EXERCISE 3: TRUE OR FALSE

YOU DECIDE IT..1

 

·  Anna worked as a chemist at Amos Cosmetics.

1.   True
2.   False

·  Anna was upset that David Amos paid no attention to her.

1.   True
2.   False

·  David asked Anna for a date because he found her attractive.

1.   True
2.   False

·  Aunt Mimi was intent on finding a husband for Anna.

1.   True
2.   False

·  Anna's new perfume was called Fruitcake Special.

1.   True
2.   False

·  Anna used Intrigue, a perfume by a rival company, on her date with David.

1.   True
2.   False

·  Fruitcake Special has a strange effect on ladies.

1.   True
2.   False

·  Sabrina is a new young model who is David's latest catch

1.   True
2.   False

·  Anna is happy to learn that Armstrong now owns Anna Cosmetics.

1.   True
2.   False

·  Sabrina gave David a black eye because he declared his love for Anna.

1.   True
2.   False

EXERCISE 2: MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE

 QUIZ...

The Fruitcake Special

I could hardly believe my ears. David Amos was telling me he loved meright under the nose of his beautiful girlfriend, Sabrina. All because of my fruitcake. I had to say something. This was getting to be silly.

"David, i really think...." I began.

But at that moment our waiter made another appearance. He was playing a guitar and singing 'O Sole Mio' to me at the top of his voice. Well, he did day he wouldn't talk loudly - I didn't say anything about singing loudly. I must remember next time.

As for Sabrina, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the sight of two men both saying how much they loved me at the same time - and while she was there.

So she hit David in the face.

The waiter sang even louder than before. David hit him on the chin. As i moved away from the table, a fight developed between Sabrina, David, the singing waiter and several more waiters who were trying to calm things down.

Soon the place was a loud, confused mess of cake, pieces of lobster, pools of wine and bits of broken guitar.

Time to go, I thought.

I ran downstairs and caught a taxi home. Thank goodness the taxi was a woman!

(extract taken from page 46, The Fruitcake Special)

 

 

 

EXERCISE 1: PICK UP THE RIGHT WORD

Holla everyone! Welcome to this section! Please prepare yourself to answer the following exercises and activities about the short story “The Fruitcake Special”.


 One day, Anna randomly creates a new perfume by mixing a slice of fruitcake with flowers. She (1) it on herself to test it. (2), the Fruitcake Special turns out to be an exotic lure for men. David Amos who happens to be walking past Anna is (3) smitten and asks her out for dinner. That evening, Anna puts on her usual perfume, Intringue, and Amos becomes cool (4) her. Intent on (5) her pride, Anna dabs herself liberally with the only (6) in her handbag - the one she created. The effect on David was (7) and he becomes romantically attentive to Anna again. To (8) matters further, their waiter for the evening is also affected by the new perfume and serenades Anna. A fight (9) between the waiter, David and Sabrina, who arrives just in time to hear David declare his love for Anna. Anna leaves hastily. Eventually Anna works in a rival perfume company and is (10) by Armstrong, now a pizza company owner. Aunt Mimi and Momma can now sleep peacefully at night!

Lesson 7:Literary Devices in the Story

Point of View

This story is written from the first person point of view. The narrator is also the main character. The pronoun “I” is used. We see the events from Anna’s perspective. We can experience her thoughts and feelings.

 Tone

The story is narrated in a humorous way.

Diction (the choice of words used in the story)

• Lighthearted/ humorous - …he smiled until I thought his face would break into two

·         Casual – use of slang e.g. momma, guy

·         use of clichés (overused expressions) e.g. I’m crazy about you; You are so beautiful

·         simple vocabulary; short dialogues; lots of exclamation marks (!); unfinished sentences (…); use of italics (darling) to show emphasis and unexpected surprise

• American – boss

Lesson 6:Values

              Can you suggest some moral values after reading the story?

Here are some moral values:

·                    We must not be blinded by physical attraction.

·                    Appreciate ourselves for who we are and not depend on the supernatural.

·                    Do not be deceived by flattery/ We should appreciate true/sincere love.

·                    We should respect the opinions of our elders.

·                    Hard work is the key to success.

·                   

• We must not compromise our dignity.

Lesson 5:Themes

·                 

   Physical attraction/superficial love versus true love

David Amos has only been attracted to pretty young models in the past. However, after Anna wears the special perfume, he becomes physically attracted to Anna and thinks that he loves her.  So does the waiter at the French restaurant who smells her perfume. Anna does not believe it because she knows that David Amos does not like plain girls like her.

In contrast, Armstrong who has fallen in love with Anna when he was only a pizza delivery man, withholds his declaration of love until he feels that he is worthy of her love. He only dares to proclaim his love for Anna after he has become successful owner of a pizza company. Anna realizes that he truly loves her and would be a suitable life partner for herself.

·                    Integrity/self-respect

Anna rejects both David Amos and the waiter as they are not genuinely concerned about her. She has integrity and has pride in her own worth. She resigned from her career at Amos Cosmetics because she did not like the way her employer, David Amos, belittled her , particularly in front of his snooty girlfriend, Sabina.

·                    Seeking the right life partner is fraught/filled with problems

Anna faces wrong suitors, fights and job resignation before finding her true love.

·                    The influence of the supernatural is not desirable

The special ingredient in the fruitcake that was mixed in the perfume did not bring happy consequences for Anna because she attracted the wrong type of men who were shallow and foolish. True love does not need supernatural aid.

·                    Fulfilling family obligations to marriage

Anna was under pressure from her mother and aunt to get married because they were afraid that she was too old (27 years) to find a suitable life partner.

Lesson 4: Setting

Amos Cosmetic factory in New Jersey, USA

Anna works as a chemist designing new perfumes here. When she makes a new perfume with a little piece of fruitcake as part of the ingredients, she attracts her rich and handsome boss, David Amos, who has little regard for ordinary people.

Home

Lives with her mother who is worried she is still single.

French restaurant

It is an expensive place for food and drinks. David Amos brought her here for their dinner date.  Both David and the waiter try to win Anna’s love and fight over her.

                                                                       

 Aunt Mimi’s apartment

Aunt Mimi lives in a nice little apartment on the other side of town. She wants to help Anna find a suitable husband

Open air market at the park

The old lady sold her fruitcake

                 

                                                        

David Amos’s office room

Anna resigned and threw all the fruitcake perfume towards Sabina.

.

Lesson 3: PLOT

LESSON 2: Characters in the story

These are the characters in this story...

~ANNA~

• Anna works as a chemist in the Amos Cosmetics factory in New Jersey.
• Her job is to design new perfumes. Anna is single and lives with her mother.
• Her mother and Aunt Mimi are worried she is not getting married. Anna is very aware of what goes on around her and quite a discerning character.
• She knows that David Amos is not possibly in love with her nor is the waiter at the restaurant.
• She recognizes that it is the result of the powerful perfume she has created.

~DAVID AMOS~

• An important minor character is David Amos.
• He is the owner of Amos Cosmetics.
• David Amos is a dark, handsome and fashionable gentleman who is often seen with beautiful women.
• He appears polite but he actually  does not think much of his workers.

Lesson 1: The Fruitcake Special (SYNOPSIS)

Do you want to know what's the story is all about? Come, let’s begin our journey exploring the next lesson!

Yummy fruitcake...why is it so special?..hmm