When All Is Said

Griffin structures When All Is Said like a collection of interrelated short stories bound together by a frame narrative. Each central chapter focuses on a person in Maurice’s life. Maurice’s narrative presence and the common themes in his recollections provide an overarching narrative to the stories, with each monologue also linked by the plot of the stolen coin. The first chapter introduces the frame narrative, featuring Maurice drinking alone at a hotel bar; this frame narrative, which will be fully picked up again in the novel’s final chapter, establishes the toast as a device that gives context to his monologues that make up most of Chapters 2 through 6. At the close of the first chapter, Maurice explains that he is here to make “five toasts, [to] five people, five memories” (25). The second chapter begins by stating the time, the person being toasted, and which drink is being used, establishing the format for the rest of the text. These headings function like a chapter or short story title. The statements of time are reminiscent of a countdown, suggesting the progression of the evening toward a climax. The use of the toasts to structure the story, meanwhile, also brings a primary theme to the fore, The Relationship Between Love and Grief: Toasts are associated with ritual celebrations of love and grief, such as weddings and funerals. They formally recognize a person’s importance, celebrating their presence or mourning their absence.

Griffin introduces the coin on the novel’s first page, establishing its importance even as its full relevance remains unknown. The coin advertisement on the first page is presented with no accompanying text, building mystery. The advert notes that the buyer is “willing to pay top price” (1), indicating the coin’s importance. It is dated 1977, whereas the opening paragraph is dated 2014; this jump in time suggests that through this object, the narrative will explore The Way the Past Shapes the Present. In Tony’s story in Chapter 2, Griffin introduces the character who placed the advert, Thomas Dollard, and shows Maurice’s role in his loss of the coin and its life-altering consequences. By introducing the coin and its seeker early in the text, the narrative establishes that the coin binds Thomas and Maurice together, indicating the far-reaching consequences that Maurice’s actions will have.

Griffin also creates mystery around Maurice’s circumstances in the opening chapter, introducing the theme of The Struggle to Communicate. Maurice describes how he has secretly sold off all his belongings, and he hints at a big decision, saying, “[T]here’s no going back now” (8). Maurice’s assessment of his relationship with Emily suggests that his actions relate to the past: “Can’t blame the distrust, given the history […] in part that’s what tonight is all about” (7). Maurice’s secrecy highlights his difficulty with communication. He addresses his internal narration to Kevin, showing his desire to connect with him, but his words also emphasize the secrets he has from his son. Maurice’s secrecy not only builds intrigue but also demonstrates the isolation created by secrets: The son he talks to is physically and metaphorically distant, in the United States.

Maurice’s first toast establishes Tony’s importance in his life, illustrating The Relationship Between Love and Grief that runs through all of Maurice’s monologues. He tells the story of losing his brother but also describes how his brother is still with him. In placing this story first, Griffin shows its formative nature for Maurice: It comes chronologically before the others, and these events during his childhood shape his character through the rest of the stories. As a child, Maurice believed Tony would always be there with him. Their mantra is “[m]e and you against the world” (37), projecting their shared future. This love is matched by Maurice’s grief at Tony’s death, illustrated by Maurice climbing into his brother’s bed and holding his body. Griffin uses physical imagery to show how Tony’s death shapes Maurice’s worldview. Remembering it, Maurice refers to “the ugly awful truth of life and death, its gaping wounds, its noxious smells” (64). Maurice’s first toast shows the permanent impact of his love and grief for Tony.

Griffin also uses this account of Maurice’s childhood to establish his economic circumstances. The family all share a tiny cottage, and Maurice and Tony help their father work the land after school as children. This description of his upbringing contextualizes how Maurice’s character relates to the theme of Wealth Versus Human Connection throughout the story. For Maurice, wealth and human connection are intertwined, connected by his formative experience of struggling to feed Tony well when he gets sick. Maurice’s economic background also establishes the significance of the setting: The big house, where he had his formative experiences, is now the hotel, where he sits in the present, and the fortunes of this location are intertwined with his and the Dollards’ story.