State of England (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Martin Amis
- First Published: 1996
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: The mid-1990's
- Setting: London and environs
- Principal Characters: Big Mal, Sheilagh, Jet, Fat Lol, Linzi (Shinsala)
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: Parents and children, Class conflict, Twentieth century, Marriage, Class consciousness, England or English people, Fathers, Adultery, London, Nightclubs, 1990’s, Western Europe or western Europeans, Private schools
- Locales: London, England
The Story
The central action of “State of England” takes place on the grounds of a private school not far from London. Big Mal is first seen talking on a mobile phone to his wife, from whom he is separated. He and his wife, Sheilagh, are both at the school for a sports day; their son Jet is to run in several races. Big Mal's face is disfigured by a horrible cut, which he received when he and his friend Fat Lol fought with some people in a central London parking lot the night before.
Big Mal's marriage is in trouble, and he is short of money. He married his son's...
[The entire page is 1453 words long]
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