Monday's Child by Louise Bagshawe

Quotation Analysis One

1. Setting

"Our flat is located above a feminist bookshop in Tottenham Court Road, one of those old Victorian buildings with an ancient, narrow lift. It fits one normal person, or two models, and feels like a coffin without the velvet." (Bagshawe, 17)

I chose this quote out of all the others because, there is no other descriptive quote referring to the exact setting in the first half of this book, except this one. I also chose this quote because it refers to a, "coffin without the velvet" which leaves a vivid image in my head about the exact proportions of the tiny lift, I really like this comparison. This quote also gives an accurate description of the setting, referring to the exact road and it also states a landmark, "the feminist bookshop". I enjoy the fact that Bagshawe paints an image in my head when she states, "old Victorian buildings" and "ancient, narrow lift" as, I picture an old stone building with a wooden, tiny lift. In the tone of the main character, Anna Brown's, voice as she describes her residence it makes me realize that she is not exactly too happy with the place that she currently resides in, as she really puts a black cloud on her home especially when she complains about how it is an, "old Victorian building with an ancient, narrow lift" and how she says the lift "feels like a coffin without the velvet". Anna saying those things about this setting makes me realize that she thinks of the lift as being old and the home as being old. Anna does not feel comfortable residing in her home since she states the lift "fits one normal person" only, and so it does not seem like a comfortable home through Anna's eyes. Thus, I chose this quote because it accurately and descriptively describes Anna's place of residence which is one of the primary settings in this novel.

This quote refers to the exact setting in which the protagonist, Anna Brown, resides. The setting is described very well as it shows the exact physical address along with a detailed description, "above a feminist bookshop in Tottenham Court Road, one of those old Victorian buildings" which makes the setting very descriptive and convincing. The setting does shift, from the protagonist's old home to her noisy place of work. The characters are closely connected to the setting as Anna comes to her home for a safe haven after a tiresome day at work, and as the quote suggests, "It fits one normal person, or two models", the two minor characters, Lily and Janet are photo-shoot models along with being roommates with Anna which makes Anna quite self-conscience about her weight problem. The author describes the lift as being tiny enough for two models which shows how the setting is interconnected with the minor characters. Three aspects of the setting are mentioned in this quote: the fact that it is an "old Victorian building" and the location is, "Tottenham Court road" and that it is above a "feminist bookshop". The setting is clearly in England which shows by the way Bagshawe writes items in the book such as, the British slang, and because the location, "Tottenham Court Road" sounds like an English street name as many English towns have "ham" as their suffixes. This is definitely a setting the reader would not want to visit as it sounds very uncomfortable. This setting adds to the novel as it paints a mental image of the flat as being an old building with a tight, tiny lift. This description is vital as it helps the reader play out the book in the sense of getting into the true mood of this work, which is certainly a gloomy mood. This setting is specific and vague at the same time as it shows the exact road and place of residence of the main character however, it is vague because this quote does not accurately describe the inside of the flat at all, in reference to: shape, colour mood or the surroundings inside this particular building. This setting proves as a challenge for Anna, as the minor characters, Lily and Janet are a distraction to her, especially when she reads over the scripts of movies for her occupation. Thus, due to being stuck in a tiny flat with two chirpy models, the setting is not quite appropriate for the protagonist's occupation however, it is quite realistic.

2. Characterization

"I'm a big girl. All over. I'm very tall, and not thin and gangly; I have useful, farm-laborer hands, a bit of a tummy, huge boobs, not much of a waist, my bum isn't bad-it's a nice size- but it's sort of flat and squashy from sitting down all day, and my legs are no help. I can't show them off, can I? When you look like me, you don't want to draw attention to yourself. I wear flat heels and baggy jeans, mostly. Camouflage." (8)

I chose this quote out of many others in regards to characterization because; it is very descriptive as it paints a vivid picture of Anna in my mind. Bagshawe also describes the physical features of Anna descriptively; like her body shape, her legs and her height which relates to the way the author portrays Anna in the novel. Anna dislikes her height very much, and she is very self-conscience about it, it bring her self-confidence down significantly to the point where she does not want to be seen. When the character says, "flat and squashy from sitting down all day, and my legs are no help. I can't show them off, can I? When you look like me, you don't want to draw attention to yourself," it shows that she is very unhappy with the way she looks and that she does not want others to see her. I feel that being surrounded by models all day, Anna may feel that she looks heavier than she actually is as compared to the two thin models residing with her. Bagshawe makes a good effort describing Anna in this quote, however she does not mention her hair colour or her eye colour, so in that way the author could have been more descriptive. I get the impression that Anna grew up in a farm house as she states that her hands are like those of a "farm-laborer" and that may have to do with how she pushes herself to work very hard for her ungrateful boss, Kitty. Overall, I feel that Bagshawe did a good job describing Anna in this quote, as no other quote in the first half of the novel describes Anna's features like this one.

The main character is described in this novel mostly by what she says about herself; however she does receive some negative feedback from strangers at times about her appearance. Anna usually describes herself in a negative light for instance in this quote, she describes herself as "a big girl" and "very tall, and not thin". The main characters actions are inconsistent with her words as she describes herself as chubby with "a bit of a tummy" yet she goes ahead and eats a big Dairy Milk chocolate bar, and so it shows that she is inconsistent with her words. Anna's true to life as in this particular quote she describes herself as a, "tall, and not thin and gangly" person, which relates to a lot of middle-aged people in this world as the average woman is a size six. Anna stating that she is "not thin" creates Anna to portray a full; complete, round, life-like person. Anna's mood in this novel as seen in this quote is depressed and mellow and it does not change throughout the book as it is evident in the way the author wrote this novel, that Anna constantly criticizes her self-image and lack of beauty. Anna's character is truly convincing as her characterization in this quote paints an image of a realistic middle-aged woman, including the way she describes her assets and features of her body, as some middle-aged women are not too pleased with the way they look. The protagonist's character is easy to like as she is not conceited and uptight, she is very laid back and not boastful about the way she looks, as shown in this quote when she says, "I wear flat heels and baggy jeans, mostly. Camouflage". Anna also displays human-like qualities in the way she acts and says various things through-out the book, she displays feelings like: envy, discontentment and anger which makes Anna's character quite likable and real. She is motivated by a chance to get a promotion at work, however as soon as an opportunity arises a much more beautiful lady gets the role and thus, Anna goes into a: depressed, envious and angry state of mind where she pin-points her body features as being imperfect and wanting to dress in, "Camouflage" thus, not wanting to receive any comments by passersby's. Even though Anna continuously gets let down in her love life and occupation she keeps getting up and wanting to move forward and giving all she has got, and this teaches us that despite disappointment we should not give up which is a very important value in life. Anna undergoes a lot of developments through-out the book; for one she learns to accept herself the way she is which motivates her to not care about the way people view her and which teaches her to keep moving forward and not give up. Even if she's a "big girl. All over" she continues to try to earn a date with many major people in England like, Charles. Anna's characterization in this quote is direct, along with the rest of the novel, however this quote is significant when it comes to describing her physical features and body shape and so this quote is vital to the reader.

3. Conflict

"'You really are a total tosser,' I blurt. 'Just go away, Brian, would you?' But he stays rooted to the spot. 'It's not how you look,' he says virtuously. 'Well that did have something to do with it. I need to be honest with myself. Looks are important to me because the body is a reflection of the spirit.' He gestures at my pudgy tummy, 'I think you should work on that. Just a friendly comment.' 'A reflection of the spirit?' I retort. 'Let's hope not, because looking at your face, I guess your spirit has measles.' He flushes a dull red. 'Mildred says I'm very handsome, actually.' 'Who's that your new girlfriend?' He doesn't answer. 'Well, Mildred is either a liar or blind, and if she hasn't mentioned you halitosis her sense of smell can't be all that great either,' I stand up threateningly. 'Now get out!' I have two and a half stone on him. Brain turns and flees."(20)

I chose this quote because it seems that Anna's love life is continuously under review in the book and this quarrel is important because it is between Anna and her long term boyfriend, Brian. I also found this quote quite humorous as the main character has great come-backs and it is funny when she mentions Brian's halitosis and pimples. This quote is also significant because throughout the first part of the book Anna continuously wishes she could tell him that he has bad breath and acne, to his face thus, this declaration is a big turning point in Anna's character. I also chose this quote because this is a life-altering moment for Anna, although Anna bad mouths Brian, she relies on him for support, because she believes having a boyfriend is the only thing that keeps her normal. Also through the book Anna continuously points out her lack of physical fitness and health and the fact that Brian mentions her "pudgy tummy" proves to me that she is not the only one who thinks that. This made me realize she does have a little bit of a weight issue and it is not just a lack of self-confidence. This quarrel is also a turning point in the book as it triggers Anna to become single and pursue after the man she looks up to, top movie producer, Mark Swan. Thus, I chose this quote because it is very significant to the novel, as it is one of the biggest conflicts in the book in terms of character versus character.

This conflict is external as it reflects and involves two characters in the novel; it is a character versus character conflict which involves verbal abuse. This conflict is certainly not resolvable as the characters mention some quite touchy subjects of one another's features, such as: weight, acne and smell. Also in the quote it shoes that Brian has a new girlfriend, "'Mildred says I'm very handsome, actually.' 'Who's that your new girlfriend?' He doesn't answer." Which means that one of the characters in the conflict has already moved on and the sternness of Anna's voice shows that she would not want to get back with him. Brain resolves the conflict by walking out on Anna which proves to be deadly in terms of patching up a relationship as it shows that he clearly does not care much for his and Anna's relationship. Brian also goes out of the apartment and greets his new blonde girlfriend which shows that he has moved on. Brian's walking out and greeting his new girlfriend creates more conflicts, mostly internal in the case of Anna for she goes under self-denial in a character versus herself type of conflict. It does not help when, Lily, Anna's roommate says a rude comment to Anna which creates another character versus character conflict. Predicting what the characters will do is fairly simple as Brian has already moved on which leaves Anna. Anna will probably focus more on her career resulting in a promotion at work and perhaps she will find a new boyfriend. This conflict leads Anna to go into a state of depression and it leads her to focus more on her career and undergo lifestyle changes to get rid of her, "pudgy tummy". In a conflict like this it would be more suitable for Anna and Brian to meet up for coffee and discuss their differences and learn to embrace each other's uniqueness, as oppose to walking out on a long-term lover. In conclusion, Bagshawe creates a great conflict in this quote, it seems more like a ping-pong dialogue than descriptive, however it does get the point across that Anna will now move on and Brian has left her for another girl. This quote is great as it creates a classic break-up scene which is great for creating a significantly large conflict in a novel.

4. Theme

"'They want to go to the best restaurants,' he says. 'And they all love the flat. Of course it is a marvelous flat. And then they stay overnight without being asked. Just turn up with overnight cases!' he splutters. 'And they stay...' 'Maybe some of them are just keen,' I suggest. He's twirling his wine glass now, his fingers all tight on the stem, 'They aren't keen until somebody tells them about Chester House.' 'I don't know what Chester House is.' I admit." (104)

I chose this quote because it reflects the underlying theme as clearly as it can in the whole first half of the book. It is a romance novel with a rich man loving a plain, simple lady who is not after him for his wealth; there is no better quote to reflect this than this quote. I also chose this quote because it shows Anna's humbleness when she tries to stick up for the girls who, "Just turn up with overnight cases"to spend the night with Charles. I also love how Anna is ignorant about 'Chester House', which is the family seat in England that Charles inherited as she admits to him that she does not "know what Chester House is." Anna does not change her attitude during her date with Charles, even after he reveals his wealth. I chose this quote for it clearly shows that Charles is a wealthy man with pretty women after him and Anna is not-so-pretty, pudgy and not a wealthy girl, which display this novels theme. I like how Bagshawe sets the mood for this quote, she states that Charles is, "twirling his wine glass" which shows that they must be in a fancy restaurant, out for a romantic get-to-know you date, as Charles introduces 'Chester House'. Overall, this quote accurately describes the underlying message of the novel, through the humbleness of Anna towards Charles wealth.

The underlying theme of this novel is quite interesting. It is a novel based on romance however it shows that romance being sparked by a wealthy man, Charles and a simple, middleclass lady, Anna and how Charles states that Anna is different from all the other women he has dated because she is not after him for his wealth. Bagshawe is trying to state that innocent love can be achieved between a wealthy person and a middle-class citizen and this is achieved as Anna and Charles have a romantic date and Anna reveals, truthfully to Charles that she does not have any knowledge of his wealth and inheritance and thus, showing that Anna is not with Charles because of all his money. This novel reveals Bagshawe's view on human nature that opposites can attract without having any conviction and lies underlying the romance. The theme is revealed through conversation with Anna and wealthy men including, Charles and Mark Swan as they go out for dinners. The theme is also described through the conversations Anna has with her model roommates, Lily and Janet as she speaks to them about her dates, and how they wonder how she could be so oblivious to her dates' wealth. This novel is quite likable because the theme is truly new and original and not the traditional and familiar romantic comedy, this theme also has the hidden message that not all relationships involving a wealthy and an ordinary person is banded through hidden intents as Anna's lack of knowledge about Charles's wealth shows. Overall, Bagshawe makes a tremendous effort to show the underlying message of her work throughout this novel, and this quote demonstrates it more clearly than the other quotes in this novel.

5. Writing Style

"So anyway, it's another dull Monday like any other except that I am not boyfriend-less. I had the worst boyfriend in the world, and he dumped me. 'Thank God,' cries Vanna (her real name) when she hears. Vanna is my best friend. We met back when we were in college together and we've stayed best friends ever since, even though our lives have gone in slightly different directions: me, reader of bad scripts and dogs body for no money, her, senior commissioning editor at one of London's top publishing houses for about a hundred and fifty grand a year; me, now dumped by ugly, bad-breath reeking loser, her, blissfully married to Rupert, an investment banker, with two small children. All men adore her. I can't understand why we still get on. 'He was vile, hon.' 'I know. But he dumped me.'"(24)

I chose this quote because it reflects the authors writing style clearly. It is shown through Anna's eyes and it shows that her view of the world is quite sadistic. I also chose this quote because it involves Anna's best friend consoling her which is awkward because the way Anna portrays herself is as a friendless loser which is quite the contrary in this quote. I also chose this quote because it shows one of the most significant events in the plot being under review which is, Anna's and Brian's break-up and it shows the view of it under Vanna's eyes. I believe Bagshawe is influenced by London's elite side, as she pin-points that Vanna is a, "senior commissioning editor at one of London's top publishing houses for about a hundred and fifty grand a year". I also like how the author uses sarcasm when she states "our lives have gone in slightly different directions" as their lives are drastically different. I chose this quote because it shows that Anna is self-conscience especially when she says, "I can't understand why we still get on." Thus, I chose this quote because I feel it shows the authors background and writing style clearly.

The point of view in the novel, "Monday's Child", as clearly shown in this quote is under the first-person involved category as it is shown through the main character, Anna Brown's eyes. This type of narration creates the reader to be more involved with the main character along with her perspective of all the situations going on in this novel. The point of view is quite effective as the events of the novel all circulate around Anna. This perspective is very appropriate for this type of book. The author is quite pessimistic as shown in this quote when Anna states, "I had the worst boyfriend in the world and he dumped me", which shows that Anna is quite dissatisfied in her point in life and the fact that she views Brain as being the "worst boyfriend in the world" gives us the assumption that she goes with any man that comes her way. The author is influenced by culture as in this story it is based in England and the fact that there are rich men who inherit large properties, these characters would be less common in Canada. Also the author is influenced by culture in the way that having a bad boyfriend beats not having a boyfriend at all and so this results in Anna feeling quite hopeless for herself. The author uses words such as: bloke, gag, dreg and shag instead of: guy, smoke, a useless man and having sexual intercourse showing that the book is written by a British author who uses British terminology. The author also uses a lot of symbolism, humor and sarcasm. For example, the author uses the "Chester House" as a symbol of wealth and inheritance, she uses humor in places such as the conflict Anna and Brian had in the beginning of the novel and she uses sarcasm when Anna states, "our lives have gone in slightly different directions" and she comments on the drastically opposite lives that her and her best friend, Vanna live. The dialogue in this novel is quite descriptive as oppose to ping-pong. The quotes paint a vivid picture in the readers mind, such as how each character looks like; "Brian comments on Anna's, "pudgy tummy" and how Vanna is described as Anna states, "men adore her". Bagshawe displays two social groups in the novel, one of a wealthy class as Bagshawe shows through: Vanna, Mark and Charles, through having mansions and assistants and a blissful life and the common folk such as; Anna and Brian as working hard to get somewhere in life but always failing to get a raise or find a new lover. The author wrote this book under British slangs which causes readers from other places, such as Canada, as having to read over certain parts of the book to find the true meaning of the slangs such as, "fag" meaning a smoke. However that is what keeps this novel interesting, along with Anna's juggling career and romances. This work can easily be compared to the novel titled, "The It Girl" by Cecily von Ziegesar for some of the language and context in this book, specifically the British slang are also found in that novel.