Careful, He Might Hear You

Careful He Might Hear You, by Sumner Locke Elliot, is a complicated novel, revolving around the story of a six year old boy named PS and his search for personal identity amidst the conflicts of his closest relatives. The narration of these conflicts, as well as the history behind their origins, forms the basis of the novel, and while the different types of relationships between the characters are not the main focus of the novel, the author links them with each of the characters’ sense of identity and their personal desires. Careful He Might Hear You is a book about people finding their true identities, and the truth or imbalance of the relationships that result from this. Through comparison and contrast, Sumner Locke Elliot highlights the flaws in each of the relationships presented, and the ramifications these have on the individuals involved; their present lives and their probable futures. The first significant relationship presented in the novel is that between PS and his Aunt Lila and Uncle George. PS sees himself solely as Lila and George’s child and this perception that he has on himself directly influences the nature of his relationship with them. Being a six year old child yet to develop his own personal sense of identity, PS trusts implicitly in Lila and George and believes, in his innocent naive way, that they will always do what is best for him. This is not so much carelessness on PS’s part, as an ignorance of any other type of upbringing and love than that administered to him by Lila and George. His unawareness of the outside world and any other style of life but his own causes the power of their relationship to be solely in the hands of Lila. PS’s innocence and trust in Lila becomes one of the major contributors to the clash which develops between Vanessa and Lila once Vanessa takes partial custody of PS. The nature of the relationship Vanessa demands from PS is so entirely different to that of Lila that PS finds