How does Bennett arouse our sympathy for Doris in "A Cream Cracker under the Settee"?

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How does Bennett arouse our sympathy for Doris in "A Cream Cracker under the Settee"?

Allan Bennet firstly arouses our sympathy for Doris in 'A Cram Cracker under the Settee' as she is an old woman and has health problems. Doris is

'A woman of seventy five with a pacemaker and dizzy spells '

Her health prevents her from the things she would do as a young woman, now she is old she has memories from throughout her life. Having dizzy spells worries Doris, therefore she does not leave the house as there is a threat of sudden dizziness. Her heart is also weak and this is the meaning for her pacemaker this restricts her from everyday life, walking, cleaning.

Another reason which makes us feel sorry for Doris is that she has fallen on her leg and cannot get up therefore is in pain and it

'Feels funny this leg '

Doris' fall may not seem serious however it may cause complications. With Doris being am old woman with a bad heart this lead to having a leg amputated or more serious problems. Doris' injury has caused her leg to go numb and she is unable to. We feel sympathetic towards Doris because she is alone and has nobody to help.

We feel sympathy for Doris because of her compulsion with cleaning she is obsessed

'Where hygiene's concerned '

Cleaning is the main reason for Doris to get up in the morning; however it is also the reason for her fall and may be the cause of her death. Doris is a slave to her compulsive disorder.

In order to feel sympathy for a character the reader must be able to identify with them. In this monologue, Doris tells of her deceased husband Wilfred. She speaks in terms that will be familiar to many. Whilst it is clear that Doris feels great affection for Wilfred, there is also the under current of bickering which is common in many long-term relationships. Whilst disagreements such as "the growing mushrooms in the cellar saga" may be trivial, Bennett creates a rush of sympathy for Doris when we learn of the death of her baby. If this in itself was not enough, even though Doris explains the facts of what happened on that sad day so long ago in matter of fact terms, this does not disguise the hurt she clearly feels at the cold behaviour of the midwife who treated her still born child, and Doris, with such disrespect when she,

"Wrapped him in newspaper as if he was dirty"

Even Bennett's description of the pram, which stood in the hallway, speaks of promises left unfulfilled.

"Proper prams then, springs and hoods Big wheels."

There can be no doubt of the sorrow that Doris felt, and still feels, when we learn that she has kept the baby's cloths safe for so many years.

Her present situation is made even worse by the fact Doris is extremely lonely, as her husband had passed away. Their relationship was broken by death and Wilfred's
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'Got a minute now, bless him'

When Doris and Wilfred were together they were lonely even thought they had each others company despite the loneliness they were still happy. Doris doesn't always show her love that she has for Wilfred; he would call her mother this meaning she was controlling like a mother, this may also mean there relationship was not sexual.

Before the death of her husband and her baby her life was a lot different, Doris and her husband would

'Eat the toffees and listen to the wireless '

However ...

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