The document provides biographical information about Irish author Maeve Binchy, who believed ordinary people could relate to her characters. It discusses some of her most famous works and includes a quote from Binchy about making her characters relatable. The rest of the document focuses on analyzing themes and characters in Binchy's short story about a couple whose wedding is called off at the last minute when the groom gets cold feet, only for the bride to convince him to go through with the ceremony anyway.

1. Maeve Binchy
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Maeve
Binchy
1940-2012
“I believe very, very strongly that everybody
is the hero/heroine of his/her own life. I try
to make my characters kind of ordinary,
somebody that anybody could be. Because
we've all had loves, perhaps love and loss,
people can relate to my characters.”

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•The Lilac Bus
•Story Teller
•This Year It Will Be
Different
•and many more…

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walking on a crack in
the road
superstitious idea that
cracks in road bring bad luck

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left standing at the alter
when a bride or groom
doesn’t show up for the
wedding

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clutch a straw
a desperate attempt at
something

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calling it off
breaking up but usually
used for a big event like a
wedding

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Here Comes the Bride
traditional song played at
American weddings

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something that stands
for a bigger idea

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*White Dress
*Veil
*Flowers
*Ring

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•Betrayal
•Andrew
betrayed
Irene
•Irene
betrayed
Andrew
•Doing the
Right Thing
•Relationships

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*The “right thing” depends
on POV
*People are unpredictable
*There is a point of no return
*Relationships are tough
*Other?

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*Andrew
*Irene
*Martin
*300 Wedding Guests

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•Modern Era
•Irene’s House
•The Church

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•Andrew not ready to marry
•Irene says she’ll leave him
at alter
•She walks down the aisle
•They marry

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*Irene
*Won’t love
anyone else
*Understands
obligation
*Andrew
*Isn’t Ready
*Is Afraid

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*Why does Andrew want to
call off the wedding?
*Does he love Irene?
*Why does she agree to
call off the wedding?
*Why doesn’t she do it?

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*How would you feel if you
were Irene when Andrew
says he doesn’t want to
marry her?
*How would you feel if you
were Andrew when Irene
is walking down the aisle?

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* Was the marriage, in the end, the
right thing to do?
* Was Andrew just suffering from
nerves?
* Was Irene right to take the chance
that she did?
* Does the fact that they are still
married, years later, prove she was
right?

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*Which character do you feel the most
sympathy for: Irene or Andrew?
* Was Irene cold and calculating or just
trying to hold onto the man she loves?
* Was Andrew just nervous and tactless
or a shallow idiot?

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Email Mrs. C
ccoleman@clmn.net
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