Structure
The short story “Weekend” by Fay Weldon follows a few characters during a weekend at a cottage. Although the text respects the short story elements of a single event and a few characters, the text does not follow a traditional plot.
The story follows the main character’s stream of consciousness which reveals conflicts with her life, without reaching any climax. The focus is on the way the pressures of being a wife, a mother, a career woman, and a friend affect Martha.
Title
The title of the short story, “Weekend”, indicates the time setting. As weekends are usually associated with free time and relaxation, the title and the beginning of the story make readers believe that the events will be about a relaxing family time: “Weekend! Only two hours’ drive down to the cottage on Friday evenings: three hours’ drive back on Sunday nights. The pleasures of greenery and guests in between. They reckoned themselves fortunate, how fortunate!” (ll. 10-13)
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Beginning
The story begins by introducing readers to the context of the events and the characters: a middle-class family is going for a weekend getaway to their country cottage.
From the beginning, the story hints at the main character’s conflicts as she appears to be the only one who is organising the trip: “Martin would just catch the BBC2 news, while Martha cleared away the tea table, and the children tossed up for the best positions in the car. (ll. 31-33)
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Middle
The middle of the short story is constructed by following Martha’s perspective on her family life, her husband, and their friends during the weekend at the cottage. To emphasise the character’s conflicts and frustrations, the middle of the short story is filled with tension points.
On the way to the cottage, the story presents Martha’s concerns with getting everything right for the weekend, with her children being taken care of, and with her husband’s attitude: “Martha worried about her age, her tendency to complain, and the width of her hips. She took the remarks personally. Was she right to do so?” (ll. 78-79); “The right food, the right words, the right play. Doctors for the tonsils: dentists for the molars. Confiscate guns: censor television: encourage creativity.” (ll. 102-104)
Martha tries to tell herself that she should be happy and grateful, trying to dismiss her frustrations, but the more the story progresses, the more we realise that Martha is overworked, and constantly made to feel small and incompetent by her husband who contributes very little to family chores:
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Ending
The ending of the short story is open and shows Martha finally letting her frustrations out. Discovering that her daughter Jenny got her first period, she begins to cry because she realises that her daughter may have the same fate as her:
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