In the extract from Clare Leslie Hall’s 2025 novel Broken Country, set in 1955, seventeen-year-old Beth recounts her first dinner at Meadowlands, the country estate of her boyfriend Gabriel’s parents, Edward and Tessa Wolfe. Beth’s narration reveals a great deal about her social background, her powers of observation and her relationship with Gabriel.

introduction

Beth has grown up with a sibling in a modest household of two teachers, a background which leaves her overwhelmed by the Wolfes’ evident wealth. Her discomfort deepens when she is served by a girl from her own former school. Yet, Beth is academically ambitious. She will soon take her A levels and intends to study English at Oxford, although she has not enjoyed the privilege of boarding school to prepare her for the experience.

main part:

Beth’s social background and self-awareness

Despite her nerves, Beth proves an unusually perceptive observer: she senses that Tessa’s snobbery is really a mask for a deeper insecurity about her own background and life choices. Even though Beth clearly feels uneasy and intimidated, she holds her own against Tessa’s pointed questions.

Beth’s perceptiveness and composure

This is made all the more difficult for Beth because Gabriel offers her only limited support. Yet, she trusts his words and her own knowledge of his character over his mother’s version of events. Apparently, Beth and Gabriel have already been dating for a whole summer and in addition to warning his girlfriend about his mother, Gabe has also confided in her about his desire to write and his fear of being pushed into a career he would resent.

Beth’s relationship with Gabriel

Clare Leslie Hall tells this scene entirely through Beth’s eyes, using a first-person, present-tense narration that drops the reader directly into her protagonist’s anxious, hyper-attentive state of mind. The Wolfes are only shown as Beth perceives them, filtered through her nervous class-consciousness and her growing suspicion that Tessa’s charm conceals something more sinister.

introduction:

narrative situation and thesis

Before even a single word is exchanged, Beth’s initial impression of Tessa sets the tone for the rest of their encounter: “Tessa Wolfe is astonishing to look at close up” (l. 1). The description that follows details Tessa’s striking appearance: Both her beauty and her extravagant jewellery (cf. ll. 1–5) give Beth an overwhelming sense of the imbalance between them, which is further underlined by her almost staring at her boyfriend’s mother in awe (cf. l. 5).

main part:

Beth’s initial intimidation through …

Tessa’s imposing presence

Meanwhile, the setting adds to Beth’s feeling of inferiority. The “ornately laid table, with its terrifying number of glasses, knives and forks” (ll. 13/14), and the excessive dinner that is in stark contrast to what she is used to (cf. ll. 14–19) clearly show the rift between Beth’s background and her new environment. This becomes even more jarring when Sarah, who attended the same primary school as Beth (cf. ll. 20/21), serves the meal. Forced to watch a former equal wait on her, Beth “feel[s] like a fraud” (ll. 21/22), caught up in a performance she is not sure she can sustain.

the unfamiliar setting

In this intimidating setting, Edward is clearly the one of Gabriel’s parents who puts Beth more at ease (cf. ll. 10–12). Not only does he immediately behave in a friendly, even slightly informal, way towards his son’s girlfriend, winking at her and shaking her hand (cf. l. 10), he also pays her compliments (cf. ll. 10, 25, 76) and shows a real interest in her future (cf. l. 25). His comment about women at Oxford (cf. ll. 28/29), however, could also be understood as slightly condescending, implying that the value Beth might bring to a place like Oxford may not necessarily be grounded in her academic talent but her feminine charms.

Edward as the more welcoming parent

Still, it is not Edward who makes Beth feel increasingly intimidated but Tessa. Behind her veil of graceful sophistication, she uses every opportunity to chip away at Beth’s self-worth. From the outset, she implies that Beth is only a plaything for her son, when she laments that he “has selfishly kept [her] to himself” (l. 9). As the conversation moves forward, Tessa continuously tries and succeeds in making Beth feel insufficient. Employing the adjective “new” (l. 27) as a euphemism for “lacking prestige” when referring to St Anne’s college, she dismisses an achievement Beth is proud of. In a similar way, her question “I hope you won’t feel left out?” (ll. 30/31) is a cynical reminder of Beth’s lack of pedigree, barely concealed as concern. Tessa’s attempts to diminish Beth and discredit her family (cf. ll. 43/44) culminate in her enquiry about their holidays, which Beth perceives to be a “test” for which she does not have “the right answer” (cf. l. 47). Yet, her failure to answer is ultimately insignificant because “Tessa doesn’t seem to notice [her] silence” (l. 53), revealing that she has no real interest in learning more about her son’s girlfriend.

Tessa’s attempts at undermining Beth’s self-worth

Tessa Wolfe’s figurative thirst for blood is not lost on Beth, who perceives her as “circling, hungry for something” (ll. 41/42). Hall’s animalistic imagery that likens Tessa to a feral beast, suggests that the family’s name is no coincidence. Military expressions, such as Beth having to “fend off Tessa’s intrusive questions” (l. 41), which she “fires off” (l. 53) repeatedly, add to the beleaguerment the girl feels.

animalistic imagery and military expressions

Finally, Tessa delivers what she believes to be the killing blow, namely that “quite suddenly, [Gabriel] can move on to the next thing” (ll. 64/65). She prefaces her cruel prediction with pretending to admire the young couple’s mutual affection. Interestingly enough, she uses the word “love” (l. 54) for Beth’s feelings, whereas Gabriel is merely “terribly fond of [Beth]” (l. 55). Faking concern and confidentiality, she not only talks to Beth in an increasingly low voice (cf. ll. 56, 62), but also in an uncharacteristically halting and disjointed syntax (cf. ll. 62–65). Tessa acts self-critical when she admits to “making [Gabriel] the centre of [her] universe” and “treat[ing] him like he was God’s gift” (l. 66). What she really wants is for Beth to feel that she will never be good enough for her precious boy. The threatening effect Tessa’s words have on Beth are underlined by the sensory impressions Hall lets the reader share: Tessa’s face is “only inches apart” (l. 60) from Beth’s and the girl “can smell her intensely floral perfume” (ll. 60/61).

Tessa’s final blow

Despite Beth’s agitation, she manages to hold her own. Not only does she calm herself by defiantly conjuring up memories of her family (cf. ll. 49–52), but she also asserts her academic ambitions (cf. l. 59). Beth’s confidence to stand up to Gabriel’s mother is at least partly rooted in the advantage she feels she has over her because of the information she possesses. Beth is aware that Tessa’s snobbery is only “a consolation prize” (l. 38) for being deeply miserable about her own life choices (cf. ll. 68/69). Despite Tessa making a show of her closeness to her son, Beth also thinks she knows things about Gabriel his mother does not (cf. ll. 70–73).

Beth’s attempts at composure and confidence

By the time Gabriel suggests leaving for the lake, Beth finds this comes “not a moment too soon” (l. 75) – and the reader will probably share her relief. While Beth may comfort herself with her intimate knowledge of Gabriel and her perceptiveness regarding Tessa’s true motives, the situation has been an ordeal for her. She would certainly not share Edward’s parting sentiment that it has been “[w]onderful to meet […] at last” (l. 76).

conclusion

Inheriting a life you never chose

headline

Born into wealth, on an apparently unobstructed track to success, Gabriel, the protagonist’s boyfriend in Clare Leslie Hall’s novel Broken Country, is no stranger to privilege. Shouldn’t he therefore be full of appreciation for his mother’s meticulously designed blueprint for his future? On the contrary, regardless of wealth, sons and daughters often struggle with the burden of their parents’ expectations. Gabriel is no exception. His secret “desire to write” and his “fear […] of being railroaded into something he would hate, like banking or law” are lost on his mother. Her plans for his future and his own hopes do not intersect. Thus, Gabriel’s situation hints at a familiar dilemma which many of us have encountered to some degree: trying to live up to your parents’ expectations is not necessarily a path to a fulfilling life. Or is it?

introduction

Even if you happen to be a freedom-loving individual who values personal choice above all else, there is a reasonable case to be made for following the path your parents have set out for you. Age, it turns out, does come with at least one advantage – hindsight. And while it may not always seem like it, most parents act out of a desire to protect their offspring rather than out of a pathological craving for control. So, why shouldn’t we make use of their life experience and trust in their advice? When a child’s own interests align with their parents’ expectations, their guidance may indeed prove a genuine advantage and a recipe for happiness later in life.

main part – argument for following your par-

ents’ expectations: staying clear of avoidable

mistakes

Yet, Gabriel’s example illustrates a situation in which expectation and identity clash. Spending a working life in a profession chosen to appease one’s parents, rather than one that reflects one’s own talents and interests, tends to breed frustration rather than fulfilment. The harm can run even deeper than that. Many young adults are crushed by a set of external expectations they can never hope to match, no matter how much they may be trying. It should not come as a surprise that being measured against an impossible standard of success (that may even be diametrically opposed to one’s own identity) will eventually take its toll.

argument against trying to meet parental expectations:

lack of agency leads to frustration

At the opposite extreme, some people try to find their personal happiness by turning their backs on their parents’ legacy entirely. While this approach carries the tantalising promise of total, unrestrained freedom, it may become its own trap. Those who categorically refuse to accept parental guidance and reject any path their parents might approve of are not achieving real freedom; instead, they are allowing their families to dictate their futures in another way. So, while it is nothing less than admirable to make your own choices and, through truly independent thinking and careful deliberation, come to question and reject the premises your elders have long taken for granted, this does not mean that taking advice or seeing your parents as role models is a kind of failure in itself.

in-between argument:

categorical rejection is a trap

that does not promote real independence

So, if there is promise and danger in both extremes, why shouldn’t we have the best of both worlds? If we treat parental expectations as guardrails rather than blueprints, we can profit from the ideas of well-meaning individuals with more life experience while retaining control of the choices that truly matter and define us as individuals. There is no need to throw tried and tested principles and profound pieces of wisdom to the wind, but there is just as little sense in forcing ourselves to ignore our personal talents and desires to fit into a fixed form. In other words, in a healthy parent-child relationship, parents act as mentors who help their children build the resilience to pursue their own path, but refrain from dictating where that path must lead.

common sense approach:

guardrails vs blueprints, help vs control

In the end, there is only one way of building such a relationship defined by support and help instead of crushing expectations: honest communication. When children share a clear and convincing vision of their goals and ambitions, parents might be more willing to adjust their own hopes accordingly rather than worry that they are failing in their responsibilities as guardians. At the same time, young adults are much more likely to accept their parents’ advice when that advice validates their identity and strikes a reasonable balance between concern and confidence. It follows that the true tragedy in Gabriel’s relationship with his mother is not necessarily their opposing ideas for his future but rather their apparent failure to talk openly about them.

conclusion

Same start, different finish: Why equal opportunity in schools cannot wait

headline

Two children, let’s call them Ben and Kate, are excited about their very first day in school. If equal opportunity meant what we say it means, we could predict roughly what will come about a decade later: both will have been able to find a field they excel in and will be leading successful and happy lives. In reality, however, there is a more likely scenario: Fifteen years on, Kate will be studying at a top university, ready for whatever career her family mapped out for her, while Ben, who dropped out of school at fifteen, is struggling to get by, held back by circumstances beyond his control. So, what went wrong, why should we care, and what can we do about it?

introduction

Data backs up what most of us already sense from watching people’s lives unfold: The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and similar assessments consistently link students’ socioeconomic backgrounds to their academic success. In other words, even in our allegedly open European societies, genuine upward mobility remains elusive. So, Ben who was born poor will probably stay so while Kate’s privilege will pave her way to the top. There can be many different reasons for this: A student caring for younger siblings or working a part-time job has less time for homework than one who does not. A student whose parents went to university already has support from someone who knows how the system works; one without an academic background has no such help. And a teacher who involuntarily lowers their expectations of a student because of their accent may sabotage that student’s success without realising it.

main part I:

explaining the gap

In Western society, we have long rallied around the promise that each generation should be free to shape its own future. Nobody chooses the family they are born into, so on a moral level alone, it is hard to defend a system that rewards children for an accident of birth rather than their own effort. Even if we set fairness aside and judge the question on purely economic grounds, every student who never gets to develop their talents represents a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur permanently lost to society. This damage is not just limited to GDP: young people who always perceive the system as rigged against them also tend to lose faith in democratic institutions – a resentment populist movements have learned to seize upon. A free society must be a fair society. If it is not, its very fabric begins to unravel.

main part II:

impact on society

So, what can be done about the current unfairness? There are many small steps that can be taken at schools: A student cannot be expected to follow a lesson on an empty stomach, so let us make sure everyone has access to free, healthy meals. Students need to be prepared for life in a digital future, so let us offer them free access to the tools they are expected to use. Extracurricular activities are believed to be essential for character development, so let all students participate free of charge. Moreover, teachers play a significant role in a student’s development: Children who face additional challenges also require additional assistance. Whether that means tutoring or simply providing a listening ear, teachers need to be hired, trained and paid to offer such support.

main part III:

solutions

measures at school

At the same time, we have to be realistic: much of what holds students back cannot be fixed by tweaking the school system alone – it is grounded in how we run our society more broadly. When adequate, affordable healthcare and elder care are not available, for instance, families are often forced to lean on their children to fill the gap. A teenager who watches over younger siblings or an ailing parent may learn something about responsibility along the way but is also deprived of the most basic prerequisite for academic success: time to study and rest. So, implementing support measures at school is most certainly not enough, but at least it is a start.

measures at societal level

Providing every student with equal opportunities does not mean treating them all identically nor does it mean making them the same. It means giving each individual what they are missing in order to fully participate. Regardless of who they are or where they come from, they should be able to develop their own talents without being held back by their background. In the end, it is not only children like Ben who will profit but all of us. Every pound invested in Ben’s chances of success doubles as a pound invested in our total wealth as a society – and a down payment on the future of our democracy.

conclusion