QWERTYUIOP by Vivien Alcock

SYNOPSIS

The story QWERTY tells of how an underestimated secretary fights with an ex-secretary who still
thinks that she works there and haunts the typewriter. Lucy Beck is as strong willed  as Miss Broome,
the ex-secretary, to hold on to the job for Ross and Bannister’s. Miss Broom haunts the typewriter and
frightens anyone who uses it with the word QWERTYUIOP and others. Lucy manages to overcome the
problem and sends Miss Broome away with a new task which is to help the late Mr Bannister up there.

THEMES

 Determination
 Letting go
 Strong will

MORAL VALUES

 If we want something, we must work to make it a reality.

 We must know when to let go of something if it is not ours anymore.

CHARACTERS

 Main character     : Lucy Beck

 Minor characters :

1. Harry Darke
2. Miss Broome
3. Lucy’s mother and uncle, Uncle Bert
4. Miss Price and Mr Ross

PLOT

 EXPOSITION – Lucy starts working in Ross and Bannister’s as a secretary. Harry Darke
gives her hints of the haunting of the typewriter by Miss Broome but she does not realise it at
first.
 CONFLICT – Lucy types her letter but she isconfused that her letter has  words that are not
typed by her.
 CLIMAX – Lucy retypes her letter but is challenged by Miss Broome who asks her to leave
and even threatens her. Lucy fights with it by using correcting liquid to clean off words typed
by Miss Broome.
 FALLING ACTION – Lucy learns about Miss Broome and her haunting of the typewriter.
She knows how Uncle Bert would have felt.
 RESOLUTION – Lucy types and talks to Miss Broome and convinces her to leave this world
peacefully and go to other world. Lucy manages to keep her job in Ross and Bannister’s.
THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL by Frank Brennan

SYNOPSIS

The Fruitcake Special is the  story if the effects of a perfume on men. It was accidentally created by
Anna, a chemist who woks at New Jersey. When Mr Amos senses the perfume worn by Anna, he feels
he is in love with Anna and so invites her out for dinner. He does not behave like a man in love and
Anna is surprised and upset. When she dabs the Fruitcake perfume again, Mr Amos and a waiter
become attracted to her and both make declarations of love to her. The situation becomes chaotic when
a fight ensues between two men. Anna leaves the restaurant and the factory and ends up with
Armstrong, the pizza boy.

THEMES

 Illusion vs Reality
 Be realistic in life
 Appearances can be misleading

MORAL VALUES

 We should not fall for physical appearance.

 We must not be too proud of our looks.
 We must not look down at other people.

PLOT

 EXPOSITION – Anna accidentally creates a Fruitcake perfume and dabs on it. Mr Amos
becomes attracted to her when he gets near her. Anna is very surprise with this sudden
interest.
 CONFLICT – During dinner, Mr Amos does not show his interest as he was in the morning.
Anna dabs on the Fruitcake perfume in the ladies room.
 CLIMAX – Mr Amos suddenly becomes interested in Anna and makes declarations of love to
her. A waiter also does silly things to attract Anna’s attention.. A fight starts between Mr
Amos, the waiter and Sabrina, Mr Amos’ girlfriend. Anna realises it is the effects of the
fruitcake perfume.
 FALLING ACTION – Anna wants to find the ‘special something’ in the fruitcake but is
unable to as the woman who sold the fruitcake has already dead.
 RESOLUTION – Anna quits her job from Amos Cosmetics and she settles for the pizza
delivery man, Armstrong, who has his own pizza company.

CHARACTERS

 Main characters
 1. Anna, the narrator
2. David Amos, owner of Amos Cosmetics

 Minor characters

1. Narrator’s mother
2. Narrator’s Aunt Mimi
3. Waiter at restaurant
4. Sabina, David Amos’ girlfriend
5. Armstrong, the pizza delivery man

POINT OF VIEW

 First person point of view

TONE, MOOD, ATMOSPHERE

 Light-hearted and humorous

 Comedic and entertaining

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

 Simple and easy to understand the language