Her får du hjælp til analyse af novellen "Number 40" af Sarah Butler. I analysehjælpen kigger vi på alle de væsentligste analytiske elementer, samtidigt har vi særligt fokus på opgaveformuleringen fra den skriftlige eksamen i Engelsk A på STX fra 22. august 2014, som lyder:
Write an analytical essay (900-1200 words) in which you analyse and interpret Sarah Butler's short story “Number 40”.
Part of your essay must focus on the point of view and the use of symbols.
Præsentation af teksten
Titel: “Number 40” (2012)
Forfatter: Sarah Butler
Genre: Novelle
Sarah Butler er en engelsk forfatter og konsulent inden for kunst og litteratur. Hendes værker udforsker emner som folk og steder, identitet, bylivet og ideen om 'hjem'. Hun har udgivet to romaner og adskillige noveller.
Uddrag
Her kan du læse et uddrag af vores study guide:
Title
The title of the story, “Number 40” is a reference to the number of the house where Melissa lives and which mysteriously disappears: “She lived at number 40 Rossendale Road. Melissa straightened her shoulders, and walked back towards her house. Quick, confident steps. She counted off the numbers: two, four, six, eight, 36, 38, 42. Number 40 was not there.” (ll. 63-66)
The title is symbolic because the action of the short story suggests that even the things we assume are certain—such as where one lives—are not always a definite. At a deeper level, the disappearance of the character’s house illustrates doubts about the future and a feeling of insecurity and vulnerability caused by our society.