Analyse af novellen 'Miranda'

The composition in the story is chronological, no flashbacks appear. The story extends over a longer period. Against all odds the text is short, because it only includes the important actions, events and descriptions. The nouvelle simply leaves out all the rest. Those techniques make the story more concentrated and compact. But that does not make the text a heavy reading, -on the contrary, the reader gets the essence of the story immediately and can start interpreting the story. The story In the text Miranda and Michael are the losers of the discussion. Miranda’s parents “convince” them not having the baby. The young couple is unhappy and ashamed and feels cowardly. Miranda seems to get an abortion in the end. The ending is more about her mental situation, “She would have cried, but she felt dry inside, she was tired, and she knew the night was ended.” P. 6, LL. 193-194. This quotation concludes that the main theme in the short story is the emotions that come with the pregnancy and the influence people around can have on the decision. The text shows teenagepregnancy from the young girl’s point of view. The purpose of the text is to give another perspective on the issue. People often think condescending about young girls having babies. A classic comment on teenagepregnancy could be; the girl is stupid and irresponsible, she should use protection and get her education before having a baby. There are many opinions as well as prejudices about that topic. Talking about pregnancy and abortion rarely includes reflections on the psychological aspects. In this story we have to face the fact, that the emotions for the unborn child and the morality are the most important part of the process. Using bribery and other tricks to influence the decision is not the way to go, it is all up to the maybe upcoming parents; who have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. Miranda is “oldschool” compared to her parents and Holly. She follows her heart and has conscience. The message in the story is that the relatives have to think more subjective about the topic, and listen to the young girls’ thoughts and worries about it.