You Were Perfectly Fine

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

You Were Perfectly Fine

By Dorothy Parker 

1. Explain the title in your own words.

2. Describe the plotline of this story. Include all five parts of the plot and use not more than three sentences for each part.

exposition 

The story opens with a pale young man, Peter, easing himself into a chair. He is suffering from a hangover and is struggling to remember what happened the previous night. 

A clear-eyed girl engages in a conversation with Peter, trying to piece together the events of the night before.

Rising action 

Peter begins to worry about his behaviour the previous night and asks the girl if he did anything embarrassing.

The girl reassures Peter that he was funny, and everyone enjoyed his antics(singing loudly, puoring juice down Elinor's back, etc.) at the dinner event. 

The girl mentions a memorable taxi ride they took together where Peter expressed deep feelings for her, suggesting that they have a strong romantic connection.

 

 

Climax 

The girl describes the taxi ride in vivid detail, emphasizing the moonlit scenery and the emotional intimacy they shared during the ride. Peter realizes the significance of that moment and acknowledges that it was a turning point for them.

Falling action 

Peter expresses gratitude for the girl’s understanding and reassurance. He contemplates having a drink to help alleviate his hangover and embarrassment.

Resolution 

The girl affectionately reassures Peter that she cares about him and wants him to stay. She kisses him on the forehead and leaves to make a drink for him. 

Peter reflects on the events of the previous night and his emotional connection with the girl. He acknowledges his feelings and the positive direction their relationship is taking.

3. Who is the protagonist of this story? Give details of this character in not more than three sentences.

The Protagonist 

The pale young man is the protagonist. He is the central character whose experiences, emotions and actions drive the narrative. The story follows his journey of piecing together the events of the previous night and coming to terms with his behaviour.

1.Peter experiences internal conflict as he struggles to remember the events of the previous night due to his heavy drinking. His hazy memory causes frustration and embarrassment, as he tries to piece together his actions and interactions.

2. Peter's interactions with others create external conflicts with societal norms and create tension in social situations.

3.When Peter falls on a patch of ice on the sidewalk, it represents a conflict with the natural environment. This physical mishap contributes to his overall sense of physical discomfort and serves as a source of humour in the story.

4. Peter’s actions during the night challenge his expectations and perceptions of his behaviour. He struggles to reconcile his idealized self-image with the reality of his drunken actions, causing internal tension.

Internal conflict: Man vs. Self

External conflict: Man vs. Society

External conflict: Man vs. Nature

Internal conflict: Man vs. Expectations

5. What is the point of view? Explain why you say so.

PoV

Third-person limited point of view. 

The narrator is not a character in the story but has insight into the thoughts and feelings of the pale young man.

6. The girl describes the previous evening to Peter. What were the main events? Make a list

Events at the evening 

7. What was the most important event of the evening, according to the young woman? Do you think Peter remembers anything about it?

Main event

The long taxi ride that she and Peter took together. 

During this ride, Peter revealed his deep feelings for her and expressed that he had never known he had a soul until that moment. Due to Peter’s intoxicated state, it is obvious that he doesn't remember anything.

8. What elements contribute to the humour of the conversation? (Think about, for example, the order in which events are told, and the details provided.)

humour 

The humour is primarily derived from the contrast between Peter’s hazy, intoxicated recollections of the events of the previous night and the young woman’s clear, composed retelling of those events.

9. How does the young man feel at the beginning of the story? How do you know?

the pale young man

The young man Peter is feeling physically uncomfortable and emotionally distressed due to the effects of a hangover.

10. How do you think the young woman feels? What evidence is there for your opinion?

The clear-eyed girl

The young woman appears to be composed, empathetic and supportive of the young man Peter who is suffering from a hangover and emotional distress.

11. According to the young woman, why was Jim Pierson a little Stuffy?

Jim Pearson: stuffy 

The young woman explains that Jim Pierson became

momentarily upset because he thought Peter was making too much fuss over Elinor

12. How long was the young man singing? How did the maître d’hôtel react?

Peter was singing for about an hour during the dinner gathering. He sang continuously, entertaining the people in the restaurant. 

However, his singing became a bit too loud and disruptive prompting the maitre d’hotel attention, who was worried about the noise caused by Peter’s singing.

Where did Peter and the young woman go in the taxi? What happened in the taxi?

taxi ride

Peter and the young woman took a taxi ride together. They went round and round during the taxi ride. During this ride, an emotional conversation took place between Peter and the young woman. Peter opened up about his feelings, expressing sentiments he might not have shared before.

14. Situational irony involves a contrast between what is expected to happen and what happens. In this story, there are instances of situational irony. Quote three examples from the story.

examples of situational irony

"Oh, I’m great. Corking, I am. Know what time I got up? Four o’clock this afternoon, sharp."

"Everybody thought you were funny."

"You were wonderful. We were all trying to make you stop singing for a minute, and eat something, but you wouldn’t hear of it."

"Stop talking like that. You were perfectly fine."

15. What is the central theme?

Central theme

 The contrast between appearance and reality particularly when influenced by alcohol