8823 #4: The Geranium Patricia Grace

Use these notes to organize your ideas step-bystep and draft your response. Good luck!
Battered Woman's Syndrome: describes women who, due to emotional and physical abuse, cannot make the
most basic decisions for themselves. The term is a reference to [a woman] who, because of constant and severe
domestic violence usually involving physical abuse by a partner, may become depressed and/or unable to take
any independent action that would allow her to escape the abuse. The condition explains why abused people
may not seek assistance from others, fight their abuser, or leave the abusive situation. www.wikipedia.com

Text type: short story

Short stories have
A small number of characters
A simple plot development, usually covering a single event or day
A limited focus on setting (where and when)
Spare and suggestive use of language

Basically, short stories use small events to reveal big themes.

"Relationships are always the starting point. I think that's because I'm mainly interested in people, the
way they react and interact, and showing what makes a person tick. I'm interested in that, beyond
issues, beyond politics, beyond storylines." Patricia Grace.
A geranium is a simple, common flower.
The story is a day in the life of Marney. It begins with a dull recitation of Marney's work and her
anticipation of the local paper. As she stands at the sink at the end of the story, she reverts to listing in
her head all the features of the paper she is looking forward to reading.
The day's pattern will be repeated over and over again.
Setting is definitely New Zealand, mainly shown by the women's speech patterns. "Fat chance, they've
got money for lollies." "Dead loss all right, why not let your old man dig?"
There is no real information about the class or cultural background of the characters in the story.
YOU can use this to reinforce the idea that domestic violence is not limited to time, culture or class: it
happens anywhere, anytime.
Appearances can be and are deceiving. We think we know people and what is going on in their lives
-but often we don't. Do we care enough to see the clues and act on our suspicions?
Rundown of the text:

The story is told using limited third person narrative technique we are limited to Marney.
Her thoughts are robotic: a run-down of her chores and a lengthy listing of all the things to be found in
the local newspaper.

 Marney is so abused she cant think for herself she cant do any of the things we take for granted.
The local newspaper is her link with the outside world.
Conflict in the text:

Marney is a housewife (?) with school aged children and a violent husband/ partner.
She is house-bound: she spends her day obsessively cleaning her house.
Her one source of pleasure is the local newspaper and the (quick) visit of her friends.
The beginning is deliberately boring - sentence after boring sentence listing Marney's chores.
If Sandra and Joey called by she would put on her cardigan to hide her arm. Note how the language
suggests an automatic response.
There is foreshadowing throughout the story to unsettle the reader. "Before they came she put on
her cardigan to hide her arm." "She thought she might mention about the pegs." "But she was worried
about the geranium
We are given a deceptively positive view of Bob in comparison to other husbands. "But you... you
always seem to have..." "Not like my old man. Hers too. All they bring home is a skinful of booze, one's
as bad as the other."
How conflict is introduced and developed:

This day has not been special or unusual - apart from the geranium but that reminds us how horribly
sad (in every sense of the word) Marneys situation is.
Bob is abusive and violent. His daily interrogation of Marney maintains his control.
He does all the shopping, giving her no financial independence or opportunity to leave the house.
We see at the end of the story that Marney is required to account for every minute of her day which
explains the boring listing of all her work.
The geranium of the title is significant on two levels: (a) it is a pathetic source of something new in
Marney's day -and yet she is not allowed to keep it. (2) The geranium is a symbol of Marney.
A geranium grows under any conditions - it needs very little to survive and will hang in there in barren
conditions.
Bob's insistence that it be thrown away represents his total control (and meanness).

 The final image of Bob "sucking his teeth and shifting his chair" is like an ogre or a dangerous beast: a
fitting description.
Marney is beyond hope: the idea of escaping Bob doesnt occur to her.
How the conflict is resolved (or not):

Things to think about for your personal response: do you dis/agree? Why/ not?
The final stage of the story has a nasty twist: we find out why Marney is Marney.
The listing of Marney's work and features of the local paper reflect the tragic repetition of her existence.
Symbols such as the newspaper (Marney's life line), the geranium (barren, struggle for existence) and
the water going down the plughole (her life going down the drain) emphasise the tragedy of her situation.
The dialogue reveals Sandra and Joey's indifference to Marney's situation (they don't follow up the
clues but keep going on their own tangents) and Marney's inability to reach out and communicate. She
avoids questions or gives half answers (e.g. why she cleans every day, why she has so much stuff).
The story challenges our stereotypes. Abusers don't have to look like Jake Heke!
Simple sentences and language to the point of being so, so boring why? Effective?
Your personal response: