The young woman

The young woman is one of the main characters in the short story “Kiss” by Elizabeth Baines. The young woman’s outer characterization shows her to be “young” (l. 10), wearing a “silver jacket” (l. 10), and with “blond hair in a ponytail” (l. 4). She also wears “green sneakers” (l. 14) and has “pale” (l. 21) skin. 

When it comes to her status, the story mentions she could be seen “as privileged” (l. 22), suggesting she comes from the middle class. This is also suggested by the fact that she has “solicitor parents” (l. 32). The story also reveals that she has two younger siblings (l. 33), that she was sexually abused by her father while growing up (ll. 36-38), and that she has suffered from anorexia (l. 61). 

The young woman’s inner characterization is mainly presented through flashbacks of her past. 

Despite living in a nice area in a middle-class family, the young woman’s upbringing was difficult because she felt unloved by her mother (ll. 48-50) and was ...