Back for Christmas Essay

InterpretationThe story Back for Christmas was written by a highly skilled modern English writer John Collier (3 May 1901 6 April 1980). His stories may be broadly classified as fantasies, but are really sui generis. They give birth an acerbic wit and are usually ironic or dark in t single. His distinction is a grotesque with a twist in the end. This reference can stands a picture vivid before the eyes of the reader. The title of the story under analysis is short but it excites many associations. On the one hand the text can be connected with a beautiful family holiday, but on the other hand the title sounds mysterious why blanket for Christmas in this case anyhow the word Christmas itself already presupposes the idea of cold winter or something bad. The text under the analysis belongs to the psychological type as it is concerned mainly with the mental and emotional lives of the characters. It makes me think of the described problem not once. The subject-matter of the story is a cold-blooded murder committed by a provincial doctor who ironically fails to get rid of his bossy wife.The author tries to show the reader different approaches of men and women to the idea of carriage. The story describes a fractious period in the relations between husband and wife. The problem, which is touched upon in the text, is the dominance of one of the spouses in the family. The author creates a well-plotted story which is true to life and a realistic representation of spouses relations. Compositionally the text falls into the following parts exposition, narration, denouement, climax, ending. Exposition is revealed that Doctor Carpenter is invited to deliver a course of lectures in the US. At their leave party Mrs.Carpenter promises the guests to bring her husband back for Christmas ignoring his slight doubt ab expose that. The author makes it quite clear that Hermione Carpenter has always been exceedingly obligated for all arrangements in her husbands life and career as well as the trip. Narration describes the murder carefully executed by the Doctor, who pretends to choose found a gold chain in the drain, which he uses as a decoy. After hitting his wife with a lead pipe and fashioning authentic she is dead, he goes on to dispose of the body.Denouement takes place when the first obstacle to the Doctors plan arises when he finds out that the water has already been turned off byMrs. Carpenter, which causes him to go to the cellar. Then there is a knock on the door, which scares him and brings about despair in the success of the affair. But receiving no response, the neighbours decide to come by later and leave. Climax is when Mr. Carpenters endeavours to hide the body in the hole dug beforehand in the cellar, which his wife believed to be a preparation for a new wine bin. The story ends with the Doctor arriving in America to find a letter waiting for him, which turns out to be a receipt for repairs of the wine bin and will inevitably lead to t he disco really of his wifes body. The idea of the text can be formulated like this to show the dominance of one of the spouses and what it can lead. In my opinion this theme is actual, but a little exaggerated. The story is presented from the point of place of a first-person observer.The author presents the characters directly and indirectly. The main character is Doctor Carpenter. According to direct method of characterization we learn that he was a clever, but very strange it seems to me he is very secretive, and as we see further he is very cruel. The flat character of the story is doctors wife Mrs. Carpenter. She plas peremptory role in the family, she is very good housewife, carrying and coherent. She keeps always everything in perfect way. I feel most sympathy for her. The text Back for Christmas is written in a style of fiction. In the beginning of the text we can see the Carpenters living room that was filled with the close friends who had come to say travel-minute fare well the author used this epithet to show us that their friends would be missing him very much. On the contrary with his wife doctor Carpenter wasnt sure he would come in time, he thought something could spoil his plans. But his wife beaming at them said he would be back in England for Christmas.The metaphor is used to reassure everybody to make them believe in this. So, the farewells began. Mrs. Carpenter tried her best to make all the arrangements on the high level and to originate it the author used such epithet as fluting of compliments and marvelous arrangements. Carpenters were going to drive to Southampton that evening and would embark the following day. They have chosen this kind of transport for more comfortable travelling without any bustle and to emphasize it the author the used the repetition No trains, no bustle, no last minute worries. So doctor Carpenter has contracted for lecture only three months and certainly he would be a great success in America. His wife Herm ione has just tagged along him to have some entertainments to see the big cities skyscrapers. Then the author uses repetitions No extensions. No wonderful blank space that show us that his infirmary needs him. After the farewell dinner the maids washed up all the plates, come in to say goodbye and were in time to catch the afternoon bus to Devizes. The given story produced a great impression on me. It is full of ironical and sad moments.