Analysis

In what follows, we offer you a brief summary of our analysis of “Sweet Cream” by Julia Kelk.

The short story has a simple structure, following a woman at a wedding reception. The story’s deeper meanings are built on contrasts which reveal the main character’s conflict and frustrations. 

The most important characters in “Sweet Cream” by Julia Kelk are Fernando and Jenny. The rest of the characters mentioned in the story—Jenny’s sister and brother-in-law, Ben, Fernando’s son, the newlyweds—are either absent from the actual action or secondary characters that help convey the social setting.

The story's physical setting is Mexico (p. 99, l. 6), with some elements having a symbolical function. The social setting illustrates aspects related to cultural differences, wedding traditions, and social misfits.

“Sweet Cream” is a third person-narration . The narrator is outside the events and uses the combined point of view of the main characters, Fernando and Jenny.

The language of the short story “Sweet Cream” by Julia Kelk is very simple and easy to follow. The author does not use complex descriptive words or figurative language. The choice of words is related to wedding traditions and is often characterised by the use of contrasts (between Canada and Mexico, between the bride and the groom, between Jenny and the others).

You can read the full analysis in the next pages of the study guide.