Analysis

Here are some of the hot topics of our analysis of “Lost Boys” by Deborah Moggach.

One of the story's structure elements is the backstory plot. The narrator recounts an event from her past—losing her child because of her mother-in-law—to convey a portrait of the mother-in-law, Lily. Consequently, the story is both character- and action-focused.

The characters found in the story are the narrator, Lily, Ewan, the children (Alex and Cassie), and the narrator’s parents. The most important characters are the narrator and Lily. The other characters are important for the social setting, and for the short story’s themes, but they are less developed in terms of characterisation.

Its physical setting is the United Kingdom, in the London area, and it follows events that take place over the course of several years sometime in the 1980s. The social setting explores aspects connected to parenting, the life of the artist, marriage, and social class.

The story has a first-person narrator, who uses the point of view of a female character. As a result, the narration is subjective and personal.

The language of “Lost Boys” is descriptive and often figurative, but it does not pose any challenges in understanding the text. The choice of words is related to art (painting) and family life, as the story focuses on Lily’s character (who is a painter) and on her relationships with her family (her son, the narrator, her grandchildren).

Read the next pages for a full analysis of the story!