Analysis of “Little Woman” by Sharon Kadar
Being sometimes an adult or rushing through childhood isn’t necessary the most wanted thing when you look back at your “old days”. Young people and specifically teenagers’ desires to be an adult as fast as they can and wants to be treated like a grown up. The body transformation, sexual appeal and parenting has an effect the teenagers’ behavior and result of an early naughtiness. The short story “Little Woman” is a fiction story written by Sharon Kadar in 2001. The story is about five girls Kaethe, Alina, CJ, Sydney, and Stephanie who describes their teenage life in New York City and their fascination for the adult life and its involvements.
The story takes place in New York City in year 1982. Even though the story is from 1982, it has more of a modern language and approach. The short story’s narrative technique is very complexed. The story is told from a first person plural narrator which we see when the word “we” is the most common word to describe the girls. Therefore, we can suggest that the author wanted to create or had an idea of a group identity, and it therefore plays an important role in the story that it is told from a group of teenagers which begin to form their own adult identity. The girls talk directly to the reader who gets an intention of not being a part of their group, “You can sit on these benches too, but we do not notice you. Last fall we excised some of you from our group by taking you aside five minutes before chapel and saying, “It just isn’t working out.” The quote represents that they do not take care of each other or other people around themselves.
The story has five characters, the five girls Kaethe, Alina, CJ, Sydney, and Stephanie. They are described as a best friend group, but the story shows us the realness of the group. There are signs in the text that reveals that this group is false and fake. Because we get the explanation of that they don’t know each other that well and are completely careless about each other’s feelings. The girls are not more than fifteen and sixteen years old. They drink do drugs and don’t go out with boys but men, men who have wife’s and children.
The girls are also self-centered and egotistical which we see for example in this quote, “You can’t get enough of us. You’ve seen girls like us every step of the way through school. We’re 20 way out of your league.” The quote shows us exactly their point of view and how they feel about themselves which get us the feeling that they are presented egotistical and self-centered. The girls’ clothing plays a part in the story which shows us, that they have rich parents and get everything they want. The brands like Versace and Armani appeals again to rich world the girls live in which is shown in this quote, “We wear some makeup, but we are naturally radiant without it. Men look at us when we walk by. Grown men. Men with jobs and wives and children not much younger than we are. On weekends our clothes get shorter and tighter. Lycra is involved. For fancy occasions Ungaro, Versace, Armani, or small French designers that only the French have heard of.
“The theme in this short story is self-perception which based on these five girls. But also, there parenting plays a huge role, because we get the idea of that the five girls have been raised in a wealthy environment since they to a private school. “Our parents are the presidents of departments stores, interior decorators, film directors (…) They mystify and enrage and enthrall us.” This quote shows us, that the parenting plays a huge role specially when the parents have money and spoils their kids with toys and expensive things. This leads the girls to obsession about material things and buying clothes from expensive brands. The parents are described negative in the short story. The girls explain that the parents have closed eyes, and let the girls do everything they want. The ending of the short story is very confusing. The girls are in the apartment with the unknown boys who are totally careless what they do with them.
“(…) There we are. So here in this apartment, with three men whose last names we don’t know, it doesn’t matter what happens. We’re loved. We’re protected. Do with us what you dare. Do with us what you can.” This quote represents how the girls feel, and that they clearly don’t feel loved or appreciated by their parents or the boys they meet at the parties. The story begins with this whole imagination of the life in New York City and how the rich and upper-class people live.
The story doesn’t show the beautiful and prefect life, but does more of a provocation and more frightening side of the possible life in the New York. The writer interprets the consequences of absent parents and as one point shows the effect it has on a teenager, when the parents work too much or forgets that the child need the attention from its parents. The writer does also interpret the influence of materialism, which is what the girls lives revolve about. Because everything they do is to make an impression on the outside world, by having all these materialistic things from their parents.
