Analyse af Anna Metcalfe's novelle 'Number three'

The story is about a woman called Miss Coral. Miss Coral used to be a teacher at the middle school “Number three”, but the school hired an international teacher, so Miss Coral is therefore an “International Hostess”. So, it’s Miss Coral’s job to welcome the international teachers. In the short story she has to welcome Mr. James who comes from England. Miss Coral and Mr. James comes from two very different cultures and do things differently. Mr. James complains a lot, and this complicates things for Miss Coral. At the end of the short story, Miss Coral loses her job, because Mr. James has filed a complaint about the middle school “Number Three”.

Culture is a strange thing. You don’t always understand people from other cultures, and that can lead to many misunderstandings, because you may do things differently. This is what happens to the main character Miss Coral in Anna Metcalfe’s short story “Number three” from 2012.

The main theme of this short story is the clash between cultures. Miss Coral is raised with the Chinese culture, and Mr. James comes from England and brings a western culture with him, which is very different from the Chinese culture. We can see the culture difference in the way they express their opinions. Miss Coral is representing the Chinese culture, and Mr. James is representing western culture. For instance: “On the way to his flat, she wonders whether or not to tell him that he’s already being paid more than almost all of the other teachers at the school. She considers trying to explain that this is not a private language facility, attended only by the rich children of the city’s elite. [...] Too patronising, she decides.” (p. 3, ll. 72-75) and “Towards the middle of the month, Mr James demands a Christmas holiday. The director allows him the 25th and 26th. He pushes for the 24th. Miss Coral, receiving his urgent text messages and voicemails, is too afraid to ask for more.” (p. 3, ll. 103-104). This shows that they have two very different ways to express their opinions. Miss Coral is very cautious and thinks about how her comments and behaviour will be received, and whether or not it’s respectable. Whereas Mr. James says exactly what is on his mind and is very disrespectful and snobbish.