1)
”Rice, Cakes and Starbucks” is a short story about the family Lindens who lives in London. The father Dan he works with films. Dan has his first casting in Los Angeles and his wife Beth suggests that they can rent a house in Los Angeles, then she and their three children can move with Dan while his TV-seire is still on.
They decide to move to Los Angels for a while.
Dan is to go to the casting. The casting woman Pammy from CBS, tells Dan that this meeting is just a general meeting.
It is uncertain if Dan will receive the job. Just after the casting his American manager calls him and she tells him that Pammy has asked if it would be available to cast his daughter later the same day. He does say nothing to Beth about this call. From the Starbuck café where his family have waited, he goes together with his wife and his children.
2)
Dan is the main character. He works with film and he tries to get a character in a series from CBS.
He is father to three children Honey, Ben and Grace. He lives with his wife Beth and the children. The short story says nothing about his looks besides we know that he wears a suit when he goes to the casting.
The author uses an omniscient third- person narrator, the narrator knows about both Dan’s and Beth’s inside dialogs. E.g. “”We can’t stay here all day.” Beth didn’t meet his eye. She didn’t want an argument and they both knew she’d waver if she saw the furry in his face.” (L. 91 p. 10.). This is the only time the narrator tells about Beth’s inside dialog. Most of the time the short story is told by Dan’s point of view by the omniscient third- person narrator. E.g. “Dan looked at his feet. He felt unutterably guilty” (l. 25 p. 8). The narrator describes Dan’s inside and values indirectly trough Dan’s actions and inside dialogs. Dan priorities his work and he feels that the family inhibits him to realise his dream and he puts the blame on Beth that they have three children. E.g. “”why not?” she challenged, and instead of telling her why not- so that he could blame her forever, for holding him back, for having three children when he only needed one, for making it impossible to realise his dreams when they all relied on him, all four of them, to be at home, he changed the inflection and shrugged “why not?””. ( l.l. 31-2 p.p. 8 and 9).
Dan goes trough a development in the short story, which will be described later.
Beth’s person is also described indirectly trough her actions. She is kind to Dan and it is her idea that they can move to LA so they can have time together while Dan may get his dream come true. Beth supports him in his work. E.g. “ They do love you. Didn’t Finola say the show was getting great reviews?” (l. 38 p. 9). She is a good a mother and she is the person in the family who takes care of the children. She baths with the children and she takes care of the baby Grace when she wakes up in the night at 3 O’clock. E.g. “ At three Grace woke and began to gurgle happily as if it were late morning, which of course it was, for her, and Dan turned on his side and pretended to be oblivious. Beth fed her and shushed her and even pleaded a little with her to be quiet and then, sighing, got up and took her away. “
( l, 44 p, 9 )
3)
In the end of the text Dan realises that it is very uncertain if he will gets his dream work.
The casting woman Pammy wishes to use his daughter in a film Dan says nothing to his wife about that.
Dan goes trough a development in the short story. Dan is very distanced by his children.
He does not think that it is his need to have three children and it sounds like it just has been Beth’s wish to have three children. E.g. “”why not?” she challenged, and instead of telling her why not- so that he could blame her forever, for holding him back, for having three children when he only needed one, for making it impossible to realise his dreams when they all relied on him, all four of them, to be at home, he changed the inflection and shrugged “why not?””. ( l.l. 31-2 p.p. 8 and 9). He does not do something with the children he just watches at them, he does not play with the children and he does not take a part in their life. E.g. “ Dan pulled a chair outside and watched them, ducking and fighting and flicking water…….” ( l,70 p, 10)
He does not want them to touch his suit before he is to go to the casting. E.e. ““No hands! No hands!” He warded off the children as they rushed towards him and he heard Beth sigh.” (l, 76 p, 10). He does not want to have any marks by his family when he goes to work.
When he realises that the job may de-select him, then he selects his family.
E.g. “Ready, steady GO,” and he watched them charge towards him, their feet pounding their arms outstretched, each wanting to be first to grasp at the charcoal lapels of his good suit” (l.l. 157-159 p. 12). He make a good choice, he wants to go in the future with his family, and he realise that the children have to be a part of his good suit and the good suit can be a symbol of his “new future ” where the family will be a part of his success.
4)
Why makes we children? Is it the reason that we just want to have a family because this is the most “normal” thing to have in your “grown-up life”. Many want a good carrier, a lot of money, a big house and a cool car. Is there time for children in that life? Children need love, caring and you cannot give them too much time. Many adults forget that it will be the children who pay the price, if you just are focused on your “work and money- dream” if you do not have time to them. Everybody who makes children must make their a dream, to a dream where you wish to be the best parents in the world, which child does not deserve parents with that dream?
