Lesson50+51 - One Wednesday afternoon

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Stan Barstow,
‘One Wednesday Afternoon’,
Black Swan, 1986.

LESSON 4 Q 2

JACK’S MOTHER SEEMS VERY EXCITED AND CAN’T STOP TALKING. WE MIGHT SEE THIS AS A RESULT OF THE SHOCK SHE HAS HAD. BUT IS IT RIGHT OF HER TO TELL A COMPLETE STRANGER, THE GATEKEEPER, WHAT HAS HAPPENED? SHE SEEMS TO BE TELLING HIM ALL THE DETAILS, JUDGING FROM HIS REACTION.
THIS IS HOW ONE OF YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS REACTED:
We get the impression that Jack’s mother is actually very excited about Sylvia’s accident.
The first part of the story describes her as kind of ecstatic about the accident.
She can hardly wait to tell any one what happened.
It sounds a bit horrible but she seems to be ecstatic about what happened because she has “gossip” to tell other people.
The sad story about her daughter in law will put the mother at the centre of people’s attention, and this is what she obviously wants more than anything.

LESSON 4 Q 3
JACK’S MOTHER IS VERY CRITICAL OF SYLVIA.
FIRST, SHE DOESN’T LIKE SYLVIA’S LONG HAIR, AND SEEMS TO THINK THAT SYLVIA HERSELF IS TO BLAME FOR THE ACCIDENT: IF SHE HAD LISTENED TO HER MOTHER-IN-LAW’S ADVICE AND HAD HER HAIR CUT SHORT, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
SECONDLY, JACK’S MOTHER CONDEMNS (FORDØMMER) SYLVIA FOR GOING OUT TO WORK. IN HER EYES, WIVES AND MOTHERS SHOULD STAY AT HOME AND BE HOUSEWIVES, NOT WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME. WIVES WHO DO GO OUT TO WORK ARE NOT DECENT, THEY ONLY WANT MONEY FOR MAKE-UP AND FANCY CLOTHES. JACK’S MOTHER ALMOST SAYS THAT WIVES LIKE SYLVIA ARE MAKING READY TO BE UNFAITHFUL TO THEIR HUSBANDS.
HER CONCLUSION IS SHOCKING: SYLVIA’S ACCIDENT IS A JUDGEMENT ON HER – IN OTHER WORDS, SYLVIA DESERVES WHAT HAPPENED TO HER, THE ACCIDENT IS A JUST PUNISHMENT.

LESSON 4 Q 5
THE MOTHER-IN-LAW’S ATTITUDE WOULD BE QUITE COMMON IN 1960 – WHEREAS TODAY ALMOST NOBODY WOULD SHARE HER POINT OF VIEW.
SO, THE TIME OF THE STORY IS IMPORTANT. IF WE HAD NOT KNOWN THAT THE STORY TAKES PLACE AROUND 1960, THE CONFLICT BETWEEN SYLVIA AND HER MOTHER-IN-LAW WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REALISTIC. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SETTING (TIME AND PLACE, AMONG OTHER THINGS) TO A STORY. THIS STORY BELONGS TO A TIME BEFORE FEMINISM CHANGED THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY.
IT HAS LONG BEEN ACCEPTED IN MODERN SOCIETY THAT WOMEN WANT TO EARN THEIR OWN MONEY - IN ORDER TO BE ECONOMICALLY INDEPENDENT OF THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR HUSBANDS, AND IN ORDER TO USE THEIR ABILITIES OUTSIDE THE HOME.
STILL, THE PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN THE LABOUR MARKET TODAY IS NOT AS HIGH IN GREAT BRITAIN AS IT IS IN DENMARK. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO FIND SOMEONE SHARING JACK’S MOTHER’S OPINIONS IN DENMARK – IN GREAT BRITAIN HER OPINIONS ARE PROBABLY NOT SO RARE.



LESSON 4 Q 8
NO, JACK’S MOTHER’S FIRST PRIORITY IS NOT TO COMFORT HER SON AND KEEP HIM COMPANY. SHE WANTS TO USE THE ACCIDENT TO TURN HER SON AGAINST HIS WIFE – THIS IS VERY CLEAR IN HER ATTACK ON SYLVIA ON PAGE 68.
IF JACK HAD HAD HIS WAY, HE WOULD HAVE GONE TO THE HOSPITAL ALONE, IT IS NO COMFORT TO HIM TO HAVE HER WITH HIM: HIS MOTHER’S TALK ANNOYS HIM, AS WE SEE AT THE TOP OF PAGE 69, HE IS SURPRISED THAT SHE GETS ON THE BUS AS WELL – AND HER SLOW PACE HOLDS HIM BACK WHEN HE WANTS TO HURRY AS THEY GET OFF THE BUS (TOP OF PAGE 70).
SO WE GET THE PICTURE OF A MOTHER WHO SEES THE ACCIDENT AS A CHANCE TO HAVE HER SON TO HERSELF AGAIN – AND A SON WHO ONLY WANTS TO BE WITH HIS WIFE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

LESSON 4 Q 9
AT THIS POINT IN THE TEXT, WE KNOW THAT JACK AND SYLVIA LIVE QUITE CLOSE TO HIS MOTHER. IT SEEMS THAT HIS MOTHER TAKES CARE OF THEIR CHILD WHILE JACK AND SYLVIA WORK (PAGE 69, 14 LINES FROM THE BOTTOM).
WHEN YOU START READING THE SECOND HALF OF THE TEXT, YOU’LL REALISE THAT IN FACT THEY ALL LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE, AND TO MAKE IT WORSE, IN THE MOTHER-IN-LAW’S HOUSE.
CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW AWFUL THIS MUST BE?





ONE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON PART 2
LESSON 5 Q 3
A.    JACK BLAMES THE FACTORY MANAGEMENT FOR THE ACCIDENT. WE SEE THAT FROM THE FACT THAT HE WANTS THE FACTORY INSPECTOR TO VISIT THE PLACE, HE OBVIOUSLY THINKS THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING WRONG ABOUT THE SAFETY MEASURES (SIKKERHEDSFORANSTALTNINGER). HIS MOTHER, OF COURSE, THOUGHT IT WAS SYLVIA’S OWN FAULT FOR WEARING HER HAIR LONG.
B.    “THIS IS ONE UP FOR YOU AND YOUR MOTHER,” SYLVIA SAYS. THIS TELLS US THAT SHE THINKS JACK IS ON HIS MOTHER’S SIDE. SHE THINKS THAT JACK AGREES WITH HIS MOTHER IN HER CRITICISM OF SYLVIA. SHE SEES THE CONFLICT WITH HER MOTHER-IN-LAW AS ONE SHE HAS TO FIGHT ALONE.
C.    JACK DESPERATELY WANTS TO LET HER KNOW THAT IT IS NOT LIKE THAT – BUT HE IS INARTICULATE, WE ARE TOLD: HE CANNOT EXPRESS HIMSELF OR HIS FEELINGS IN WORDS, HE CANNOT FIND THE WORDS TO EXPLAIN HOW HE FEELS. THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT PROBLEM IN THEIR MARRIAGE, AS THESE WORDS SHOW US: “ALL THE WORDLESS MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF THEIR MARRIAGE”. AND NOW HE CANNOT EVEN TOUCH HER, BECAUSE SHE IS SO CLEAN IN HER HOSPITAL BED, AND HE IS STILL UNWASHED AND DIRTY AFTER HIS DAY AT THE FACTORY.
D.    “IT WON’T MAKE NO DIFFERENCE” COULD BE TAKEN TO MEAN “IT WILL NOT CHANGE OUR RELATIONSHIP – IT WILL NOT MEAN THAT MY MOTHER HAS WON”. OR IT COULD BE UNDERSTOOD TO MEAN “THE ACCIDENT WILL NOT CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU”. SO SYLVIA CAN PROBABLY TAKE SOME COMFORT FROM HIS WORDS, IF SHE IS ABLE TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES.

LESSON 5 Q 7
I THINK THE ACCIDENT HAS MADE IT CLEAR TO JACK THAT HE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HIS MOTHER AND SYLVIA. THE WAY HIS MOTHER HAS SPOKEN ILL OF (BAGTALT) SYLVIA AND TRIED TO MAKE JACK USE THE ACCIDENT AS HIS CHANCE TO SHOW SYLVIA WHO’S THE BOSS MUST HAVE OPENED HIS EYES. HIS WORDS “NO, NOW’S ME CHANCE TO SHOW HER …” MEAN “NOW I HAVE A CHANCE TO SHOW HER I LOVE HER.”
SO IF HE GOES THROUGH WITH (GENNEMFØRER) THIS IDEA, THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT HIS AND SYLVIA’S LIFE TOGETHER WILL BE MUCH BETTER IN THE FUTURE.

LESSON 5 Q 8
JACK IS IN HIS MIDDLE FORTIES, 15 YEARS OLDER THAN SYLVIA. HE WORKS IN A FACTORY, AND IS DESCRIBED AS A VERY SERIOUS MAN, WHO SPEAKS LITTLE, AND HAS DIFFICULTIES FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS.
AS BOTH HE AND SYLVIA HAVE JOBS, IT IS STRANGE THAT THEY LIVE WITH HIS MOTHER. OF COURSE THERE COULD BE A HOUSING SHORTAGE (BOLIGMANGEL) (AFTER ALL, THIS IS AT MOST 15 YEARS AFTER THE BOMBINGS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR). BUT ANOTHER EXPLANATION COULD BE JACK’S DEPENDENCE (AFHÆNGIGHED) ON HIS MOTHER. IN SPITE OF HIS AGE SHE SEEMS TO DOMINATE HIM. AT THE AGE OF 45 IT IS HIGH TIME THAT HE BREAKS FREE (FRIGØRE SIG) FROM HIS MOTHER, AND NOW HE HAS HIS CHANCE. HE PROBABLY DOESN’T LIKE CONFLICTS. SO THE QUESTION IS IF HE WILL BE ABLE TO PULL HIMSELF TOGETHER TO CONFRONT HIS MOTHER.

LESSON 5 Q 9
THIS IS OF COURSE A VERY OPEN QUESTION – THIS IS HOW I HAVE ANSWERED IT:
SETTING:
BOTH TEXTS TAKE PLACE IN A WORKING CLASS SETTING - HENRY IS A FACTORY WORKER JUST LIKE SYLVIA AND JACK. BUT THE PLAY IS AMERICAN, THE SHORT STORY BRITISH, AND THE TIME OF THE PLAY IS THE 1990s, THE TIME OF THE SHORT STORY IS 1960.
CHARACTERS: APART FROM A HUSBAND AND A WIFE THERE IS A MOTHER-IN-LAW IN BOTH TEXTS, ALTHOUGH WE ONLY HEAR OF HER IN THE PLAY. ALSO, BOTH THE MEN HAVE DIFFICULTIES SHOWING AND TALKING ABOUT FEELINGS
THEME: THE THEME OF BOTH TEXTS COULD BE SAID TO BE CONFLICTS BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE – AND BOTH TEXTS END WITH THE SUGGESTION (ANTYDNING) OF A HAPPY ENDING.
UNFAITHFULNESS PLAYS A ROLE IN BOTH TEXTS: IN “A DEATH IN BETHANY” HENRY HAS HAD AN AFFAIR – AND IN THE SHORT STORY JACK HAS IN A WAY BEEN UNFAITHFUL TO SYLVIA BY LETTING HER DOWN IN HER CONFLICT WITH HIS MOTHER.
BOTH TEXTS ARE ABOUT MEN WHO ARE AFRAID OF SHOWING THEIR FEELINGS, OR WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES TALKING ABOUT FEELINGS. BOTH MEN DECIDE TO MAKE A CHANGE. AND IN BOTH CASES THIS WISH FOR CHANGE IS BROUGHT ABOUT BY A SUDDEN EVENT: AN ACCIDENT OR A DEATH.