Her er der hjælp til at analysere novellen "DHSS" af Doris Lessing. Novellen finder du i lærebogen Worlds of English (s. 62), hvor det er en del af temaet "The UK - From Island to Empire and Back". Med denne study guide ved hånden får du et godt overblik over tekstens indhold, kontekst og dens analytiske elementer.
Præsentation af teksten
Titel: “DHSS”
Forfatter: Doris Lessing
Udgivet i: “London Observed”
Udgivelsesår: 1991
Genre: Short Story
Doris Lessing (1919-2013) var en zimbabwisk-britisk forfatter, som vandt nobelprisen i litteratur i 2007. Doris Lessing skrev novellesamlingen “London Observed”, hvor hun gengav de forskellige typer londonere, hun så, når hun betragtede mennesker i byen, heriblandt novellen "DHSS”. Doris Lessing var meget alsidig og er blandt andet også kendt for sine science fiction værker.
Uddrag
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Title
The title of the short story “DHSS” by Doris Lessing refers to the shortened name for the Department of Health and Social Security. The title suggests that the conflict of the story will be a social one, perhaps arising from issues of unemployment or financial crisis. This expectation is later confirmed, as the story features the interaction of a former DHSS employee and a woman who is angry with how the actions of this organization affect her life, forcing her to beg to feed her children.
In naming the story “DHSS”, the author highlights the powerful impact this organization has on the daily lives of British people. The organization appears as a faceless enemy, guided by rules which no one can fight against. This is illustrated by the woman’s attitude towards them: “ ‘they don’t care about us, they never think about what is happening to us. I could kill them.’ ” (p. 64, ll. 41-42). The story also points to the bureaucratic nature of the DHSS, suggesting that this and the frequent strikes actually prevent people from getting the help they need.
