The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs. Westaway explores the relationship between fate and agency. At times, Hal feels as though she is ruled by fate, trapped by the course of events. However, she resolves her problems by asserting her agency and learning that she does not have to submit to any predetermination. A key vehicle for this theme is the tarot cards. Tarot cards have a long history of fortune telling, but Hal discounts any magical powers. Instead, the cards help a person to come to terms with one possible version of their future. Once a person understands this possibility, they have the power to change it. Hal understands that fate is not real in the context of tarot, but she must learn to apply this lesson to the rest of her life. The tarot cards provide a useful framework for Hal to come to reconcile the meaning of the theme.

Hester deliberately wills the house to Hal to force her family’s confrontation with the brutal truth. This plan makes Hester seem like a mastermind, as though she is carefully controlling her children’s lives from beyond the grave.