Sorry for Disturbing You
Analysis and interpretation of Sorry for Disturbing You
The short story Sorry for Disturbing You (2008) by Richard Knight starts in media res – our main character, Ian, opens the door and our second main character, Michael, is standing on his doorstep. They don’t know each other, but Ian, whose view the story is told from, invites Michael inside his home. He just doesn’t know what an impact this fortuitous meeting is going to have on him yet.
On one hand we have Ian. He’s a father, who seems very loving and concerned about his daughter, Corinne, who’s at the house when Michael enters: “”Go back in, Corry.” He (Ian( looked at her knowingly, hoping not to frighten her… ”.[1] Ian also has a wife, Karen, who apparently is staying at her parents’ house, because: “They (Karen & Ian( had things to sort out.”[2] However it is obvious that Ian cares a lot for her and is very attracted by her, which is very obvious because of the way he describes her; he only comments on how she’s always smiling, laughing and hugging.[3] It also seems very clear that he wants her to get back home: “He felt better now she was coming.”[4], “He missed her being at home.”[5] So Ian is described as a loving father and husband who appreciates his family a lot; they do have some problems but he seems to turn a blind eye to it. To him qualities such as sympathy, compassion and attendance seem very crucial.
On the other hand there is Michael. At the time he turns to Ian he’s drunk: “Ian could now smell the alcohol … “.[6] When reading the short story you only get very little information about Michael; the only source is snatches of his drunken nonsense. It occurs that he used to know the old owners of the house that Ian now lives in, George and Edie Higham.[7] Through the story it seems more and more clear to the reader, that Michael is a very lonely old man, who has been abandoned by his friends and family: “”I should have been at the wedding but I wasn’t allowed to go.””[8], “(Ian on the
The short story Sorry for Disturbing You (2008) by Richard Knight starts in media res – our main character, Ian, opens the door and our second main character, Michael, is standing on his doorstep. They don’t know each other, but Ian, whose view the story is told from, invites Michael inside his home. He just doesn’t know what an impact this fortuitous meeting is going to have on him yet.
On one hand we have Ian. He’s a father, who seems very loving and concerned about his daughter, Corinne, who’s at the house when Michael enters: “”Go back in, Corry.” He (Ian( looked at her knowingly, hoping not to frighten her… ”.[1] Ian also has a wife, Karen, who apparently is staying at her parents’ house, because: “They (Karen & Ian( had things to sort out.”[2] However it is obvious that Ian cares a lot for her and is very attracted by her, which is very obvious because of the way he describes her; he only comments on how she’s always smiling, laughing and hugging.[3] It also seems very clear that he wants her to get back home: “He felt better now she was coming.”[4], “He missed her being at home.”[5] So Ian is described as a loving father and husband who appreciates his family a lot; they do have some problems but he seems to turn a blind eye to it. To him qualities such as sympathy, compassion and attendance seem very crucial.
On the other hand there is Michael. At the time he turns to Ian he’s drunk: “Ian could now smell the alcohol … “.[6] When reading the short story you only get very little information about Michael; the only source is snatches of his drunken nonsense. It occurs that he used to know the old owners of the house that Ian now lives in, George and Edie Higham.[7] Through the story it seems more and more clear to the reader, that Michael is a very lonely old man, who has been abandoned by his friends and family: “”I should have been at the wedding but I wasn’t allowed to go.””[8], “(Ian on the