Character Comparison

In Andrea Levy's "Loose Change", the stark contrast between the narrator and Laylor, the immigrant girl, serves as a powerful exploration of privilege, cultural differences, and social responsibility.

The narrator, a self-described Londoner, represents urban indifference and relative privilege:

• She grew up in a European city culture, accustomed to minding her own business.
• Describes herself as "careless, rejecting and unfriendly."
• Lives comfortably with "three warm bedrooms, one of them empty."
• Has an immigrant background (grandmother from the Caribbean) but is now fully integrated.

Quote: "Not even little grey-haired old ladies passing comment about the weather can shame a response from me."

Laylor, in contrast, embodies vulnerability and displacement:

• A political refugee from Uzbekistan.
• Her parents, journalists, were arrested, forcing her to flee.
• Homeless and poor, sleeping on the streets of London.
• Described by the narrator as smelling of mildew and having an unattractive appearance.

Highlight: The narrator's description of Laylor as "something from a Tom and Jerry's cartoon" underscores her sense of superiority and detachment.

Despite their differences, both characters share an immigrant background, highlighting the arbitrary nature of their current circumstances. The narrator's reluctance to help Laylor, despite her own family history of immigration, reveals the complex interplay between empathy and self-interest.

Example: The narrator makes excuses not to help Laylor, such as worrying about her white linen being smeared, while simultaneously recognizing the girl's desperate need.

This comparison illuminates themes of social inequality, the challenges faced by immigrants, and the moral dilemmas posed by encounters between individuals from vastly different circumstances in a multicultural society.

Narrator's Inner Conflict

The short story "Loose Change" by Andrea Levy masterfully portrays the narrator's growing inner conflict as she grapples with whether to help Laylor, the homeless immigrant girl. This internal struggle forms the emotional core of the narrative, revealing the complexities of human empathy and social responsibility.

The course of events leading to the narrator's inner conflict unfolds as follows:

1. Initial Discomfort: Upon realizing Laylor's desperate situation, the narrator feels uncomfortable and unsure how to respond. She begins to rationalize her hesitation, citing her own challenges as a single mother with limited time and resources.

2. Seeking Excuses: The narrator starts to compile reasons not to help Laylor, ranging from practical concerns (such as Laylor potentially dirtying her white linen) to broader justifications (suggesting that charities or others are better equipped to help).

3. Personal Reflection: A turning point occurs when the narrator recalls her own family's immigration history. She remembers her grandmother's experience and the kindness of a "good Samaritan" who helped her in a time of need.

Quote: "The narrator remembers her own emigrational background according to her grandmother. She also remembers about the good Samaritan that helped her grandmother in need."

4. Empathetic Impulse: This reflection sparks a desire to help Laylor. The narrator envisions making dinner and hot cocoa for the girl, indicating a surge of compassion.

5. Intensifying Conflict: As her empathy grows, so does the narrator's internal struggle. She finds herself unable to decide on a course of action, torn between her desire to help and her instinct for self-preservation.

Highlight: The narrator's inability to take action highlights the gap between recognizing a moral imperative and acting upon it.

6. Avoidance as Resolution: Ultimately, the narrator chooses to remove herself from the situation, pretending it never happened. This decision to disengage represents a resolution to her inner conflict, albeit an unsatisfying one that leaves the underlying issues unresolved.

Analysis: This sequence of events in "Loose Change" illustrates the complex psychological process individuals undergo when confronted with moral dilemmas. The narrator's journey from indifference to empathy, and ultimately to avoidance, reflects broader societal attitudes towards social issues and personal responsibility.

The story's exploration of this inner conflict serves as a poignant commentary on the challenges of maintaining empathy and social engagement in a diverse urban environment, where encounters with those less fortunate are frequent but often ignored.

Narrator's Characterization

The opening paragraph of Andrea Levy's "Loose Change" provides a vivid characterization of the narrator, setting the tone for the entire story.

The narrator is presented as a typical Londoner, embodying the city's stereotypical traits of aloofness and detachment. She describes herself as unsociable, emphasizing her reluctance to engage with strangers, even in mundane situations.

Quote: "I'm not in the habit of making friends of strangers. I'm a Londoner. Not even little grey-haired old ladies passing comments about the weather can shame a response from me."

This self-description reveals several key aspects of the narrator's personality:

1. Urban indifference: She embodies the stereotype of the unfriendly city dweller.
2. Self-awareness: The narrator is conscious of her behavior and its perception.
3. Vulnerability: Her defensiveness hints at an underlying sensitivity.

Highlight: The author's choice to begin with this characterization sets up the story's central conflict, as the narrator will soon face a situation that challenges her typical behavior.

The narrator's attitude serves as a backdrop for the upcoming encounter, suggesting that any deviation from her usual demeanor will be significant. This initial characterization creates anticipation for how the narrator will react when faced with a situation that demands empathy and engagement.

Vocabulary: Outer characterization - The description of a character's external traits and circumstances.