Something Old Something New

1
Something OldSomething New

• Ella, Molly, Sophie, Katie, Lucy

2
The title

• Its 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?

• Its 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 doesnt speak his mind as
  you know a lot of what he is thinking but he
  doesnt 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
  didnt 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 womans brother clearly shows
  dislike towards the Scottish man. During this
  time he feels very isolated as he doesnt know
  the family that well and isnt sure what to do at
  the funeral.

10
Denouement

• At the end of the story the womans 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 doesnt seem to know
  what is happening.
• Loneliness he is in a foreign country.
• Anxiety hes worried about his wedding and what
  will happen
• Disconnected he is an outsider to the culture
  and country.
• Flustered he doesnt 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.