Setting
The short story “Waiting for Her” by Amina Henry is not very explicit about the exact time and geographical setting. However, we can assume that the story takes places somewhere in the US in a contemporary time setting. This is suggested by the references to a popular drink in the US, “Kool-Aid” (l. 48) and the American drugstore chain “Rite Aid” (l. 52). The events span over a day – starting the day before the mother is released from prison and ending the next mor…
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Physical setting
The physical setting includes several places. One is Victory’s room and the house where she lives with her grandmother. The facts that Victory has to give up her room to accommodate her mother (ll. 24-26) and that the ceiling is stained (ll. 143-145), suggest the characters live a modest life. The description of the room at night reflects the character’s feelings of worry and anxiety about her life and the future.
Another element of the physical setting is Tommy’s house, where the characters sit on the porch in the heat and observe passers-by (ll.…
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Social setting
The social setting covers aspects related to broken families, the consequences of drug abuse, friendship, and teenage transformation.
The story follows a 12-year-old girl who comes from a broken family as her father is dead and her mother in jail (soon to be released). Raised by her grandmother, the girl lacked parental love and guidance. The story shows how the narrator became closer to her grandmother for this reason: “I am thinking about the years we've spent together, just her and me. It was nice, just the two of us.” (ll. 207-209). At the same time, she comes to resent her mother because the woman’s actions deprived Victory of her mother's presence and love: “I guess that my mother felt bad for a long time, that's why she started doing drugs. Except knowing this doesn't make me feel any closer to her.” (ll. 34-36); “…I hate her, I really hate her, because we don't know each other at all.” (ll. 231-232). Furthermore, because she is the daughter of drug addicts, Victory was also born an addict.
The story also shows that, in such cases, parents who are impriso…
