‘The Fury’ story is written in third person narrative and set around the 1950. You get an idea of the time the story was set from the language used, for example ‘owt’ and ‘summat’ which are used often in the dialogue.
Mrs Fletcher is a traditional housewife, She comes across as a jealous, passionate and possessive wife and she shows this when she kills the rabbits. She has also fought off other women which shows she is aggressive and violent, and the title ‘The Fury’ is in her as she also shows when she is slicing the potatoes, knitting and smashes the vase. Although Mrs Fletcher has arguments with her husband she likes to keep her problems private and she does this by not letting Mrs Sykes know how she feels, ‘she felt a strong desire to abuse him in her talk, but pride held her tongue.’ She also does and says things she regrets like telling Jim to leave ‘go to her. Tell her I sent you. Tell her I’ve had enough of you.’ And also killing the rabbit shows this. Despite this she does love her husband but she feels insecure as he’s had an affair in the past and also because she’s based her life around him. The story is written in first person narrative and set around the 1950 you get an idea of the time the story was set from the language used, for example ‘owt’ and ‘summat’ which are used often in the story.
Mr Fletcher works as a railway porter, and his hobby is breeding rabbits. He avoids arguments and is laid back and this is shown at the bus station ‘she got proper nasty towards the end. Started shoutin’ and swearin’, right in the street. It was awful.’ And he also shows this with Mrs Fletcher when he walks out after the argument and also when he comes back to apologise ‘he closed the door and stood sheepishly behind it, his eyes avoiding hers.’ He seems to love her even though he’s had an affair and he shows this when ‘what a great fool, I’d been ever to risk losing all that mattered for a brazen baggage like her.’ He knows and understands his wife and he’s not always honest like the time when he had the affair. He focuses more on his rabbits and doesn’t give his wife enough attention.
Mr and Mrs Fletcher’s marriage seems to have a lack of trust but it has already survived an affair so there could still be a future. Although Mrs Fletcher makes an effort Mr Fletcher doesn’t make enough effort and this is shown when he spends all his time with the rabbits instead of his wife, also he doesn’t speak his mind as much as his wife, maybe he needs to be more honest and tell his wife how he feels.
‘A bit of a commotion’ is written in third person narrative so the language is more informal; the story has a similar dialogue to the ‘Fury’ so you don’t get other characters views or feelings, and is set around the 1960-70.
Harry is a poor timekeeper and is often late for work, he doesn’t think much about is wife ‘turning over for another hour’s kip is all she’s good for’ and he’s heartless and only cares about him self. He shows this at the bus stop when the old woman gets knocked down ‘you’d think they’d have more sense than to wonder about out there.’ He’s also moody and violent as he beats Phyllis for the first time, and also bad tempered and easily made angry. But he did try to turnover a new leaf and he has a job and gives his wife money. ‘we need every penny we can get, believe you me, the way she spends it.’ And he hasn’t shown violence before this and he does show some regret in hitting Phyllis ‘then I stop and stand back, half satisfied, half sorry at what I’ve done.’ He blames everyone but himself, but knows he is in the wrong.
Phyllis is not a traditional house wife unlike Mrs Fletcher who is. She is lazy and indolent, but she may work at the pub ‘queening it down the pub every night’ but maybe she just spends his money. She’s sarcastic and attractive ‘I was the one that fell for her sharp tits and long legs’ and she like Mrs Fletcher will argue as she is strong and independent and she shows this when she leaves her husband and won’t accept being hit.
Harry and Phyllis seem younger probably in their mid twenties but Mr and Mrs Fletcher seems older as Harry and Phyllis act immaturely and they argue a lot more than Mr and Mrs Fletcher.
The story is written in first person narrative so it’s a biased viewpoint as you don’t see other characters view points and feelings, but ‘The Fury’ is written in first person narrative so you do see the feelings of other characters, In ‘A Bit Of a Commotion’ the language is more like real speech. There is a mix of past and present tense, and the story shows one day only and it’s a bad day so Harry comes across badly. The setting is in the north of England, which is seen in the language ‘owt’, ‘nay’, ‘nobbut’, aye which is used in the dialogue. The title refers to the accident at the beginning of the story but it could also refer to him hitting his wife.
The ending is ironic as he could have just gone to work, and also in ‘The Fury’ if she had listened to her husband she would not have killed the rabbits. In both stories the reader is left to image the future.
From reading both stories I don’t think there is a future, as Mrs Fletchers killed the rabbits which are the one thing her husband cares more about than her. And also at the end of the story she says ‘there could be no future’ but the couple are older and they have already got over an affair so there still could be a future. In ‘A Bit Of a Commotion’ Harry and Phyllis are not as committed to each other as much as Mr and Mrs Fletcher are, as Mrs Fletcher based her life round her husband but Phyllis has not, and also Phyllis is young and attractive so she has more chance of not coming back and also when she left she took her bags with her which could be an indication that she is not going to come back, where as when Mr Fletcher left he did not take his bags so he had to return at some point. But there still maybe a future for Harry and Phyllis as they are married and Harry thought she would come back by the end of the day, so there still could be a future for both couples.