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THE FRUITCAKE THE FRUITCAKE SPECIALSPECIALFrank Brennan
ELEMENTS OF THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL
SETTING
PHYSICAL SETTING
*Amos Cosmetics, New Jersey* Anna’s home*French restaurant* Aunt Mimi’s house
SOCIAL SETTINGMiddle-class urbanites
TIME
20th century America
CHARACTERS
MAIN CHARACTERS
*Anna*David Amos•Aunt Mimi
MINOR CHARACTERS
*Momma*Armstrong*Sabina * The Waiter
THEMES
*Physical appearance versus true love
*importance of integrity and self-respect
MESSAGE
Be realistic in our expectations
Always look beyond physical appearances.
MORAL VALUES
*rationality and moral courage
* diligence and perseverance
THE SYNOPSIS
The Fruitcake Special is an amusing story about Anna, a
scientist, who creates a perfume that has an
extraordinary effect on men. Her boss, David Amos, is
instantly smitten with her the minute he smells the
perfume on Anna. Chaos ensues when Anna and David
dine together as Anna also becomes the object of the
waiter’s affection. Anna asks her Aunt Mimi for more
information about the fruitcake before coming to a dead
end. Guided by his jealous girlfriend Sabina, David offers
a money-based apology to Anna, who decides to leave
for a rival company. Anna’s love life develops together
with her career as she is wooed by Armstrong, her local
pizza delivery man, who is now a pizza owner.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An Australian writer, originally a businessman.
Started to write fiction in 1983.
Died in 1995.
Wrote with his wife, Wendy Brennan under the pseudonym ‘Emma Darcy’. As a team, they wrote more than 45 romance novels.
CHARACTERSCHARACTERS
THE FRUITCAKE
SPECIAL
THE FRUITCAKE
SPECIAL
SETTINGSETTING
THEMESTHEMES
MORAL VALUESMORAL VALUES
Inner beauty vs outer beauty
True love can do wonders
Determination Honesty Courage Acceptance Rationality
Lesson Learnt
Lesson Learnt
Try out new ways and experiment
Maintain dignity when being insulted
New does not mean better
Some secrets are better left buried.
Nobody is perfect.
ANNADAVID AMOS
AUNT MIMI
MOMMA
ARMSTRONG
SABINA
THE WAITER
Aunt Mimi’s apartment
Anna’s home
Amos Cosmetics factory
The French Restaurant
Anna experiments by adding a slice of fruitcake to a mix of flowers to create a new perfume.
EXPOSITION
Mr Amos is attracted to Anna who is using the perfume and invites her to dinner
RISING ACTION
The Fruitcake Special attracts both Mr Amos and the waiter. A fight breaks out between David, Sabina and the waiter.
CLIMAX
Anna visits Aunt Mimi and discovers that the fruitcake was brought from an old lady who had put in a special ingredient. Unfortunately the woman is now dead and so is the secret.
FALLING ACTION
Armstrong, the owner of ‘Armstrong’s Peachy Pizzas’, presents Anna with flowers and pizza and tells her that he had fallen in love with her from the very first time he delivered pizza to her.
RESOLUTION
THE PLOT
Anna David Amos
Aunt Mimi
Sabina WaiterMomma
THE CHARACTERS
Armstrong
ANNA
CURIOUSCURIOUS
INTELLIGENTINTELLIGENT
OBSERVANTOBSERVANT
PRACTICALPRACTICAL
INNOVATIVEINNOVATIVE
INTEGRITYINTEGRITY
SENSIBLESENSIBLE
DETERMINEDDETERMINED
ANNA’S Character Traits
Evidence from text
Practical * thinks her new invention smells nice but nothing more (p.32) * uses the same handbag she does for work on her date with David (p.38)
Sensible Knows she is an ordinary-looking girl and is not actually David’s type (p.34)
Reminds the waiter to serve the lobster instead of being silly (p.43)
Realizes the effect of the perfume on the waiter and ensures she does not walk by other men (p.44)
Innovative Tries to concoct new perfumes (p.31)Intelligent Realizes that the fruitcake perfume had an effect on her boss
(p.41)Observant Notices that her boss prefers pretty young models (p.32)
Observes that men say one thing but mean anotherCurious Wants to know why David suddenly finds her attractive (p.38)Determined Anna was determined to design good perfumes
When she knew the effect of ‘ the fruitcake special’ on men , she stayed at home to find out the truth about the fruitcake given by Aunt Mimi.
Integrity Anna portrayed integrity when she walked out of her job
She did this when she was insulted by her boss’ humiliating offer of compensation.
DAVID AMOS
Weak
Impulsive
Superficial
Not employee-friendly
DAVID AMOS’S
Character Traits
EVIDENCE FROM TEXT
WEAK Is controlled by Sabina and so offers Anna money rather than apologizing properly
SUPERFICIAL Prefers the company of beautiful young models (p.34)
Looks at Anna’s body instead of her face when she returns to the table (p.41)
IMPULSIVE Is flabbergasted when the waiter starts singing very loudly, so he hit the waiter.
Feebly explains to Anna that they would not be a good match, unlike him and Sabina (p.56)
NOT EMPLOYEE-FRIENDLY
Anna is afraid to tell him how she made the new perfume as he might have laughed at her (p.32)
David only speaks to his employees when he has complaints (p.34)
AUNT MIMI
WARM
GENEROUS
GOOD-HEARTED
OBSERVANT
CURIOUS
AUNT MIMI’S Character
Traits
Evidence from text
WARM Welcomes Anna’s visit even though she may have other interests at heart (p.48)
GENEROUS Always brings gifts when she visit (p.37)
GOOD-HEARTED
Being very concerned for Anna’s future, she wants to find a nice husband for Anna.
OBSERVANT Tells Anna about her market experience and the people she met at the funeral (p.52)
CURIOUS Is suspicious about Anna’s sudden interest in baking. (p.49)
MOMMAMOMMA
Anna’s mother
Loving and caring- still packs meals for Anna
Gets on well with Aunt Mimi
SabinaSabinaThe latest girlfriend of David AmosBeautifulSnootyVain, Dominant, confident, well-spokenCondescending but is actually jealous that David asked Anna outHot-headed- Hits David hard in the face when he proclaims love for Anna.
ARMSTRONGARMSTRONGThe pizza delivery man
Fell in love with Anna at first sight
Hardworking-saved hard and finally bought over the pizza company he worked for
Was determined to improve his social and economic status before asking Anna out
The WaiterThe Waiter
*Like David Amos, was impulsive and effusive in his words and actions after inhaling the Fruitcake Special
* Bold – told Anna how he felt, and called her even though she was in the restaurant with David on a date.
THEMESTHEMES
Anna’s experiences with David and the waiter at the French restaurant illustrate the fragility of physical attraction or superficial love.
Both the men are drawn to her not because of her own qualities but because of the ‘special’ perfume she is wearing.
Fortunately Anna realizes that true love is not based on external appearances but on genuine liking and mutual self-respect.
The man who truly loves her- Armstrong the pizza delivery man- declares his love for her only after he has achieved success in his life.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE VS TRUE LOVE
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE VS TRUE LOVE
We should focus on a person’s character rather than their physical appearance.
Anna is a person of integrity and practicality who is truly a credit to her company.
Anna has dignity, pride and principles and looks for these qualities in a future husband.
She finds them in Armstrong, a slightly short and balding man, but is a gem compared to the superficial David.
IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRITY AND SELF-RESPECT
IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRITY AND SELF-RESPECT
THEMESTHEMES
Rationality and moral courage
When Anna creates the potent perfume by chance, she does not give it to her boss immediately as she is afraid of him making fun of her.
She reveals her character and good sense of values in her actions, speech and thoughts ( mental self talk)
Her outrage at David’s treatment of her and the scene in the office with Sabina present shows her sense of dignity, pride and moral courage.
Anna’s character grows and in the end we see her willingness to accept Armstrong even though she may have higher expectations before.
Diligence and
Perseverance
Anna’s painstaking attitude and
seriousness about her work are
work ethics that should be
followed.
She is creative and intelligent
in the work she is doing.
Determination
Can be seen in Armstrong’s character
He is determine to be successful before he can declare his love to Anna.
From just ordinary pizza delivery man, he turns to be the owner of the pizza restaurant.
All this displays his strong determination to be successful in life.
Honesty
Momma is honest in terms of her feelings
towards Armstrong. Even Armstrong is just
a pizza delivery man, she does not look
down on her.
Aunt Mimi is honest in finding a husband
for Anna.
Anna is an honest employee. She does not
reveal the secret
Armstrong accepts Anna for who
she is. He also able to accept his
own weaknesses and work to
improve on them until he
becomes successful.
Anna accepts the fact to let the
secret of the fruitcake special
“lie buried” with the old woman
who has died. She never
pursues the matter although she
was persistent in finding out the
truth about it.
Acceptance
Courage
It takes courage to stand up to
one’s beliefs. Anna is willing to
walk out of her career in Amos
Cosmetics after the event in the
French restaurant.
Armstrong is courageous in
asking Anna out at last. He knows
his status but never gives up .