Eastmouth Alison Moore | Analyse

Indledning
“Eastmouth”, Alison Moore’s short story, does not have a direct message. Moore analyzes the inner conflict that Sonia has.

Sonia is a woman who values self-determination and wants to explore the world, while she is faced with the prospect of living a conventional life in the small town called Eastmouth.

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Uddrag
The short story is set in a fictional town, which is located on England’s south coast. The words “east” and “mouth” are evocative and symbolic of Sonia being cornered in Eastmouth as if swallowed by a mouth that blocks her from leaving west, to Las Vegas.

The town itself is a typical, quiet, marshy town, its promenade reminds Sonia of the seaside resorts she visited as a child:

“Sonia stands on the slabs of the promenade, looking out across the pebbly beach. It is like so many of the seaside resorts from her childhood” (l. 1-2).

However, the town itself seems to be trapped in time: “He is beaming, cheerful when he says, „Nothing changes‟ ” (l. 28).

This is also discreetly implied when Peter orders without even looking at the menu, implying that the menu also never changes.

In some way you can also conclude that Eastmouth is isolated from the rest of the world. Sonia can’t see land beyond Eastmouth and she cannot see across to the next town.

This could end up meaning that Eastmouth is not a completely normal town, which seems odd because of all the elements that points on getting Sonia trapped in Eastmouth.

The restaurant/The Grand is an important part of the setting, as it represents tradition. Peter’s parents go there every year for their anniversary.

They booked a table for Peter and Sonia there, hoping their wish about Peter and Sonia getting married come true and that they will follow the same tradition.

The train station, where “no trains run on Sundays” (l. 175), is symbolic of Sonia being held in Eastmouth.

Moreover, the train station is “overlooked by the church” (l. 172), symbolically hinting at the hidden force that rules the locals and is stopping Sonia from leaving Eastmouth.