The relationship between the two daughters

Part of your assignment asks you to focus on the relationship between the two daughters in the story “Mink” by Marina Warner, Bea and Ricky.

Both girls are fascinated by their mother’s knowledge of fashion and the woman’s elegance:

As she rubbed and wrung, her words spooled out bright ribbons of hopes for us. She was an expert dream-weaver, and we – that’s me, Bea, for Beatrice, and my older sister, Ricky – short for Riccarda, because she was meant to be a boy – we jumped to catch them. (ll. 8-11)

Although they are united by the same fascination, the girls have different personalities, as suggested even by their physical appearances: “I practised making eyes at myself in the mirror, dipping my head like a moorhen. When Ricky tried too, she just looked fierce. She has a temper and would knit her brows and hex you with her black eyes.” (ll. 43-45).

Bea is a...