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Raymond Leary
Irene was Slim’s wife. She doesn’t appear in person in the novel; she’s only mentioned in Slim’s stories and in a newspaper article by Caitlyn Spies. In Slim’s stories, his memories of Irene kept him sane and hopeful when he was imprisoned in Black Peter. According to Caitlyn’s article, Irene said she’d stay faithful to Slim when he was incarcerated a second time, but she wasn’t. Slim, however, insists to Eli that she was.
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Irene Character Timeline in Boy Swallows Universe
The timeline below shows where the character Irene appears in Boy Swallows Universe. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Boy Writes Words
...of the hills of the Gold Coast, and his legs curled against his chest became Irene’s naked body—he “held” her for days. Since Slim believes the narrator has an “adult mind”...
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Boy Receives Letter
...couldn’t see—now, that spot is known as “Halliday’s Leap.” He was released in 1949, married Irene, and was convicted of murdering a taxi driver in 1952. Supposedly, Slim confessed to the...
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...His cell in Boggo Road is still empty. When Slim finishes reading, Eli notes that Irene really didn’t stand by him, but Slim insists that she did.
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Boy Busts Out
...sing “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” and curls up on the floor, pretending he’s holding Irene—who turns into Caitlyn Spies.
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Boy Parts Sea
...he’s finally living and doing something as the truck roars to life. He thinks of Irene and Caitlyn Spies as the truck stops again and a forklift moves Eli’s crate. Watermelons...
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Eli tries to imagine Irene and Caitlyn on the beach, but instead he sees Slim, bloody and unmoving, and Iwan...
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