Setting

“Are We Nearly There?” by Kate Smalley Ellis is set in the UK, in the present day. The time and physical setting are indicated by the date of publishing (2015) and by the use of British English (lorries, motorway, etc.).

Physical setting

The description of the motorway traffic helps convey the idea that the narrator feels insecure and distracted. The car and the lorry also have symbolical functions. The car represents Jen while the lorry represents unforeseen consequences and lack of vision regarding the future.

The description of the forest lane suggests nostalgia and childhood memories, and the fact that Jen is not fully ready to let go of her innocence:

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Social setting

The interactions between Jen and her family show different parental roles and siblings relationships. In her family, her father is the calm, even negligent parent. Although this is his daughter’s first driving experience on the motorway, the father is not very involved or concerned, as he falls asleep in the car and uses a reassuring tone. Also, the fact that the father complains about the insurance cost of the car, suggests that the family probably belongs to the lower middle-class.

The mother comes across as controlling, anxious, and nagging. She is constantly giving Jen directions about how to drive and scolds both her husband and her younger daughter.

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