Setting

Fay Weldon’s short story, “Weekend”, was published in 1981 and takes place in the UK as the references to London indicate (l. 140). The time setting is suggested through the social setting, which points towards 1970s society, a time when gender roles were still important.

Physical setting

The action spans over a weekend and takes places at a cottage owned by Martha and Martin.

The cars mentioned in the story (Martha’s, Martin’s, and Collins’) are symbolic for the characters themselves. Martha’s is big and has space for everything, pointing to how Martha is slightly overweight and her life is filled with chores and accommodating everyone else. Martin’s sports car is small and easy to drive, suggesting that Martin avoids taking a greater part in sharing domestic chores;

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Social setting

Martha and Martin belong to the middle-class and take pride in their social status. However, Martin’s two friends, Harry and Colin are wealthier than he is. This is probably part of the reason why Martin wants to impress his friends.

Martha, Janet, Beryl, and even Katie illustrate the difficult position of many women in 1970s society. At that time women had the option to pursue professional careers (as Martha and Beryl do) but they were also often still expected to fulfil the traditional duties of housewives and mothers. As a result, some people (like Janet) chose to be housewives. Others (like Katie) chose to become mistresses to reject the domestic lifestyle of many of their married peers.

Having a career puts her in a difficult position at home; her husband’s constant remarks about the way she handles domestic chores suggest that he is trying to belittle her and to point out that she cannot be a good housewife and mother, and work at the same time.

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