Something Old Something New

1. Something OldSomething New Ella, Molly, Sophie, Katie, Lucy

2. The title • It’s a pun of a marriage tradition: ‘something old, something new, something borrowed something blue.’ • The repetition of the word ‘something’ emphasises the pun. • The man has changed to a new religion and life but still reflects back to his old self throughout the story.

3. Who is the single main character? • It’s written in indirect 3rd person. • We never learn the main characters name. • However we do know that he is Scottish and used to be Catholic until he converted to Islam. • We know he is brave and daring because he has changed his whole life for this one girl that he loves.

4. Characterisation • Indirect 3rd person. • The direct speech appears blunt and clipped. This shows that the man is conserved and respectful towards the people in Sudan. • This also shows how he restrains and observes rather than getting involved a lot. • The Scottish man also doesn’t speak his mind as you know a lot of what he is thinking but he doesn’t say it. This could show he is respectful or that he is shy.

5. Who tells the story? • Narration with the Scottish man as the focaliser.

6. Where does the action take place? • Edinburgh – in a café. • Sudan • Within the mans thoughts.

7. How much time does the story cover? • Not made explicit but it is at least couple of months. • This allows the explanation of how the Scottish man met the Islam woman and how their relationship develops.

8. Rising action of the story – A event or set of circumstances that add interest The Scottish man was first a Catholic working in as a lab technician expecting to pass doctors school although he failed his last year and didn’t know what to do. This is when he met his fiancée and he then converted to Islam to be able to marry her.

9. Climax The Scottish man then goes to Sudan (the country where the woman and their family lives) to get married. However a relative dies and the wedding is held off. The woman’s brother clearly shows dislike towards the Scottish man. During this time he feels very isolated as he doesn’t know the family that well and isn’t sure what to do at the funeral.

10. Denouement • At the end of the story the woman’s brother explains why he resents the Scottish man because of his sisters previous relationship. The Scottish man and his fiancée then get married.

11. Specific mood the story creates • Confusion – the Scottish man doesn’t seem to know what is happening. • Loneliness – he is in a foreign country. • Anxiety – he’s worried about his wedding and what will happen • Disconnected – he is an outsider to the culture and country. • Flustered – he doesn’t know what to do with himself when others are rushing around for the funeral.

12. Is the story realistic? • The general story of the Scottish mans background and how he became and Islam is a bit unrealistic. • Although, the contrast between different cultures and the lack of understanding between the two is portrayed realistically.

13. Themes • Belonging and identity. • Wealth. • Culture and customs (a way of life). • Religion. • Love and conflicts.

14. Did you identify with and character? • You can relate to the Scottish man because if you ever go abroad (especially to the Middle East or Asia) you feel isolated and out of place because of your skin colour, how you speak and what you wear. This is how the Scottish man would have felt in the story and it is well portrayed.

15. Was there a villain? Was there a hero? • At the start of this story the brother resented the Scottish man. This makes the reader dislike him as if he were a villain. • We think that there was no hero.

16. Key personality traits • Scottish man – bravery, uneasiness, determined, shy. • The bride – confident, loving, soothing, caring. • The brother – forceful, harsh, insecure, nervous, protective.

17. Our overall opinion of the story • Overall we thought that this story was a bit too vague to allow the reader to connect with the main character and the storyline. However, we did like the way the isolation of the character was portrayed because it helped us relate this to our personal experiences. We also thought that the detached 3rd person narrative style alienated the reader, as we never got to know the characters fully.

18. How effective is the ending? • The ending of this story follows a structure of many other stories involving love. The ending is quite predictable and it might not have given it such a great ending when the reader can see what is coming. • Although, the ending does wrap up a complicated story which has taken a while to reach this point, which even then the reader may not then be satisfied with.