My Polish Teacher's Tie

Få hjelp og inspirasjon til din analyse av novellen “My Polish Teacher’s Tie”. Novellen finner du på side 100 i læreboken Targets.

Helen Dunmore (1952-2017) var en britisk forfatter som både skrev dikt, noveller og romaner. Hun vannt flere nasjonale litteraturpriser, og noen av barnebøkene hennes blir brukt i britiske skoler. “My Polish Teacher’s Tie” er en del av novellesamlingen Ice Cream fra 2000.

Utdrag

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Social setting

The story’s social setting mainly deals with prejudice against foreigners. This idea is illustrated by how Steve is received when he comes to England. Valerie Kenward, his host, mocks his passion for poetry (p. 104, ll. 12-13), his accent(p. 104, ll. 18-19), and his appearance (p. 104, l. 22). His appearance and personality make Steve come across as awkward and funny-looking, which shows that his style clashes with the style the British are accustomed to. The headmaster also talks to Steve very loudly “as if he was deaf” (p. 104, l.26), probably because he believes Steve would not be able to understand him otherwise.

The story also briefly mentions the struggles of children of immigrants, especially when they come from mixed families. While Carla’s Polish mother initially tries to teach Carla Polish, her British father puts a stop to this before Carla goes to school, adding that Polish is not going to be of any use to Carla (p. 100, ll. 16-17). Carla, therefore, loses the connection with this part of her identity. She tries to recapture it when she grows up, which is why she decides to connect with Steve.