Absence

Catherine Cookson was born out of wedlock in 1906 and never met her father. In the quotation above, she reflected upon the importance of a father figure in a child’s life, arguing that his absence would always leave a void. To Catherine, the absent parental figure altered her sense of personal identity and her autobiographical narrative as she reflected on her illegitimate status and her complicated relationship with her mother. Catherine, however, was not the only autobiographer to experience the absence of an immediate family member. Absence occurred in a variety of different forms; some absences were felt right from the moment of birth, as in Catherine’s case. Whilst for others, absence occurred later in life due to family breakdown. In many cases, absence was permanent, but for others, it was temporary, such as absences caused by the extraordinary circumstances in wartime due to military service or war work. However, as this chapter will argue, it appears that cases of family breakdown and separation were still unusual amongst these one hundred life histories, and whilst working-class families may not have always been harmonious, most appeared to remain together, upholding the traditional view that marriage was a lifelong commitment.