The Fabulous Button Sisters | Analysis

Dette er Studienets vejledning til novellen "The Fabulous Button Sisters" af Sarah Salway. Teksten var en del af eksamenssættet til Engelsk B på HF fra 6. december 2011. Opgaveformuleringen, som denne study guide tager udgangspunkt i, lyder således:

Write a summary of The Fabulous Button Sisters in about 150 words.
Characterize Karen.
Comment on Michelle and her behaviour.
Write a short essay (150-200 words) in which you discuss what characterizes friendship.

Text

“The Fabulous Button Sisters”, a short story by Sarah Salway, 2006

Præsentation af teksten

Titel: “The Fabulous Button Sisters”
Forfatter: Sarah Salway
Udgivet i: “Leading the Dance” (novellesamling)
Udgivelsesår: 2006
Genre: Novelle

Sarah Salway er en britisk forfatter af digte, noveller og romaner, som også underviser i kreativ skrivning på universitet i Kent.

Uddrag

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Title

The title of the short story announces the narrative is going to be about female characters, yet it misleads readers by making them assume two sisters are involved. The story reveals the two characters are only friends, and the name of “The Fabulous Button Sisters” (l. 39) is used by one of them to depict how they would look together at a party, having matching outfits. At a deeper level, the title is also ironical, as the friendship between the two girls is not really “fabulous”, one of them (Karen) being mostly controlled and influenced by the other (Michelle).