The mother is a bereavement counselor, and it is suggested numerous times that she needs to distance herself from her job when she is at home. She has difficulties dealing with the constant intrigues between the sisters. She tends to take Rachel’s side, because she is the tidy and conscientious one while Flora is a mess and is desperately trying to get her mother’s attention. The mother neglects her children and is not willing to deal with their problems. This has obviously had an effect on the two sisters and in particular on Flora. The mother deals with her clients’ problems and issues professionally, and therefore she has a great need of a safe and loving environment when she is off the clock. She needs to outdistance the clients’ problems and deal with the problems of her own. The children’s perpetual fights are too much for her to cope with:
“ She felt sorry for herself. All day she had sat with tearful needy people. It was her birthday, and she wanted to relax. She wanted to feel loved.”
In the end her neglect of her daughters leads to her “loss” of not only Rachel but also of Flora. She unwillingly pushes her daughters away form her by not dealing with their disputes.
The relationship between the two sisters is mostly characterized by perpetual intrigues and jealousy. They both fight for the attention of their mother, who sadly cannot cope with both her clients’ and her daughters’ problems, but in very different ways. Rachel tries to identify with her mother by being very tidy and neat and thereby accommodating her mother. Because of her very demanding job the mother has a need for order and tidiness in the house:
“Rachel walked back into the blue kitchen, with its neat bowl of shining apples […] At one end of the table was a neatly folded pile of used wrapping paper…”
On the other hand Flora is almost the complete opposite. Her room is a mess, she socializes with an Italian guy named Alberto, and she steals her sister’s dress – she is screaming for attention. This is also the central issue of the entire story. Rachel buys a nice dress to please her mother on her fortieth birthday, and Flora wrecks her plan to get her mother’s attention. It is a warfare without an end because the mother is not able to pay both of her daughters the attention they need. Finally it is too much for Rachel, and she moves to her father’s in a last desperate cry for attention. Even then the mother does not do anything.
Although the timeline in “The Dress” is chronological, it has certain peculiarities. For instance on p. 9 in l. 50 the reader is suddenly introduced to the scene in the restaurant even though it seems the story has just started. The sudden jump to the seemingly “final clash” between the two sisters, surprises the reader and also raises the level of suspense.
Another remarkable feature of Julia Darling’s composition is the change of POV. This provides the reader with a much more nuanced picture of the entire affair and gives the reader an insight into the many motives behind the sisters’ and the mothers’ behaviour.
Julia Darling uses numerous symbols to emphasize atmospheres, feelings and motives. For instance Rachel’s black dress and red earrings symbolizes her feelings and hatred toward her sister. Furthermore, Flora’s distinctive scent, which hangs in the air hours after she has left a room, has the added meaning that she takes up a lot of space in her sister’s life.
“The Dress” deals with the theme of single mothers with careers trying to get their everyday to work. Julia Darling also touches on the rivalry between siblings and the possible motives. One message could be that there is always something under the surface.
The Dress, p. 8 l. 27-28 + 23-25
The Dress, p. 10 l. 96-97
The Dress, p. 8 l. 13-14 + 20
