Jealousy is one of those demons that just seems to overtake everything when it is experienced, even when you know deep down that your jealousy does not make any sense. Somehow, it can still rip through and takes you as a hostage. The emphasis of jealousy is not on you moving forward, but rather on holding the other person back. That is why jealousy can be so destructive and all-consuming and in the end it can ruin you and your beloved ones. This is what “The Dress” by Julia Darling, 2006, revolves around.
The short story is a third person narrative written in the past tense. The timeline is chronological with certain peculiarities, for instance on page 9 line 50, where the reader is introduced to the scene in the restaurant, that is the seemingly ‘final clash’ between the siblings. The sudden jump in time surprises the reader and raises the level of suspense.
Another remarkable feature in Julia Darling’s structure is the change of points of view. The narrator is omniscient with an unlimited point of view, which shows in the change of perspectives between the three main characters, the mother, Flora and Rachel. The alternating of the different points of view works very well because it gives a better impression of the characters and an insight into the motives behind the characters’ behaviours.
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