The story is set out perfectly. As the story progresses you begin to relate and have sympathy for Jean more and more and more. Everyone has felt like her at one point in their lives. Everyone has always wanted to escape to a perfect world, everyone has longed for a better life. You can understand why she wants to move to “Javea” in Spain, considering she used to live in Scotland, which is typically not the tourist’s number one destination. Jean thought she deserved a better lifestyle after many years of work so decides to move to Spain, and there she hopes to start a new life and gain new friends (although she does not even speak Spanish).
Jean realises that making new friends in a completely new country at her age is a very hard thing to do; this is when she begins to miss good old Scotland, which is at one point referred to as “another place”, her true home. When we are first told that she is waiting for the postman with her “eyes filled with tears” you are not sure why the postman’s presence has such significance in her life. The postman seems like the most relevant person in Jeans life, even though he doesn’t even know who she is. She even knows that he comes at “half past twelve” on his “red motorcycle”. Her mail had now become the only thing reminded her of her old friends and country, but it was now becoming “scarce”. She misses letters from “The Woman’s Business Club”, “neighbours”, “children” and the “janitor”... But most of all she actually misses being with them. She is however relieved when she finally receives mail, but then pretends it “does not matter” when the mail turns out to be from the children who she used to teach, and was never keen on.
Jeans “living” an extremely boring life in Spain, and most of all it is not up to her standards. She is renting a brightly decorated flat, although it is obvious the only thing suited to her taste in her flat is the “oak writing desk” brought with her from Scotland. She is also not impressed by the fact that everyone living around her are living in apartments and she is stuck in her little flat. Her flat also has a non-impressive view. Just to get a good view she would have to go onto her roof and “force herself to enjoy the sunlit views”.
All in all life is not quite as great as she thought it would be in sunny Spain. Even the Spaniards which she had thought to have been nice are the opposite in her view. We are told in the story that after “church” they will go out and kill birds in her surroundings, she thinks of this as being highly hypocritical and therefore hides herself and birds from the outside world.
Jean comes across as a very bland character herself. She is highly critical and picky, she has impeccable taste. Nothing is ever up to her standards, such as Scotland or Spain. She is also “calm, dignified, and self possessed”, and is crammed full of pride, and incredibly stubborn. All these qualities make up for a very boring person. Although the writer gives powerful descriptions of what is going on in her life, making the story non boring, unlike Jean. Even though she sounds like a ‘party pooper’ type of person, the story makes you feel sympathy towards her and look past her boring qualities.
I completely emphasise with Jean, however her pride annoys me. She could move back to Scotland, even though it may be quite a bit of hassle it’s still perfectly achievable. She is a very strong character and if she was to get past her stubbornness and pride she could achieve happiness, and be happy back in Scotland (earlier in the story she had been given advice to “bide here”, but she ignored it, as expected from her. When you begin to sympathise with her sadness and loneliness, you truly understand the title of the story, as she is now a lone wolf... an “Exile”.
Brian Fraser.
3A1.
