My Polish Teachers Tie

• My Polish Teachers Tie - written by Dunmore
• My Polish Teachers Tie -

  Context -

  • ’My’ sounds possessive
  • ’Tie’ as in connection or physical tie Steve wears?
  • Physically set in England
  • Polish is important: Carla and Steve
  • Ethnic minority (Polish) used as scape goats
  • Lots of prejudice against Polish people because they aren’t from there
• My Polish Teachers Tie -

  Quotes -

  Maturing/Identity:

  • ‘I am half polish. They don’t know that here. My name’s not polish or anything’
  • ’A polish song. I knew it, I knew it. I knew the words and the tune. It was one of the songs my mother used to sing to me’

  Relationships/First Impressions:

  • ‘Carla! You are Carla Carter. My penfriend’
  • ’He stitched a nice smile on his face and said, “Oh, er… Mrs, er… Carter. Is there a problem? ”’
• My Polish Teachers Tie -

  Summary -

  • Carla Carter is a part-time catering staff who doesn’t enjoy her job
  • Writes to Steve - a polish pen-pal
  • Connects to her polish roots through Steve
  • Steve comes to England - at first Carla is embarrassed
  • They have a great connection
  • Writer focusses on written interaction and then their face-to-face meetin