life, but at the end, she finds herself at odds with two of her children over the sale of her father’s paintings and must face the harsh reality that her children will never be able to fully appreciate who she is and what she has experienced and sacrificed in her life. Instead, Noel and Nancy both accuse her of failing to give them what they deserve in life. Noel in particular states that Penelope has “totally and utterly failed” (545) him. What is ironic about this statement is that Penelope believes it, for she knows that she has failed to make him into a caring, empathetic person. However, he means it in a selfish, materialistic way, underscoring for the last time the differences between Penelope and her children as well as the differences between Penelope and Ambrose.

Penelope’s sudden death, while generously foreshadowed by Penelope’s actions and preparations, comes as a complete surprise to her children. Yet despite their shock, Olivia is the only one of the three who seems to genuinely grieve her mother’s death. Nancy sheds tears, but again, it is clear that these are selfish tears. Although Nancy regrets the tone of her final conversation with Penelope, her tears do not reflect remorse over hurting her mother; instead, they reflect her concern for how poorly her final conversation reflects upon her as a daughter. In the end, the only thing that Nancy and Noel seem occupied with are the contents of Penelope’s will. Nancy is livid that Penelope has given Ethel’s earrings to Antonia rather than to her own daughter, Melanie, and Noel is livid to learn that Penelope gave her father’s sketches to Danus. Even after Penelope’s death, these two cannot see how Danus and Antonia fulfilled a place in Penelope’s life that they should have filled. Penelope wanted nothing more than to share her memories of childhood with her own children, but she had to share them with strangers because her children were not interested in spending that much quality time with her. Only Olivia seems to understand this in the end, finally seeing what her mother had been trying to share when she finds Richard’s letter in Penelope’s bedside table.

When Danus first arrives at Penelope’s cottage, his reluctance to explain his reason for refusing to drive a vehicle or drink alcohol render him a bit suspicious to Noel and Nancy, and as the novel progresses, his experiences with his health add an interesting twist to the story. His self-imposed limitations also create an obstacle in his budding romance with Antonia. Indirectly, this complication also raises an indirect comparison between their romance and that of Penelope and Richard years ago, for both couples face an obstacle that must be overcome before they can enter into a commitment. For Richard and Penelope, that obstacle was Penelope’s marriage. Danus and Antonia, however, are able to overcome their obstacles and achieve happiness. Thanks to Penelope, they have the means to achieve their dreams. In her own way, Penelope achieves a measure of vicarious happiness by giving them the tools they need to achieve a happy life like the one she wanted with Richard, but never got.

Pilcher starts her novel by depicting Penelope looking back on her life and feeling satisfied with it as well as pleased that she is still alive, and accordingly, the novel ends with Olivia essentially doing the same thing as she imagines her future years with optimism and excitement. While Olivia makes the conscious choice not to get married or have children, she is excited by the idea of becoming a grandmother of sorts to Antonia and Danus’s future children: children who will also be Cosmo’s grandchildren. This sentiment shows that Olivia’s connection to Cosmo runs much deeper than she would like anyone to know. Although Olivia might carry herself as someone who doesn’t care deeply about anyone or anything, it is clear that Cosmo was the love of her life, and she is glad that Antonia will remain a part of her life because it makes that connection complete. In this way, Olivia is a lot like her mother. Although Olivia had a great love and lost it, she still has a part of it to hold on to. Penelope was the same way, for she held on to Richard’s letter and photograph for her entire life to honor that connection, just as she held on to The Shell Seekers to stay connected to her parents and her childhood.