Jealousy

The theme of jealousy is explored throughout each of the four stories.

HOME:
In ‘Home,’ there is a married couple who are visiting there home town,
Glasgow, after moving away to Africa and becoming successful. The Jackson’s
reason for returning is nostalgia and remembrance but he soon realizes that he
no longer fits into their old society.
Through characterisation of Mr Jackson, Smith evokes the theme of jealousy.
This is shown when he recalls a time when he was treated unfairly by a factor.
“I was treated like a black.” Mr Jackson’s attitude suggests that he is still
holding resentment towards the factor and that racism has become embedded
in his outlook.
Mr Jackson is shown to be jealous of the community which he is no longer a
part of. When he is talking to a woman about his worries of the children
scratching his car, she hints that he doesn’t belong in the area with his fancy,
expensive vehicle. To this he replies “I used to live here.” He isn’t recognised in
the community anymore and is now seen as an outsider. He is jealous of this
but simply gets in his car and drives away. This leads him to realise that he isn’t
the same man he used to be and therefore he has to accept this and move on.
THE TELEGRAM:
In ‘The Telegram,’ there are two main, contrasting characters, only known as;
the fat lady and the thin lady. Throughout the story, they are watching a
church elder walk down the street with a telegram in hand, about to deliver
bad news to someone, although it is later discovered that the telegram was for
him. The fat lady is very jealous of the thin woman and shows resentment
towards her throughout the plot.
The fat woman is shown to be jealous of the thin woman’s son because he is a
higher rank than her own son. She complains that due to this, he is safer and
less likely to get hurt with better food and accommodation. “The fat woman’s
son had to salute the thin woman’s son.” The reader is told that there is much
inequality between the sons because of their differing statuses within the
military and the fat woman is not happy with this.
Jealousy is shown again when the fat woman is shown to resent the little
things that the thin woman does. “She sipped her tea, her little finger elegantly
curled in an irritating way.” This shows a certain level of immaturity and
pettiness within the fat woman as she seems to focus on other people’s minor
flaws. She is jealous that the thin woman has a certain sense of elegance
compared to her.
The fat woman is jealous of the thin woman’s loyalty and love for her son. The
thin woman says “I made sacrifices to have my son educated.” This seems to
create an awkward, tense atmosphere as the fat woman didn’t get her son
educated for fear of being seen as snobbish. This shows her inability to put her
family’s needs above her own. She is therefore jealous of the thin woman’s
devotion for her son.
MOTHER AND SON:
In ‘Mother and Son,’ the main character, John, is a carer for his mother who
has been in bed for ten years. She cannot do anything for herself and relies on
her son to care for her. John’s sense of identity has been stripped away by his
mother, preventing him from making friends or getting a job. This leads him to
feel jealous of other men his age.
The reader first witnesses John’s jealousy when he talks to his mother about
someone he used to be acquainted with that now has a steady job. “They all
take a job. They get together and laugh at me.” This shows that John is
emotionally unstable, childlike and self-pitying. He is unable to get a job
because his mother mentally controls him. She has taught him that he isn’t
qualified nor able enough to get a good paying job. She has stripped away his
identity and made him insecure. He feels jealous of the other men’s
employment and even feels like they mock his idleness.
THE RED DOOR:
In ‘The Red Door’ Iain Crichton Smith Reveals how an individual’s desire for
acceptance within his community can lead to jealousy. The main character,
Murdo, has conformed his whole life, seeking acceptance from the other
villagers. When he wakes up one morning and discovers that his green door
has been painted red, a different colour from everyone else’s, he starts to
question his choice to blend in and his lack of identity.
The first impression of jealousy the reader gets from Murdo is when he talks
about his daily routines that are the same as everyone else’s. He has a moment
where he questions his purpose in the village. Due to the villagers all living the
same way, he believes that his value has been reduced. “After all, I have
nothing to get up for really.” This shows that Murdo has lead a simple life in
order to fit in but the simplicity has been repetitive and therefore boring. He
hasn’t done much with his life as he has been so focused on conforming.
He shows jealous traits throughout the story that can be interpreted as regret
for not living his life to the full.
Jealousy is seen again when Murdo is thinking about his past romance with a
woman called Mary. Mary is a woman who doesn’t change herself to please
others. Conformity is not in her personality and she leads a life in accordance
to her own desires. Her character is a direct contrast with Murdo’s who has
lost his sense of identity trying to fit in. He hints that he is jealous of her
rebellion against the villagers’ expectations when he says; “Though she was a
bit odd, she had elegance.” This shows Murdo’s respect for her ability to be
herself. “…she made no concessions to anybody.” Murdo is unable to stand up
for himself or act the way he wants to. He is so scared of being rejected by the
villagers and he is jealous that Mary is her true self without a care in the world.

Flashbacks
The theme of flashbacks is explored throughout each of the four stories.
HOME:
In ‘Home,’ there is a married couple who are visiting there home town, Glasgow, after
moving away to Africa and becoming successful. The Jackson’s reason for returning is
nostalgia and remembrance but he soon realizes that he no longer fits into their old society
as he thinks back on his former life, comparing it with his current one.
The theme of flashbacks is first seen when Jackson remembers a family that used to live in
the neighbourhood. “Mind the Jamiesons?”
THE TELEGRAM:
In ‘The Telegram,’ there are two main, contrasting characters, only known as; the fat lady
and the thin lady. Throughout the story, they are watching a church elder walk down the
street with a telegram in hand, about to deliver bad news to someone, although it is later
discovered that the telegram was for him.
The theme of flashbacks is first seen when…
MOTHER AND SON:
In ‘Mother and Son,’ the main character, John, is a carer for his mother who has been in bed
for ten years. She cannot do anything for herself and relies on her son to care for her. John’s
sense of identity has been stripped away by his mother, preventing him from making friends
or getting a job. This leads him to have flashbacks of his past, forced onto him by his mother
who compares him to his father.
The theme of flashbacks is first seen when…
THE RED DOOR:
In ‘The Red Door’ Iain Crichton Smith reveals an individual’s desire for acceptance within his
community. The main character, Murdo, has conformed his whole life, seeking acceptance
from the other villagers. When he wakes up one morning and discovers that his green door
has been painted red, a different colour from everyone else’s, he starts to question his
choice to blend in and his lack of identity.
The theme of flashbacks is first seen when…