The story is about two sisters, who had been giving a nice china rabbit each by their uncle. They’re having a tea party in the garden and it is all very idyllic. But the oldest girl is very manipulating, and manipulates her little sister, to give her the rabbit her little sister had been giving. Then the older sister decides that she wants her own rabbit back, and she gets it her way.
2. Characterize the two sisters:
Kate:
Kate is described, from a small girl’s point of view, as a brave, intellectual, talkative, naughty and pretty girl. I will say, that Kate is about eight or nine years old. She is very aware of herself and very manipulative against her little sister Ellen. She is probably a bully, because she seems to enjoy nagging on Ellen. She calls Ellen fat, because she is eating redcurrants and threatens to tell their mother. Kate has a great power over Ellen, and is abusing it for her own amusement.
Ellen:
Ellen is two years younger than Kate. Six or seven years old, is my guess. She is very cautious, a fusspot if you may. She is described as a clumsy girl who always fall over her own feet, and is all covered up with plasters. She looks up to her big sister Kate, and sees her as an idol. Ellen is imitating her big sister, and does as Kate says. Kate asks Ellen, to go to the shed and get a brush, and Ellen just goes down the path to the shed, without protesting.
3. Comment on Kate’s way to manipulate:
Kate knows that she has this great power over Ellen, knows exactly how to use it, and does it cleverly. She is talking in a very mature way, is choosing well considered words and sentences, and is talking in a happy tone of voice, which gets Ellen to envy her joyfulness of the china rabbit. Of course, Kate does not feel so happy about the rabbit, but she wants Ellen to think so, so that
