Aberfan Disaster
Gemma Hardy p. 323
Marian uses this term when describing a disaster that buried children alive in the village of Aberfan. She instructs Jean (Gemma) to shield Robin from hearing about the disaster.
Falls of Moness
Gemma Hardy p. 309
Black Watch Memorial
Gemma Hardy p. 358
Fire Sermon
Gemma Hardy p. 358
Purposeful Mis-Naming of Main Character
In both Jane Eyre and The Flight of Gemma Hardy characters repeatedly call the main characters by a wrong name. But while in Jane Eyre it seems to be a mis-name, or a pet name, In The Flight of Gemma Hardy it is very purposeful. Gemma changes her name to Jean after leaving Sinclair and begin searching for a job. She not only changes her name, but increases her age on job applications and creates more or less a false identity. From this point on the story and Jane Eyre differ greatly.
Helgafell
Helgafell is an important location for Gemma's family history. Gemma's father and Kristjana skipped school one day and attempted to climb the mountain silently so their wishes would be granted...but Kristjana fell and screamed so neither of their wishes would come true. (422).