Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
"Peyton Place," written by Grace Metalious and published in 1956, is a groundbreaking novel that explores the complexities of small-town life in New England. The story centers on two eighth-grade girls, Allison MacKenzie and Selena Cross, navigating adolescence amid a backdrop of gossip and societal expectations. Allison, born out of wedlock, confronts her identity as the daughter of a woman who had an affair with a married man, while Selena faces the challenges of a troubled home life, including the predatory behavior of her stepfather.
As the narrative unfolds, themes of love, betrayal, and tragedy emerge, highlighting the dark undercurrents of seemingly idyllic small-town existence. The characters grapple with issues such as teenage romance, unexpected pregnancies, and the societal repercussions of their actions. The novel also delves into the impact of World War II on the community, altering relationships and fates within the town.
"Peyton Place" sparked significant controversy upon its release due to its candid portrayal of sexuality and social issues, making it a landmark work in American literature that continues to resonate with readers today. The story culminates in a sensational murder trial, which serves as a vehicle for exploring broader themes of justice and personal redemption, ultimately concluding with a reflective return to the town that shaped the characters' lives.
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Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
First published: 1956
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Domestic realism
Time of plot: Late 1930’s to mid-1940’s
Locale: New Hampshire
Principal characters
Allison MacKenzie , a teenager and aspiring writerConstance MacKenzie , her motherSelena Cross , Allison’s friendNellie Cross , Selena’s motherLucas Cross , Selena’s stepfatherTomas Makris , Allison’s principal and Constance’s suitorDr. Matthew Swain , Selena’s doctorSeth Buswell , a newspaper editorTed Carter , Selena’s boyfriendNorman Page , Allison’s boyfriendRodney Harrington , the son of mill owner Leslie HarringtonBetty Anderson , Rodney’s girlfriend
The Story:
Allison MacKenzie and her friend Selena Cross are eighth graders in Peyton Place, an isolated New England town that thrives on gossip and scandal. Allison is the illegitimate daughter of Constance MacKenzie and a married man from New York, with whom Constance had an affair. Selena’s family lives on the wrong side of the tracks, and her stepfather Lucas makes sexual advances toward her. She develops a romantic relationship with classmate Ted Carter, while Allison experiences her first kiss with Rodney Harrington and embarks on a friendship with Kathy Ellsworth, a newcomer to Peyton Place. The school principal (another newcomer named Tomas Makris) is attracted to Constance.
Two years later, Constance and Tom are dating. Allison writes stories for the local newspaper, and her friendship with Norman Page becomes romantic. Selena is pregnant and convinces Dr. Swain to terminate the pregnancy because Lucas is the father. Rodney gets Betty pregnant; his father gives her money to have an abortion as well, but she leaves town, presumably still pregnant. Allison’s innocence is also shattered. Nellie Cross, who works as the MacKenzies’ housekeeper, is guilt-ridden after she discovers that her husband impregnated her daughter and commits suicide. The same day, Constance, consumed with fear that Allison will fall prey to the same fate that she herself has, tells Allison the truth about her father. Devastated, Allison runs to her room, only to discover Nellie’s body hanging in her closet. Yet another tragedy occurs when Allison’s friend Kathy loses her arm in a carnival ride accident.
The advent of World War II transforms the town of Peyton Place. Allison leaves to pursue her writing career in New York, while Constance and Tom get married. Rodney, whose father kept him out of the war, is killed in a car accident, while Norman returns as a war hero. Selena and her younger brother Joey live comfortably, but Lucas returns to menace them. Selena kills him and buries his body in Joey’s sheep pen. Eventually, she confesses and goes on trial for murder. Allison, whose heart has been broken by her first love affair, returns to Peyton Place in time for the sensational trial, which ends with Dr. Swain’s revelation that Selena had once been pregnant with Lucas’s child. The jury acquits her, while Allison and her mother reconcile. The novel closes with Allison returning to Road’s End, one of her old haunts, and musing about the town that she once feared but still loves.
Bibliography
Callahan, Michael. “Peyton Place’s Real Victim.” Vanity Fair, March, 2006, 32. Provides an overview of Metalious’s life and describes the novel’s evolution.
Cameron, Ardis. Introduction to Peyton Place, by Grace Metalious. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1999. Cameron encouraged Northeastern University Press to reprint the long-neglected novel for its fiftieth anniversary. Her introduction praises Metalious’s detailed examination of a small town, arguing that it offers surprising insights into the nature of postwar American culture and the regulation of women’s lives.
Gumbel, Andrew. “The Original Desperate Housewife: America Remembers Grace Metalious.” The Independent (London), February 20, 2006. Explores the possible resurgence of interest in the novel with its fiftieth anniversary; mentions that actress Sandra Bullock has acquired the film rights to Toth’s biography of Metalious.
Metalious, George, and June O’Shea. The Girl from Peyton Place. New York: Dell, 1965. Published the year after the author’s death, this biography was cowritten by her former husband.
Miner, Madonne M. Insatiable Appetites: Twentieth-Century American Women’s Bestsellers. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1984. Examines five best sellers, including Peyton Place. Focuses on the use of fairy-tale motifs in the novel, such as the splitting and doubling of characters and the distribution of reward and punishment.
Sova, Dawn B. Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds. New York: Facts On File, 1998. Reviews the initial reaction to the novel and its history of censorship.
Toth, Emily. Inside Peyton Place: The Life of Grace Metalious. Rev. ed. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2000. Sympathetic portrait of the author. Describes the parallels between Metalious’s life and those of her characters, as well as the controversy surrounding the novel.
Wood, Ruth Pirsig. Lolita in Peyton Place: Highbrow, Middlebrow, and Lowbrow Novels of the 1950’s. New York: Garland, 1995. Discusses the novel as an example of 1950’s middlebrow fiction, which assured female readers that they would be rewarded for following society’s rules and punished for subverting them.