Galloway, Janice. "Valentine".
Summary
- a woman protagonist's account of an embarassing Valentine day with her partner
- the woman does not like the fuss about Valentine and fails to enjoy the atmosphere
- she is nervous so that her partner should not find out she has used his jersey
- she fails to please him by her present of a pair of thermal drawers, he fails to please her by his gift of erotic underwear
- they go to a restaurant, make love in the car, and return home
- the woman continues feeling discomforted but the man does not seem to notice
Analysis
- concentrates on creating atmosphere rather than action
- the silent tragedy of failing communication
- the failure to live as you are expected to do: the protagonist fails to enjoy the Valentine day though she is supposed to enjoy it
- illusion versus reality: the couple seems to be perfectly content to an uninvolved observer, however at least one of the partners is suffering
Basics
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Author
Galloway, Janice. (b. 1955). -
Full Title
"Valentine". -
First Published
In: Where You Find It. London: Jonathan Cape, 1996. -
Form
Short story.
Works Cited
Galloway, Janice. "Valentine". Where You Find It. London: Jonathan Cape, 1996.