The Fox Cub

The fox cub.

Summery:

The short story “The Fox Cub” is written by Jackie Brewster and about the differences between two girls and their social conditions. At a playing field in the summer we meet Rachel and Marie who both are 13 years old. Marie is new to the village, and mostly sits by herself, waiting for someone to come and talk to her. One day at the playing field, Marie invites Rachel to her house for the first time. She tells Rachel that she has rescued a fox cub and that she intends to keep it as a pet. Although Rachel does not know Marie enough to trust her, she is also curious to see where she lives and therefore she agrees to go with her to see the fox cub. Rachel meets Marie’s cousin who is very unpleasant. To see the fox cub, they have to go to an old chicken coop. Inside the coop there is a box, and the fox is laying in it. When Marie opens the lid of the box, everything becomes clear the pet fox cub is actually a stinking, dying creature with dull eyes.

Characterize Marie:

The new girl at the playing field, Marie, wears slovenly clothes and doesn’t look very pretty “Marie appeared in her usual sloppy canvas shoes and baggy blue cardigan.” (ll. 1-2). Marie wears a pink lipstick but it is smeared out on her lips. Rachel finds Marie’s mind older than the common kids’ mind at the playing field. “as though she was an adult squashed inside a 13-year-old body.” (ll. 4-5) Marie is new to the village, and mostly sits by herself, waiting for someone to come and talk to her. “She would sit between the hawthorn trees watching for someone to come and talk to her” (ll.9-10) At first she doesn't have a lot of friends but then she meets Rachel. Marie does not seem to have any rules or values in her family life, and the fact that she can drink cola whenever she pleases is something that Rachel finds interesting. ” we’ve got a bottle of cola in the fridge” …. ”Rachel  didn’t have cola in the house only orange” (ll.69-70).

The different between Marie and Rachel.

The difference between Rachel and Marie is that Rachel characterize the upper class, while Marie characterize the lower class. Rachel is grown up in a safe village, where the kids plays at the playing field. Marie is very mature of her age. Marie doesn’t want to play she wants to talk about “having done it”, she has already had sex in an age of 13. She is totally opposite to Rachel who is a good girl

  and that doesn’t comfort Rachel. “Rachel didn’t want to hear any more about Marie doing it with 16-year-olds….and if her mother found out what Marie was saying up at the playing field, Rachel might not be allowed to come out and play. It was dangerous talk” (ll. 32-35). This shows clearly Rachel’ manners