26 pages • 52 minutes read
Fay WeldonInd Aff
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1989A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Setting
The setting is where and when a story takes place. In this case, the story takes place in rainy Sarajevo when it was part of a mixed-economy Yugoslavia, which places the story between the 1950s and the 1980s. The setting is important to the story because the narrative of the assassination that happened in the same location parallels the main events of the piece. Additionally, the rain sets the mood that suggests that the relationship between the narrator and Peter is negative. In fact, Fay Weldon explicitly connects sadness and the rain by writing, “This is a sad story. It has to be. It rained in Sarajevo, and we had expected fine weather” (Paragraph 1). Weldon also stresses the capitalist elements of the economy to support the theme of The Effects of Pivotal Choices.
Allegory
An allegory is a story (within the larger story) that represents a deeper meaning. The central relationship is an allegory for Princip’s choice during the assassination of the Archduke is an allegory composed of multiple parts. Princip’s love for his country reflects the protagonist’s love for Peter, which the narrator points out profusely when referring to “inordinate affection.” Yugoslavia is a symbol for Peter, the object of affection—yet as the target of a choice (a murder and a breakup, respectively) the archduke also represents Peter. The archduke’s wife, as a casualty of “inordinate affection” corresponds to Mrs. Piper. The narrator reminds readers twice to remember the wife, a sign that her older, narrating self does care about how her actions affected Mrs. Piper despite her younger self’s frequent judgment of Mrs. Piper. In turn, this choice is an allegory for the damaging effects of patriarchy.
Allusion
An allusion is a reference to another literary work. Peter Piper’s full name, first revealed when his wife is named as “Mrs. Piper,” alludes to the tongue twister about Peter Piper: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” The significance of this is in the word “peck.” Though in the nursery rhyme it refers to a unit of measurement equivalent to one quarter of a bushel, it has sexualized implications: One of its other meanings is a kiss, and it also connotes the word “pecker,” slang for a penis. This reflects the erotic nature of the relationship between the two main characters, and the fact that Peter does the picking underscores Gendered Power Imbalances in Love. This is reinforced when there is another allusion to this tongue twister, when Peter dissects his pepper. The last and most subtle is when the narrator gives Peter a “peck” on the head, highlighting the shift in power.
