Analyse af 'Loose Change'

In our century, people get more and more separated from each other because of the culture, identities, prejudices and perceptions. Because of this it's sometimes difficult for humans to understand cultures that are different from their own. The gap between us is in some situations very deep, and one's quality of life depends on which part of the society you were born into. This gap can be diminished by breaking the prejudices and be wiling to communicate across the cultures and think about every human as you want them to think about you – in an equal mentality. Still, this is difficult for some people because they do not see the global problems, and they are protected from many of the cruel facts of life that so many people in third world countries have to live with every day. We have only the globalism to thank for that. And because the cruelty, poorness and miserable lives are far away in the Suburbia, people get scared when it get to close. I think it is what “Loose Change” is about. “Loose Change” is mainly about two cultures meeting each other and their reactions of this. The narrator is a first-person narrator and tells the story in her point of view, and only get her thoughts about Laylor. Laylor and the narrator is completely contrasts of each other. Laylor, is an immigrant from Uzbekistan, while the narrator describes herself as a “Londoner”1 Their differences show the contradictions of classes which might lead to prejudices towards each other and their unfamiliar societies. The story takes place in the National Portrait Gallery. The narrator goes in there because she was freezing outside and she has to go to the toilet to by and change tampon, but she has no money. When everybody seemed to leave the place at once, there was just this girl left. She asks a girl, if she can change a ten-pound note to three twenty-pieces2.Then a conversation between the two women starts. The narrator seems to feel alright about the woman to begin with, but when the girl tells her story about her miserable life in Uzbekistan, and that she now live on the streets of London, the narrator gradually realizes that she doesn't want to be involved in this. So her attitude to Laylor goes from a pity, mercy and obligated attitude to a repulsive and contemptuous attitude. She gets scared of binding to a responsibility. Nevertheless, the good and careful inside her surmount the cultural, and identity gap which just got her thinking bad about Laylor. She resolved to help her. She would bring her to her own house. She would make her dinner, run her a bath filled with bubbles, wrap her in thick towels heated on a rail and really trade her like her own daughter. And in the end of her thoughts she say to herself: “And let all Laylor's grandchildren know my name.”She would only do all this to feel better about herself and show her selfishness in her intentions of helping4 . She wants to be remembered as the Good Samaritan, and doesn't think about the fact that it is more important just help someone.Laylor is a kind person, willing to help other people even though she is poor and have a harsh life and been trough a lot of hard things in her life. Laylor give her time to talk with the narrator and even borrow her some money, she could do a lot of other stuff like collection deposit or something. But she feels like be kind and cheerful. So the narrator steel the time of Laylor just to help herself. Actually Laylor isn't important for her, she just wants change. After Laylor has been open-hearted and has talked free about her cruel life, her family and herself, the narrator just change her mind about helping her and then the moment later she doesn't feel like helping Laylor who is a person she doesn't know or has a reason for to help. The narrator places the responsibility on Laylor for asking her, instead of someone with more time and money.The title describes the link between the narrator and Laylor. It is because of narrator's need of change that the two of them meet. Change means different things for different women. The narrator needs the change for tampons, Laylor needs them for living. The title could also indicate the “Loose change” in the narrator's behavior. In one moment she is disgusted by Laylor, and next moment she is like a member of her family but in the end she run away.