Understanding 'Lady in the van'

Margaret Fairchild: Think about the religious aspect of the name she chose for herself (Mary, Shepherd).
The fact that she discards her actual name= abandoning her past self, moving forward away from what she was before.
Development, motivation, her character in relation to Alan and her role in society.
Antagonistic, lack of redeeming attributes, but relatable at times.
Maybe what she meant to others(how they saw her) ex: her brother and her parents, her teacher, the nuns.
They all had different views/expectations/ways of dealing with her, that tell us something about the range of her personality.Religious fanatic. She is both comical and tragic.
“There is the unconsciously hilarious voice of pretend-posh English suburbia -- yet, as Mr. Bennett eventually discovered, there was more to Miss Shepherd than that”.


Alal Bennett: explore character arc, main traits, motivation, his position in society, how his mother sees him, as opposed to how Miss Shepherd sees him, how his neighbours see him. They are all aspects of his personality


Initial notes:

Reference links:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-lady-in-the-van-film-review-a-brilliant-portrayal-of-a-truly-odd-couple-a6732606.html#

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/14/alan-bennett-diaries-lady-in-the-van