Linked Genre Responses

A set of linked genre responses attempts to address a single idea, or two related ideas, by providing new perspectives through the use of carefully chosen genres. Below, you'll find examples of linked Genre responses for Lessing's story "A Woman on a Roof" and Welsh's excerpt from Trainspotting . Each is followed by a brief "writer's note" that explains the ideas being considered and the reasons behind the genre choices.

"A Woman on a Roof" Responses

A Letter Home
Dear Mum and Dad,

You'll never believe what it's been like in London this week! I'm so glad the sun is out. I haven't enjoyed weather like this since leaving Africa. It must have been nearly ninety degrees all week. I've been lying out in the sun on the roof of my building, trying to build up a tan. It's been heavenly.

Well, almost heavenly. There are three men working on the roof of the building next door, and they've been giving me a bit of a hard time--whistling, yelling, you know. I don't know why they can't leave me in peace. I know, Dad, you'll say "If you prance around naked in public, people are going to notice." But I'm not naked, and the roof is hardly a public place. Mum, you'll be glad to know that I'm doing as you always taught me--I just ignore their crude remarks. I wonder what they must be thinking as they shout and whistle. Am I supposed to be flattered by their attention? Do they think I should smile and flirt with them to reward their abominable behavior? It's as if they want me to feel like I'm doing something rather naughty, when I'm only enjoying the sun. Well, I refuse to give them the satisfaction.

Much love,
Josie

Stanley's Wife's Lament
I don't know what I've done to upset Stanley. Every night when he gets home from work, he's been in a foul temper. I know the hot weather is making his job on the roof a real miserable experience, which is why I've stocked in a crate of lager and kept it cold in the fridge. I thought he'd like that. But last night, he threw it, bottle and all, at my head. That just isn't right.
I wish that he would tell me what he's so angry about. Did I do something wrong? I try to be a good wife. I know that he's the man of the house, and I do my best to take care of all the little things. When he asks for something, don't I always give it to him?

My mum came over this morning and helped me bandage up my cheek, and the sunglasses hide most of the bruising, so I was able to do the shopping and get the supper ready. But I still wish Stanley would tell me what it is that's been making him so angry. Maybe I could even help.

Writer's Note: In the two linked responses above, I was trying to give some voices to the women characters in the story. I wanted to do this because Lessing doesn't really let us hear what they have to say about the way that the male characters behave. I chose the letter home for the unnamed woman because it provided what seemed like a natural way for her to reflect a little on what had been happening. The same goes for Stanley's wife's thoughts, which I tried to write in the style of a diary. I wanted the two, taken together, to show different ways women were dealing with the nastiness of the construction workers' behavior.

"First Shag in Ages" Responses

The Phone Call
—Dianne! Lisa's on the phone.
—Got it, Mum. Hello?
—Hi. Whattaya doing?
—Nothing. I'm so bored.
—There's never anything to do. Are you still mad at me?
—Nah. I brought Mark home with me last night.
—Never! The skinny guy? Did you …?
—Yeah.
—And?
—Five. Well, maybe a six. Better than Billy, but that's all.
—Did he stay?
—Yeah. On the couch, though. He made up some story about getting drunk for his birthday, and my mum and dad bought it completely.
—You're so lucky. My parents would kill me if I had a boy stay over. You gonna see him again?
—I'm going to his place tonight. He doesn't know it, though.
—He must not be that bad, then.
—I'm only going 'cuz I'm pretty sure he can score me some hash or coke. Maybe he'll hook me up with a decent dealer. I'm so bored.

Daddy's Little Girl
I work with my hands, hard work
every day, but I don't want that
for you. I want better for my little girl.
That's what you are, aren't you?

That boy you brought home last night--
well, he's not really a boy, is he?
He uses his head; he's got a brain
and a college degree to prove it.
You'd be wise to follow his lead, eventually.
But for now you're still my little girl,
aren't you?

Okay, so you're fourteen now.
I expect you to roll your eyes
and sigh whenever I open my mouth.
And I want so much to believe that
you're still my little girl,
aren't you?

Your mother tells me not jump to conclusions
about the "friends" we find on the couch.
So I don't. I can't let myself think that you might be
smoking drinking dating or worse
Because you're daddy's little girl.
Aren't you?

Writer's Note: After reading the story, I was interested in thinking some more about Dianne and why she might behave the way she does.in the story. So I chose to write a phone conversation with a friend, since that's a common form of communicating for teenagers. I don't know whether or not it's accurate, but I thought maybe she behaved so wildly (in terms of substance use and sexual behavior) just because of a kind of suburban boredom. The second piece was related to the first in that I wanted to think about what the parents had to be doing in their heads to keep from recognizing what was really happening with their daughter. I chose the father as the voice for the poem because we often think about the father of a teenaged girl being so protective, and that desire to keep his daughter "young" ends up deceiving him here. The poem seemed like a good format to explore a father's emotions and doubts, which probably don't come to the surface very often.