Perspectives

Short stories like “I’m Having Fun!” are usually easier to understand and analyse if you look at them in the larger context, reflect on their relevance today and on their connection with similar works. 

Current issues

“I’m Having Fun!” is set in a 1980s society and the plot explores the influences of that social context in the UK and the western world in general. Some aspects of the short story may not seem applicable to nowadays modern society. One such example is the issue of premarital sex and contraception.

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Works in the same genre

The short story comes across as a modern realistic narrative, using a first-person narrator which brings the focus on the characters rather than the plot. A similar story is “The Strong Man” by George Garrett (The Lift, pp. 44) which deals with a conflict between a married couple from the woman’s perspective.

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Literary period

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Works with the same theme

The theme of jealousy has been explored in various short stories, from both the perspective of men and the women. A short story that deals with a man’s jealousy on his ex-wife is “A Serious Talk” by Raymond Craver (Readings, pp. 16). In the story the author explores what jealousy can push people do.

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