Fat and Thin Women in WWII

• The story is set in a small Scottish village during World War II.
• It revolves around two women, Sarah (fat) and another unnamed thin woman, who anxiously await telegrams.
• The local elder delivers these telegrams, often bringing news of soldiers' deaths.
• The twist is that the telegram is for the elder himself, informing him of his son's death.

Fat Woman

• She is jealous of the thin woman's son's education.
• She is popular and well-known in the village with a fondness for gossip.
• The Fat Woman represents traditional community values through emotional expressiveness and engagement in village social norms.
• She initially looks down on the Thin Woman, seeing her as different.
• The Fat Woman feels resentment towards the Thin Woman, believing she considers herself superior.
• She begins to understand the Thin Woman's struggles as the story progresses.
• Represents the collective mindset of small communities and the fear of war's impact.

Thin Woman

• An outsider in the village, originally from another place.
• The Thin Woman is more educated than other villagers, with a different outlook on life.
• She is perceived as proud and distant, creating tension with the Fat Woman.
• The Thin Woman is logical and reserved, often analyzing situations.
• Her son is at war, making her vulnerable to bad news.
• Represents individuality, intelligence, and isolation within a close-knit community.

The Elderly Man

• A village elder responsible for delivering telegrams during wartime.
• His presence creates immediate fear because telegrams usually bring news of death.
• The elder moves slowly through the village, increasing tension as people watch his path.
• He acts as a symbol of fate and the randomness of war.
• His role highlights the emotional strain and anxiety experienced by families during wartime.

Themes: Death

• The telegram symbolizes the looming threat of death.
• The fear of losing a loved one is a central theme.
• The unpredictable nature of war-related death causes anxiety.

Themes: Family

• Both women have sons fighting in the war, heightening their vulnerability.
• The story emphasizes the emotional weight of family bonds and wartime sacrifices.

Themes: Prejudice

• Villagers judge the Thin Woman for being different.
• The Fat Woman initially looks down on the Thin Woman, assuming arrogance.
• Prejudices within small communities create misunderstandings.

Themes: War

• War directly impacts the village and its families.
• The telegram reminds of war's brutality and constant fear.
• War disrupts lives, deepens social divides and brings loss and sacrifice to communities.
• War's effects reach beyond the battlefield, impacting everyday life.
• Telegrams remind of families losing loved ones in war.
• The elder's journey shows the fear, grief, and emotional pain war causes.

Themes: Difference

• The Thin Woman stands out because of her education, background, and way of thinking.
• The women's contrast highlights how communities resist change and outsiders.
• Difference can lead to isolation and misunderstanding.

Themes: Isolation

• The Thin Woman is socially isolated because of her status and background.
• The rural setting emphasizes the loneliness of waiting for news during wartime.
• War isolates families, increasing their anxiety.

Themes: Human Relationships

• Shared experiences between the Fat Woman and the Thin Woman can create understanding.
• Tension between them shows how fear and prejudice shape relationships.
• The story explores the evolution of relationships, especially between the two women.
• A moment of connection occurs when the thin woman comforts the fat woman.
• This temporary bond dissipates when neither of their sons has died.
• The Thin Woman's relationship with her son is depicted as strained as she grapples with his possible loss.

Themes: Selfishness

• The Fat Woman initially focuses on her own fear.
• The community ignores the Thin Woman’s struggles, thinking only of themselves.
• People prioritize their own suffering over others'.

Themes: Allies and Enemies (Rivalry)

• The women begin as rivals with negative opinions of each other.
• Competition over who will receive bad news reflects human insecurity and fear.
• By the end, there is a subtle shift towards understanding rather than rivalry.

Themes: Rural Isolation

• The small village setting emphasizes the community's isolation.
• The lack of distractions intensifies their fear and anxiety.
• The war feels distant and personal, affecting them but happening far away.

Themes: Class and Status

• The Thin Woman's education sets her apart from the villagers.
• The Fat Woman represents the working class community with traditional views.
• Class differences create barriers to understanding and acceptance.

Themes: Sacrifice

• The villagers have sacrificed their sons to the war.
• The Thin Woman has given up social connections due to her outsider status.
• War demands sacrifices from all, regardless of class or background.
• The story showcases both personal and collective sacrifices made by the characters.
• The Thin Woman sacrifices for her son's education.
• Young men sacrifice their lives in war.
• Pressures and expectations are highlighted within the community during wartime.

Themes: Fear and Loss

• The telegram symbolizes impending doom.
• The elder in black holding the yellow telegram represents the anxiety and fear of receiving bad news.
• The Fat Woman cries, while the Thin Woman stays composed.
• The theme shifts from fear of loss to actual loss when the elder learns of his son's drowning.

Contrasts: Fat Woman vs. Thin Woman

• The Fat Woman is seen as stupid, while the Thin Woman is seen as clever due to her education.
• The Fat Woman represents the majority, while the Thin Woman is an outsider.
• The Fat Woman is hardworking but perceived as lazy; the Thin Woman is seen as hardworking and determined.
• The Fat Woman is content with village life; the Thin Woman is strict and focused on success.
• The Fat Woman's son is an ordinary seaman; the Thin Woman's son is an officer.
• The differences between the women create tension, but they share the same fear of losing their sons.

Contrasts: Elder vs. Women

• The elder represents danger and brings news of war and death.
• The elder is linked to health and survival and wears black.
• The women represent safety and try to continue normal life, and are described as grey and are associated with illness and fragility.

Contrasts: War vs. Peace

• War is danger, destruction, and sacrifice.
• Peace has safety, stability, and comfort.
• War has yellow telegrams and black mourning clothes, whereas peace has grey, dull, ordinary village life.

The Telegram

• Symbolizes the outside world and war.
• Represents anxiety and fear, bringing potential tragedy.
• Associated with death, delivering news of fallen soldiers.

The Elder (Messenger)

• A symbol of death, feared because he brings news of who has died.
• He is a Grim Reaper figure, dressed in black, walking slowly, carrying bad news.
• The Elder is connected to religion, suggesting fate and judgement.

Tea

• A distraction from fear, helping women avoid thinking about the telegram's meaning.
• A symbol of politeness and habit, representing social etiquette.
• Tea also represents tradition and class.

Key Plot Stages: The Set-Up

• The story is set in a small rural village during WWII.
• Two women (Fat Woman & Thin Woman) sit watching the elder (messenger).
• Telegrams bring bad news, creating an atmosphere of fear and anxiety.

Key Plot Stages: Complication

• The elder is seen carrying a telegram.
• The elder draws closer, building tension.
• The Fat Woman experiences sadness and sympathy for the Thin Woman.

Key Plot Stages: Anti-Climax

• The telegram is addressed to the elder himself.
• The ending is surprising and anti-climactic.

Key Plot Stages: Resolution (Twist)

• The elder is revealed to be the one suffering loss.
• The twist shows that no one is immune from war's impact.

Definitions

• Reverberations: lasting effects or echoes of something.
• Superstitious: believing in things not based on logic or science.
• Desolation: a state of complete emptiness, loneliness, or devastation.
• Somnambulistic: sleepwalking

Setting

• The story is set in a small Highland village in Scotland during World War II.
• The village is described as bare, bleak, and with little color.
• The community is narrow-minded and insular.
• The remote setting mirrors emotional isolation.
• Minimal details create universality.

Main Characters: Names and Brief Descriptions

• Sarah (The Fat Woman): narrow-minded, resentful, content in her insular life.
• The Thin Woman: a widow who has made sacrifices for her son's future, gaunt and aloof.
• The Elder (Macleod): a stiff, pious man who delivers telegrams and receives tragic news.

Extra Themes Annotations: War

• War affects even the smallest, most remote communities.
• The effects of war are devastating.
• War affects everyone, regardless of age, wealth, or religion.

Extra Themes Annotations: Human Relationships

• The women are very different but their relationship changes towards the end.
• There is a turning point where they share love and fears for their sons.
• The Fat Woman overcomes her prejudice, understanding the difficulties faced by the Thin Woman.

Extra Themes Annotations: Isolation

• Highlighting the thin woman's status as an 'incomer', even after thirty years, resisting change.
• The fat woman's criticism of her neighbour reflects the insular nature of the community.

Additional Information

• War affects remote communities.
• Relationships can evolve through shared experiences.
• The Thin Woman is an outsider due to the village's resistance to change.

Analysis

• War affects all regardless of wealth or status.
• The telegram disrupts peace, making the war personal for those at home.
• War destroys lives, relationships, and communities.

Analysis of Textual Elements

• Smith uses contrasting descriptions to highlight their differences, associating the fat woman with comfort and conformity while portraying the thin woman as an outsider and individualist.
• Smith uses direct and indirect criticism to reflect the thin woman's judgment, portraying her as narrow-minded and selfish, dismissive of her preoccupation with trivial matters compared to the broader issues of war and loss.
• conveyed effectively through Smith's language in "The Telegram," where anxious thoughts and fears about her son's fate culminate through short, fragmented sentences. As a result, mirroring her state of growing panic and emotional turmoil as the worst outcomes are anticipated.
• portrayed through critical and dismissive language, portraying her as an outsider disconnected from village traditions with words such as 'superior' and 'different'
• achieved through Smith's use of imagery and physical description, the telegram is crushed in his sweaty hands depicting emotional devastation, meanwhile, his aimless wandering symbolizing his grief, evoking pity as struggles to face of what has occurred.