Analyse af Joanne Fedlers 'A Simple Exchange of Niceties'

In 1956 the danish philosopher K.E. Løgstrup wrote in his book, “The Ethical Demand:

"An individual never has something to do with another person without him holding something of their life in his hands."

The theory means that all individuals have impacts on all existing lives. This naturally comes with the ability to inflict harm, but it also introduces an ability to create meaning and well-being for one another.

This power is perfectly explored through the constantly developing, yet miserable narrator

in Joanne Fedler's short story, "A simple exchange of niceties," written in 2007.

The short story is about the narrator struggling with physical and personal issues. This narrator deals with unwillingly becoming pregnant, the father of the soon to be child leaving her, and a mother who seems to show no interest in her. An abortion awaits, but a strange encounter somehow changes her.

The story includes a great amount of development, with the narrator’s personal development centred.

The story can be divided into 3 phases.

The first phase spans from approximately line 1 to line 45.

This is the phase, where the narrator’s life is in chaos, seemingly primarily because of her recently discovered pregnancy.

In line 3-4 she says: “I know you’re not supposed to smoke, when you’re pregnant, but fuck it. I didn’t ask to be.” This indicates that she obviously isn’t comfortable.