Emma Flashcards
Summary
This short story is told from the first person perspective of a little girl called Dorian York. The
focus of her thoughts is her mother; the games that they play together, and the games that she
plays with her friend, that revolve around her mother. The first person perspective of the
narrative gives the reader an intimate view of how the little girl sees her mother, as well as how
she feels about her. We are also able to garner information about the people around her from her
innocent narrative, innocent because the little girl does not understand many of the things that
she reports.
Setting
The story occurs in three places; the York residence, an unnamed mall and the old train
station.
The mood of the story fluctuates from happiness to sadness.
Main Characters
Jack York (Daddy) Maria Robinson Emma York Dorian York Grandaddy Ruby Robinson
Characteristics of Jack York (Daddy)
He is Doran‟s father and Emma‟s husband.
He is characterized as a „player‟ by Mrs. Robinson.
He is not faithful to his wife.
He was not ready for the arrival of his daughter, Dorian, and does not seem to have a
close relationship with her.
Characteristics of Emma York
She is Dorian‟s mother and Jack‟s wife.
She is a good mother who plays with her child and treats her well.
She is a good wife who loves her husband (as seen in how she greets him when he gets
home) and is considerate of his feelings; as seen in her reasons for not having another
baby
She is a very smart and polished lady who can handle herself with people who are coy
and critical of her; as seen in her argument with Mrs. Robinson in the mall.
Characteristics of Dorian York
A very innocent little girl who is the first person narrator of the story.
She is younger than her friend Maria, who is nine (9) years old.
She adores her mother and her grandfather.
She is often puzzled by the content of adult discussion.
Characteristics of Grandaddy
Emma’s father.
Brought joy into the family because daddy stayed home, came home early, and spent
quality time with the family, due to grandaddy’s implied interference.
Loved her grandfather because he seemed to do what her dad didn‟t – spent time with her
– and her first person perspective of him reflected her love.
Characteristics of Ruby Robinson
She is Emma’s friend and Maria’s mother.
She is not a good friend to Emma because she is both critical and jealous of her.
She gets romantically involved with Jack after Emma dies.
She’s very impatient with both girls.
She sends Maria and Dorian to boarding school in order to enact her plan to keep the
„player‟.
Characteristics of Maria Robinson
She is the nine (9) year old daughter of Ruby Robinson.
She is Dorian‟s playmate.
She filters and explains a lot of the adult conversations that Dorian does not understand.
Themes
Innocence
Love and family relationship
Friendship
Motif
Play
The motif of play appears to be a strong one in this short story, perhaps due to the fact that the
narrator is a young child.
Symbol
Deck of cards
The deck of cards that Emma carries around in her purse is a powerful symbol for life. In any
card game that is being played, every-one has a chance at success, or failure, depending on how
they play the game.
