Behind the Scenes at the Museum(1995)

By Kate Atkinson

Vocabulary
Counter= calculator, tejghea;
Budgerigar= papagal;
Grovelling= slugarnic;
Errand= comision;
(to) knit= a tricota;
Lacy= dantela;
Shawl= esarfa;
Brindled= vargat;
Tabby= tabinet;
Squatting= ghemuit;
Malevolently= cu rautate;
Swiftly= rapid.

Exercises
1. After reading the second paragraph again, I have realised that the narrator is not
borned yet. In the passage there are clues that point to this, such as the following: She
sits behind the counter [...] when she sould be knitting my futere, Magic red boots to
see me on my journey. I find this an interesting device as it ponts out the concept that,
in hard times, women should not be treated equally to men, as they tend to become
more sensitive, even if they do not spek out their hardships. The quote: The children of
shopkeepers- me and Chekhov, for example, are scared by havind witnessed their
parents humiliate themselves in this distressing way, emphasises the fact that a
pregnant womans state of mind and spirit can influence her babys childhood and
future behaviour.
2. I find Bunty not having the courage to make a step forward and escape from the cage
she has been trapped in. She is in a total contradiction with herself, as she admits that
She feels that shes not seelin dog food and kittens and the occasional budgerigar, but
that shes selling herself. Buntys treatment of the cat is also significant, as it shapes

her personality. The statement: Sometimes Bunty feels as if the whole world is trying
to climb on her body reveals her lack of attitude, as she does not take action in
expelling negative aspects that come in her way; the cat is just a methafor for
conturing Buntys lack of determination.
I believe that George does not truly knows and understands his wife. If he would have
known her any better, he would not have put the pet shop in her care, forcing her into
doing certain thing that she is not fond of, such as being polite to everyone. Also, I
think that Georges slipping outs may not be always true and that he may be doing
something else, which, if Bunty would have known about, would have affect their
marriage.
3. The act of knitting includes the contradiction between the coexistence of life and
death; the concept of death is represented by the thread whose end is unknown until
the the product is complete, product which represents life. All of these act as an image
for Buntys life and emotions, as she hopes that, even if she feels miserable and she is
wasting her life doing something that she hates, her child will not have to endure the
same treatment as she is now. Practically, the baby is a projection of herself who
reborns from her own ashes.
4. a challenging ambitious book, more so than life after life;
a labyrinth of twists and turns, false trails and loops.

5. I loved visiting my grandmas apartment, with its fringed window shades and
faint smell of eucalyptus. Her desk drawers, lined in green felt, spilled over with card
decks, cocktail napkins, and golf tees.
My brother and I would sleep in the small bedroom off the kitchenthe very room
our mom shared with her own brother.
I can picture myself reaching way down into grandmas freezer for the ever-present
box of pies. Her well-stocked pantry and doily-covered tabletops contained loads of
delectable treats I was often denied at home: pastries, chocolate-covered marshmallow
cookies,and delicate bowls of jellied orange sticks and other candy.
Those childhood memories of my grandma are largely synonymous with food.
In my minds eye, I can still picture driving from Calarasi to Galati beneath crimson
leaves against an blindingly blue sky.

Other childhood memories recall the mysteries of new baby brothers coming on the
scene, building a hideout among the branches of a fallen tree, and giving my best
friends parakeet a ride down the stairs in her aqua Barbie convertible.
Its good to write down our recollections. As vivid as the moment seems at the time,
memories fade.
There are no rules: Jot your thoughts in snippets or write them out diary-style. Either
way, do your best to recall the sensory details that made the moment important, for its
those little things that keep the memory alive.