6 Questions
What is the narrator's perception about their body?
They hated their body.
What is the significance of the narrator's christening?
It was a late event that the narrator still remembered.
What does the narrator feel when their lamp is turned off?
They start crying.
Who is Louise in the narrator's life?
A family member.
What did the narrator do to cope with their feelings of inadequacy?
They began writing stories.
What is the narrator's perception of their father's reaction to them?
Their father was disappointed in them.
Study Notes
Childhood Memories and Family Dynamics
- The narrator, an only child, feels they have always had a brother.
- The narrator would cry when their lamp was turned off, indicating fear or anxiety.
- They insisted on waiting for someone (implied to be a brother) before sitting down at the table, suggesting a sense of responsibility or inclusion.
- The narrator wanted to believe they were the pride of their father.
- The narrator's christening took place so late that they still remembered it vividly.
- The narrator felt fragile and vulnerable in their father's presence, sensing their father's disappointment.
Relationships and Perceptions
- The narrator hated their own body and had unbounded admiration for their family members' bodies.
- Louise, a family member, was always present in the narrator's life.
- Louise shared stories of her difficult childhood, including being mocked for having a physical disability.
- The narrator felt they were the first and only child, but later realized they were not.
- The narrator sensed bitterness in their father's eyes, hinting at unresolved issues.
- The narrator would create and write entire stories, filling pages with their imaginative inventions.
Test your French language skills with this quiz, featuring sentences and phrases to translate and understand.
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