Perspecitves

Current issues

The short story “Baglady” by A.S. Byatt touches on several current issues.

One of them is consumerism and living in a materialistic society. Consumerism promotes the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. The characters i…

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Works with the same theme 

The short story “Nairobi” by Joyce Carol Oates also features people who try to breach the world of the upper class. While in “Baglady”, Daphne fails in her attempt to fit in and falls even further down the social ladder, in “Nairobi”, Ginny and Oliver successfully pass as an upper-class couple, which allows Oliver to obtain the desired information. However, in both stories, the main character is left disillusioned and aware they can never really belong to the upper class.

The short story “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin also centers around a shopping trip. Wh…