Characters
The wife in Flexion
Mrs. Slovak
The final story in the collection
Seventy- Two Derwants
When characters don't understand each other
miscommunication
All settings have this in common
Ordinary, every day places
The two characters in Laminex and Mirrors
The Scholar and Mr Morton
The number of stories in the collection
14
Frank, the protagonist in Like a House on Fire, Michelle all experience this
Frailty of their body
This is a stressful time of year for many
Christmas
The cause of the relationship problems in Like a House on Fire
Back Injury, miscommunication
The name of the story which explores a woman looking up her ex.
Cross Country
Kennedy is critical of
people who can't accept their reality.
The title of the collection is symbolic of this
The small common events that can impact on individuals
How do characters solve their problems?
communication, small gestures, shift in mindset, accepting realty
The reason Seventy-Two Derwants concludes the collection
Children represent hope for the future that things can improve
The shift in each story
Realizing what you want and need are not the same thing
The hands represent this
Connection and belonging.
Symbolism used by Kennedy to represent character's struggles
Setting - Christmas time
hands - overcoming problems/moving forward
Hospitals - sterile environments
Significance of individual story titles
Have a literal and metaphoric meaning
The ending of all stories
Represents some hope for the future.