The Title

In the exam question, you are asked to discuss and interpret the title of the short story written by Sheila Purdy. The title is “The Ladder” and it symbolises, in fact, the career ladder, not a simple object.

The "career ladder" is an expression used to indicate the fact that there is an opportunity in every career; one must only look up and take the next step.

This is exactly what Annie has to do: to climb the career ladder and find a position that suits her. The ladder does not seem to have an end, showing that one must never settle, as there are other people who come from behind and who are ready to replace you. Angela Burns is the perfect illustration of this concept. She acts friendly and kind, but when she feels that Annie might have an opportunity to take her place and climb the caree...