Analyse af Dorothy Parkers novelle 'A Telephone Call'

Short Story Analysis: A Telephone Call by Dorothy Parker

I. A Telephone Call

By Dorothy Parker

II. SYNOPSIS

An infatuated, obsessed woman is eagerly waiting for her boyfriend to call her up at 5:00. Now it is 7:10 but he has not called up yet. She thinks that this is God’s way of punishing her for being bad. She promises to be good and sweet to her boyfriend if he calls up now. She keeps on calling God’s attention, frantically waiting for her boyfriend to call up. She thinks that perhaps he is on his way to her place, and this is the reason for his not calling up yet. On one hand, she thinks of calling him up, but hesitates. She counts anxiously while waiting for that telephone call.

III. SHORT STORY ELEMENTS

A. CHARACTERS

There is only one main character in this short story, and is flat and static, the persona of this short story, the “I.” The minor character, though not formally having a direct role here, is the “he,” also flat and static.

B. PLOT

a) Introduction

The characters, the persona “I” and the minor character “he,” are introduced.

b) Rising Action

The complication of the short story starts when a woman, the persona, recalls that her boyfriend told her he would call her up at 5:00, but still has not, at 7:10.