The fat girl - Marilyn Sachs

Title: The fat girl

Author: Marilyn Sachs

Characters: Jeff, Ellen, Norma

Jeff is only interested in slim, pretty girls. Soon after joining the ceramics-class he falls in love with a pretty girl like Norma. She is such a slim, pretty girl and Jeff laughs about this fat girl, who has problems to come through the door every morning. Ellen de Luca, called 'the fat girl' by Jeff is a still person and rather clumsy by doing ceramics. And then one day, she hears Jeff saying:' She would do herself and the rest of us a big favour if she would go bust up another class. It is a real drag having her around.' But what Jeff didn't know, was that Ellen stood right behind him and when he finished his sentence she began to cry. Jeff felt rather guilty, first because of Norma, who was shocked about what he had said, and so he wanted to apologize at Ellen for what he had said. He went over to her house and then they began to talk. Ellen threatend to commit suicide, because she has no friends, neither any other reason to live. First Jeff avoids to talk to her, but then he spends more and more time with her, and while his girlfriend Norma is on a skiing holiday, he falls in love with Ellen. From then on they are a couple and Ellen wins more and more self-confidence. Jeff chose her clothes, her make-up and even her way of living. Ellen is happier than ever before, but Jeff begins to lock her like in a cage. Ellen losts weight every day, and Jeff is very satisfied what he has done. Producing of a human being! But then there is the prom, the most important event in the year for Ellen. Jeff and she bought a golden Kaftan for her, heavy earrings and new shoes. But when Ellen welcome Jeff with a ordinary, white dress he is totally upset. Something has happend against his knowing! The evening is a success, for Ellen. Jeff is already angry and when his anger burst out they began to fight. Ellen accuses Jeff, because he had locked her up all the time and finally they broke their relationship. Jeff is very sad, but Ellen enjoys her life. She is independent now and has many friends. She isn't a fat girl anymore and she does what she likes to do. Jeff has to think of his problems now. His sister, Wanda, who has left him and his mother and who had gone to her father. And he has to take care of his mother, who has tried to kill herself because of Wanda and her unfulfilled life.

Title: The thirty - nine steps

Author: John Buchan

Characters: Richard Hannay, Franklin Scudder, Sir Walter Bullivant

Mr. Richard  Hannay was reading a newspaper when suddenly the doorbell rang and a very nervous looking man came in. His name was Franklin Scudder and he introduced Mr. Hanney in his job. He was a spy and in big troubles. Hannay heard much about politics and soon he was totally involved in everything when he found Mr. Scudder's corpse in his flat some weeks later. He wasn't the murderer but the police would arrest him for this murder and so he decided to run away to continue with Scudder's work. But the problem was, that the German spies knew, that he will continue Scudder's work, and so Hannay could always be found and killed like Scudder was. They already knew, that Hannay lived in the same flat, und so Hannay needed to play a trick on them, so that they did not realize that he had left the town. After Hannay's flight from the police he had a very exciting life and good luck. His enemies were searching him and without the help of many people, he would have been killed. Hannay was a very clever and lucky man and when he met another spy, Sir Walter Bullivant, the chase starts. The saftey of whole Britain was in big danger and Richard Hannay tries to fight for it. The title 'thirty - nine steps', describes a code which made it possible for Hannay to find out the location of his enemies. In the end Richard Hannay convicted the three main-enemies and delaid the first world war.