Ominous Calls Begin

Dame Lettie Colston, a formidable elderly woman, begins receiving anonymous phone calls with a chilling message: "Remember you must die." The calls are unsettling, not overtly threatening, but persistent and matter-of-fact. Lettie's brother Godfrey and his wife Charmian, a once-famous novelist now in decline, become involved as the calls continue. The police are notified but seem powerless. The calls, and the reactions they provoke, set the tone for a story where mortality, memory, and the indignities of old age are ever-present. The Colston family's relationships are strained, with Lettie's anxiety and Godfrey's irritation highlighting the frictions and dependencies that come with age. The calls are a catalyst, exposing the characters' fears, rivalries, and the ways they cling to or deny the reality of death.

The Aged and Their Games

In the Maud Long Medical Ward, a group of elderly women—"the grannies"—navigate the humiliations and small pleasures of institutional life. Jean Taylor, once a companion to Charmian, reflects on the loss of dignity and the games of will-making and memory that preoccupy the ward. The grannies bicker, make and break wills, and cling to routines and small acts of rebellion. The staff, often patronizing, are both tormentors and caretakers. The ward is a microcosm of the larger world: alliances form and dissolve, and the specter of death is never far. The arrival of new staff or patients is a source of anxiety and gossip. The grannies' lives are shaped by the institutional rhythms, but their personalities and histories persist, sometimes shining through the fog of age and illness.

Lisa's Death and Aftermath

Lisa Brooke, a former lover and friend to several main characters, dies after a long illness. Her funeral brings together a cast of aging relatives, hangers-on, and former lovers, including Godfrey and the poet Percy Mannering. The event is marked by petty squabbles, reminiscences, and the jockeying for position in Lisa's will. The reading of the will reveals that Lisa has left her fortune to her housekeeper, Mrs. Pettigrew, shocking her family and setting off a legal and emotional battle. The funeral and its aftermath highlight the ways in which the past continues to shape the present, and how the approach of death sharpens old resentments and fears.

Pettigrew's Inheritance Schemes

Mrs. Pettigrew, now the unexpected heiress, becomes a central figure. Lisa's relatives, especially the formidable Tempest Sidebottome, plot to contest the will, suspecting undue influence. Pettigrew, practical and self-serving, is unmoved by sentiment and focused on securing her future. The legal wrangling over Lisa's estate is mirrored by the smaller, everyday battles for control and comfort among the elderly characters. Pettigrew's rise is both a commentary on the vulnerability of the old and a darkly comic portrait of ambition in late life.

Pettigrew Joins the Colstons

With Lisa's death, Pettigrew seeks new employment and is hired to care for Charmian. Her presence upends the Colston household, creating tension with Mrs. Anthony, the long-serving housekeeper, and exacerbating Godfrey's anxieties. Pettigrew's methods are brusque, her ambitions clear. She quickly becomes indispensable yet resented, manipulating both Godfrey and Charmian. The household becomes a battleground of wills, with Pettigrew's practical ruthlessness clashing with Charmian's fading gentility and Godfrey's bluster.

Old Flames and Old Wounds

The narrative delves into the tangled romantic histories of the main characters. Charmian's past affair with Guy Leet, Lisa's secret marriage, and Godfrey's own infidelities are revealed through conversations and memories. These old wounds are not healed by time; instead, they fester, influencing present relationships and fueling resentments. The characters' attempts to rewrite or forget the past are futile, as secrets come to light and old rivalries are reignited.

Will Wars and Family Tensions

Lettie's habit of frequently changing her will keeps her relatives in suspense and at odds. Eric, Godfrey and Charmian's embittered son, is alternately included and excluded, fueling his sense of grievance. The threat of being disinherited or left out of a will becomes a powerful motivator, driving characters to manipulation, flattery, and even blackmail. The struggle for financial security in old age is depicted as both farcical and tragic, exposing the fragility of familial bonds.

The Anonymous Threat Spreads

The mysterious "memento mori" calls begin to target other characters, including Godfrey and even the poet Mannering. The calls, always the same message, become a kind of communal haunting, a reminder of mortality that no one can escape. The police investigation, led by the retired Chief Inspector Mortimer, is fruitless. The calls are never traced, and their source remains ambiguous—are they the work of a prankster, a madman, or something more metaphysical? The calls force each character to confront their own mortality, with reactions ranging from denial to philosophical acceptance.

Deaths in the Ward

The Maud Long Ward sees the deaths of several grannies, including the combative Granny Barnacle. The arrival of new, more senile patients and the reorganization of the ward unsettle the remaining residents. The staff changes, with the feared Sister Burstead replaced by the more robust Sister Lucy. The ward's routines are disrupted, and the survivors must adapt to new realities. The deaths are both mourned and quickly absorbed into the institutional rhythm, highlighting the transience and anonymity of old age.

The Message Comes for All

The anonymous calls, once Lettie's private torment, now reach Godfrey and Charmian. Their responses differ: Godfrey is shaken, while Charmian, with characteristic equanimity, accepts the message as a simple truth. The calls become a metaphor for the inescapability of death, and the futility of denial. The characters' attempts to find the culprit—blaming each other, the police, or even supernatural forces—are ultimately beside the point. The message is universal, and the real culprit is time itself.

The Mortimer Investigation

The elderly Chief Inspector Mortimer is asked to investigate the calls. He gathers the victims for a meeting, but the discussion devolves into confusion and philosophical musing. Mortimer concludes that the calls are, in essence, reminders from Death itself. The investigation is a dead end, but it serves to bring the characters together in their shared vulnerability. The futility of seeking rational explanations for the irrational is a recurring theme.

Pettigrew's Power Play

Pettigrew tightens her grip on the Colston household, using her knowledge of Godfrey's past to blackmail him into changing his will in her favor. Eric, sensing an opportunity, allies himself with Pettigrew, hoping to benefit from the arrangement. Charmian, increasingly isolated, decides to leave for a nursing home, seeking peace and autonomy. Pettigrew's rise is complete, but it is built on fear and resentment rather than affection or respect.

Secrets, Blackmail, and Betrayal

Jean Taylor, from her hospital bed, reveals to Alec Warner the details of Charmian's past infidelities, instructing him to inform Godfrey. The cycle of secrets and betrayals comes full circle, as each character's past is exposed and used as leverage. The old alliances are broken, and new ones formed, but all are tainted by self-interest and the fear of death. The characters' attempts to control their legacies—through wills, secrets, or manipulation—are ultimately futile.

Lettie's Paranoia and Murder

Lettie, increasingly isolated and paranoid, becomes convinced that the calls and other disturbances are part of a conspiracy against her. She dismisses her staff and lives in fear, searching her house nightly. Her paranoia makes her vulnerable, and she is eventually murdered during a burglary. The police investigation finds no connection between her death and the anonymous calls, but the symbolism is clear: death comes for all, regardless of precautions.

Aftermath and Unraveling

Lettie's death triggers a review of her many wills, revealing the pettiness and instability of her relationships. The legal and financial consequences of Lisa's secret marriage come to light, disinheriting Guy Leet and enriching a long-institutionalized husband. Pettigrew, after a stroke, retires in comfort. The remaining characters face their own ends: Charmian dies peacefully, Godfrey in a car accident, Guy Leet of old age, and Alec Warner after a stroke. The survivors are left to reflect on the meaning of their lives and deaths.

The Last Things Remembered

The novel closes with the centenary celebration of Granny Bean in the ward, a moment of institutional cheer that cannot mask the underlying reality of decline and death. Alec Warner, having lost his life's work in a fire, reflects on the deaths of his friends and the inevitability of his own. The characters' fates are recounted with clinical detachment, underscoring the universality of death and the futility of resistance. The message of the anonymous caller—"Remember you must die"—is both a threat and a liberation, forcing each character to confront the truth of their existence.

Characters

Dame Lettie Colston

Lettie is a domineering, self-important woman whose life is upended by the anonymous phone calls. Her need for control and her obsession with her will reflect her fear of death and irrelevance. Lettie's relationships are transactional; she manipulates her family and staff, keeping them in suspense over her inheritance. As the calls continue, her paranoia grows, leading to isolation and ultimately her violent death. Lettie embodies the terror of losing power and the futility of trying to outmaneuver mortality.

Godfrey Colston

Godfrey is Lettie's brother and Charmian's husband, a man who clings to routines and authority but is increasingly out of his depth. His relationships are marked by resentment and a need to assert dominance, especially over Charmian. Godfrey's infidelities and financial anxieties make him vulnerable to Pettigrew's blackmail. His response to the anonymous calls is fear and anger, masking a deep-seated terror of death and loss of control. Godfrey's decline is both physical and moral, culminating in his death after a car accident.

Charmian Piper Colston

Once a celebrated novelist, Charmian is now frail and often confused, but retains flashes of wit and insight. Her past is marked by romantic entanglements and a complex relationship with Godfrey. Charmian's acceptance of the anonymous calls contrasts with the panic of others; she faces death with a kind of grace, even as she is manipulated and isolated. Her move to a nursing home is both a retreat and an assertion of autonomy. Charmian's story is one of loss—of fame, love, and agency—but also of quiet resilience.

Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew

Pettigrew is a practical, self-serving woman who rises from housekeeper to heiress through cunning and opportunism. She exploits the vulnerabilities of those around her, especially Godfrey, using blackmail to secure her future. Pettigrew's lack of sentiment and her ability to adapt make her both a figure of admiration and fear. Her eventual stroke and retirement are a kind of poetic justice, but she remains unrepentant, a testament to the survival instinct in old age.

Jean Taylor

Once Charmian's companion, Jean is now bedridden in the Maud Long Ward. She reflects on the indignities of old age with a mixture of resignation and quiet rebellion. Jean's intelligence and memory set her apart from the other grannies, and she becomes a confidante and source of information for others. Her decision to reveal Charmian's secrets is both an act of betrayal and a final assertion of agency. Jean represents the struggle to maintain dignity and meaning in the face of decline.

Alec Warner

Alec is a sociologist obsessed with documenting the lives and deaths of the elderly. His relationships are marked by a clinical detachment, and he often uses those around him as subjects for his research. Alec's loss of his records in a fire is a symbolic death, leaving him adrift and purposeless. His interactions with Jean and others reveal both his curiosity and his inability to connect emotionally. Alec embodies the limits of rationality and the ultimate failure of science to conquer mortality.

Eric Colston

Eric is the resentful son of Godfrey and Charmian, perpetually aggrieved and convinced he has been wronged. His life is a series of failed artistic and personal endeavors, and he is driven by a desire for revenge and recognition. Eric's alliance with Pettigrew is opportunistic, and his willingness to betray his parents reflects his deep-seated bitterness. Eric is a portrait of the corrosive effects of envy and the inability to move beyond past grievances.

Mrs. Anthony

Mrs. Anthony is the long-serving housekeeper for the Colstons, devoted to Charmian and wary of Pettigrew. Her perspective is practical and grounded, and she provides a measure of stability in the chaotic household. Mrs. Anthony's eventual retirement and modest legacy are a quiet reward for her years of service. She represents the often-overlooked resilience and dignity of working-class women.

Guy Leet

Guy is a once-dashing critic and Charmian's former lover, now crippled by illness and dependent on others. His secret marriage to Lisa and his role in the inheritance drama add complexity to his character. Guy's wit and charm persist despite his decline, and his interactions with Charmian and others are tinged with nostalgia and regret. He is a reminder of the fleeting nature of youth and the inevitability of decline.

Percy Mannering

Percy is an aging poet, once part of the literary set, now reduced to sponging off others and obsessing over past slights. His presence at Lisa's funeral and his ongoing feuds are both comic and pathetic. Percy's decline is marked by a loss of dignity and self-awareness, but also by a stubborn refusal to be forgotten. He is a symbol of the artist's struggle against obscurity and the indignities of old age.

Plot Devices

The Anonymous Phone Calls

The recurring phone calls—always the same message, "Remember you must die"—are the novel's central motif and plot device. They serve as both a literal threat and a metaphorical reminder of mortality, driving the characters' actions and exposing their fears. The calls are never explained, remaining an ambiguous force that could be prank, madness, or fate itself. Their universality and inevitability mirror the approach of death, making them a powerful symbol and a unifying thread throughout the narrative.

Shifting Wills and Inheritance

The frequent changes to wills, the contesting of Lisa's estate, and the jockeying for inheritance are central to the plot. These legal and financial maneuvers are both farcical and deadly serious, reflecting the characters' anxieties about security, legacy, and relevance. The will games drive much of the action, fueling rivalries and betrayals, and highlighting the precariousness of old age.

Institutional Life and the Ward

The Maud Long Ward is both setting and symbol, representing the loss of autonomy and the reduction of individuals to "grannies." The routines, hierarchies, and small rebellions of the ward mirror the larger world, and the deaths and arrivals serve as reminders of the cycle of life and death. The ward's changes—new staff, new patients, reorganizations—reflect the broader social changes affecting the elderly.

Secrets, Blackmail, and Betrayal

The revelation of old affairs, the use of secrets as leverage, and the constant threat of exposure are key plot devices. Characters use knowledge of each other's pasts to manipulate and control, but these efforts are ultimately futile in the face of death. The cycle of betrayal and revenge underscores the novel's themes of powerlessness and the limits of agency.

Narrative Structure and Perspective

The novel shifts between multiple points of view, blending third-person narration with the inner thoughts and memories of its characters. This structure allows for a rich exploration of subjectivity, memory, and the unreliability of perception. The use of letters, conversations, and institutional records adds to the sense of fragmentation and the difficulty of constructing a coherent narrative in the face of decline and death.

Analysis

Memento Mori is a masterful exploration of the indignities and absurdities of old age, using the device of the anonymous phone calls to force its characters—and readers—to confront the inevitability of death. Spark's novel is both satirical and compassionate, exposing the pettiness, paranoia, and self-delusion of her elderly cast while also acknowledging their resilience and humanity. The shifting wills, inheritance battles, and institutional routines are both specific to the postwar British context and universal in their depiction of the struggle for meaning and dignity in the face of decline. The novel's refusal to provide closure or explanation for the calls underscores its central message: death is the one certainty, and all attempts to deny, outwit, or control it are ultimately futile. Yet within this bleak vision, Spark finds moments of humor, grace, and even liberation, suggesting that the acceptance of mortality can be a source of freedom rather than despair.

Last updated: May 23, 2025