Learn Understanding the text 8 with Free Lessons & Tips

Sophie and Jansie were different from each other. Sophie was a dreamer who enjoyed creating her own dream world using her imagination. She showed an urge to transcend her working-class status and attain sophistication by pursuing the ambition of a fashion designer or an actress. Jansie, on the other hand, was more practical and realistic than Sophie. She tried to pull Sophie back to reality, but all in vain. Jansie’s sensibility and maturity are evident in her attempt to remind her friend that they were earmarked for the biscuit factory, and expensive dreams were inappropriate to their financial status.

Sophie’s father is an archetype of the lower middle class father who has worked hard in uncompromising conditions in order to earn livelihood for his family. After his day’s work, he watched the television instead of spending time with his family or sharing family responsibilities with his wife. He expects Sophie to buy them a new house instead of engaging in her expensive dream ambitions, if she gets a chance to earn money. His impoverished financial condition does not, however, stop him from watching the football match, or later, going to the pub for celebration. He is shown as a practical, but a self-centered and short-tempered person.

Sophie liked her brother, Geoff, more than anybody else because he was not in the habit of talking much and remained lost in his own thoughts. She envied his silence and thought that he had access to an unknown world. She wanted to be a part of that world and she fancied herself wearing glamorous clothes and being welcomed by everyone. For Sophie, Geoff symbolised liberty from the monotonous life they had been living.