This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories Themes

This Study Guide consists of approximately 10 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of This Year It Will Be Different.

This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories Themes

This Study Guide consists of approximately 10 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of This Year It Will Be Different.
This section contains 338 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories Short Guide

This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories Summary & Study Guide Description

This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. This study guide contains the following sections:

This detailed literature summary also contains Related Titles on This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories by Maeve Binchy.

Preview of This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories Summary:

A theme that runs through all the stories in this collection is expressed most succinctly by Miss Hall in "Pulling Together": "I think Christmas is particularly hard, we have such high expectations, and it never lives up to them." The theme is most graphically demonstrated by Orla in "The Ten Snaps of Christmas" as she ruthlessly decides "to get a picture of Christmas the way it really is, not all people just posing and smiling."

In the world of Binchy's stories, the holiday season often becomes a time to plan and calculate, instead of letting events take care of themselves, as they do in ordinary time. Christmas becomes a high drama, and Binchy's characters vividly prove that they are inferior as actors, producers, and directors. Their flawed humanity prevents them from putting on the perfect Christmas show.

The exploration of Christmas as a material myth is complemented by...

This section contains 338 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page)
Buy the This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories Short Guide
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This Year It Will Be Different: And Other Stories from Gale. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.