Characters

The most important character in the short story “Open Or Wrapped” by Lynne Rees is the protagonist, Francine. The men and boys who appear in the story, as well as Francine’s mother, are relevant for their attitudes to Franci…

...

Francine

Francine is the main character in the short story. Her outer characterisation tells us that she is a young woman with large breasts who is working in a fish and chips shop before she goes to university in the autumn. This suggests that she is about 18 years old.

Inner characterisation

Francine’s inner characterisation focuses on her relationship with men, with whom she has a conflict because they overstep her personal boundaries and make constant, unwanted sexual advances towards her.

Firstly, Francine’s background tells us that she has been the target of sexual advances ever since her breasts began to grow at the age of 12: “If boys weren’t trying to flick her nipples, then uncles with boozy breath were grabbing hold of her at Christmas and pretending to tickle her.” (ll. 23-24)

Francine’s conflict with men may also have been influenced by the fact that her father left her and her mother. But Francine’s relationship with her mother is also conflicting because she feels that her mother does not understand her frustration with men and boys’ sexual advances: “Her mother had never been any help, couldn’t understand how upset she got. ‘It’s just boys being boys. Don’t take it so seriously.’ And later, after h…

...

How to characterise

Before you …