Characters

The main character in the short story “Dancing to Nat King Cole” by James Wallis Katherine. There are two other important characters in the text – Charles and Rebecca – but they are relevant only for the way in which Katherine relates to them. In what follows, we will focus on Rebecca’s characterisation and we will analyse her in connection to her husband, Charles, and to her daughter, Rebecca.…

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Katherine

Katherine is the most important character in the short story and readers get to know the events through her perspective. Her outer characterisation reveals that she is elderly, married and has a grown-up daughter.

Inner characterisation

Katherine’s inner characterisation is revealed from the very beginning, when she comes across as caring towards her confused husband: “Katherine places her hand on his shoulder as she leaves the table” (l. 4). However, as the story unfolds, we get to find out that she is actually very tired because of her husband’s disease:

She closes her eyes and breathes in slowly and deeply, and then reaches for her cup of tea. It’s barely warm but she knows he’ll ask for another in a minute. Her breakfast cup is white with pink blossoms. There was another b…

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How to characterise

Before you …