2. ELEMENTS OF THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL
CHARACTERS THEMES
*Physical
S ETTING MAIN appearance versus
CHARACTERS true love
MORAL
PHYSICA L SETTING *Anna VA LUES
*Amos Cosmetics, New *David Amos *importance of
•Aunt Mimi *rationality
Jersey integrity and
and moral courage
* Anna’s home self-respect
*French restaurant MINOR
* diligence and
* Aunt Mimi’s house CHARACTERS perseverance
*Momma
S OCIAL SETTING *Armstrong
•Middle-class urbanites *Sabina
* The Waiter
TIME
20th century America
MESSAGE
•Be realistic in our expectations
•Always look beyond physical
appearances.
3. THE SYNOPSIS
The Fruitcake Special is an amusing story about Anna, a
scientist, who creates a perfume that has an extraordinary
effect on men. Her boss, David Amos, is instantly smitten with
her the minute he smells the perfume on Anna. Chaos ensues
when Anna and David dine together as Anna also becomes the
object of the waiter’s affection. Anna asks her Aunt Mimi for
more information about the fruitcake before coming to a dead
end. Guided by his jealous girlfriend Sabina, David offers a
money-based apology to Anna, who decides to leave for a rival
company. Anna’s love life develops together with her career as
she is wooed by Armstrong, her local pizza delivery man, who is
now a pizza owner.
4. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
•An Australian writer, originally a businessman.
•Started to write fiction in 1983.
•Died in 1995.
•Wrote with his wife, Wendy Brennan under the
pseudonym ‘Emma Darcy’. As a team, they wrote more
than 45 romance novels.
5. SETTING
SETTING
DAVID AUNT MIMI
ANNA AMOS
MOMMA
CHARACTE
CHARACTE ARMSTRONG
RS
RS
SABINA
THE WAITER
eauty vs
beauty THE FRUITCAKE
THE FRUITCAKE
SPECIAL
SPECIAL
Try out new
oes not ways and
better experiment
Lesso
Lesso
n
n
secrets are THEME S Learnt
THEME S Learnt Maintain dignity
left buried.
when being
MORAL
MORAL insulted
VALUES
VALUES
ove can do
ers
Determination Honesty Courage Acceptance Ration
Amos Cosmetics
Aunt Mimi’s
The French
y is perfect. Restaurant
apartment
Anna’s home
factory
6. CLIMA
X
The Fruitcake Special attracts both Mr
Amos and the waiter. A fight breaks out
between David, Sabina and the waiter.
FALLING
RISING ACTION ACTION Aunt
Anna visits Mimi and
Mr Amos is attracted to Anna discovers that the fruitcake was
who is using the perfume and brought from an old lady who had
invites her to dinner put in a special ingredient.
Unfortunately the woman is now
THE PLOT dead and so is the secret.
EXPOSITION
RESOLUTIO
Anna experiments by adding a slice of
N
Armstrong, the owner of ‘Armstrong’s
fruitcake to a mix of flowers to Peachy Pizzas’, presents Anna with flowers
create a new perfume. and pizza and tells her that he had fallen in
love with her from the very first time he
delivered pizza to her.
9. ANNA’S Evidence from text
Character
Traits
Practical * thinks her new invention smells nice but nothing more (p.32)
* uses the same handbag she does for work on her date with David
(p.38)
Sensible • Knows she is an ordinary-looking girl and is not actually David’s
type (p.34)
• Reminds the waiter to serve the lobster instead of being silly (p.43)
• Realizes the effect of the perfume on the waiter and ensures she
does not walk by other men (p.44)
Innovative • Tries to concoct new perfumes (p.31)
Intelligent • Realizes that the fruitcake perfume had an effect on her boss
(p.41)
Observant • Notices that her boss prefers pretty young models (p.32)
• Observes that men say one thing but mean another
Curious • Wants to know why David suddenly finds her attractive (p.38)
Determined • Anna was determined to design good perfumes
• When she knew the effect of ‘ the fruitcake special’ on men , she
stayed at home to find out the truth about the fruitcake given by
Aunt Mimi.
Integrity • Anna portrayed integrity when she walked out of her job
• She did this when she was insulted by her boss’ humiliating offer of
compensation.
10. Weak
Impulsive
DAVID AMOS
Superficial
Not employee-friendly
11. DAVID AMOS’S EVIDENCE FROM TEXT
Character Traits
WEAK • Is controlled by Sabina and so offers Anna
money rather than apologizing properly
SUPERFICIAL • Prefers the company of beautiful young
models (p.34)
• Looks at Anna’s body instead of her face
when she returns to the table (p.41)
IMPULSIVE • Is flabbergasted when the waiter starts
singing very loudly, so he hit the waiter.
• Feebly explains to Anna that they would not
be a good match, unlike him and Sabina (p.56)
NOT EMPLOYEE- • Anna is afraid to tell him how she made the
FRIENDLY new perfume as he might have laughed at her
(p.32)
• David only speaks to his employees when he
has complaints (p.34)
12. WARM
GENEROUS
GOOD-HEARTED
AUN
T
MIMI
OBSERVANT
CURIOUS
13. AUNT MIMI’S Evidence from text
Character
Traits
WARM • Welcomes Anna’s visit even though she may have
other interests at heart (p.48)
GENEROUS • Always brings gifts when she visit (p.37)
GOOD- • Being very concerned for Anna’s future, she wants to
HEARTED find a nice husband for Anna.
OBSERVANT • Tells Anna about her market experience and the
people she met at the funeral (p.52)
CURIOUS • Is suspicious about Anna’s sudden interest in baking.
(p.49)
14. •The latest girlfriend of David
MOMMA Sabina Amos
•Beautiful
•Anna’s mother •Snooty
•Vain, Dominant, confident,
•Loving and caring- still well-spoken
packs meals for Anna •Condescending but is actually
jealous that David asked Anna
•Gets on well with Aunt out
Mimi •Hot-headed- Hits David hard
in the face when he proclaims
love for Anna.
•The pizza delivery man
ARMSTRONG *Like David Amos, was
•Fell in love with Anna at impulsive and effusive in
The Waiter
first sight his words and actions after
inhaling the Fruitcake
•Hardworking-saved hard Special
and finally bought over the
pizza company he worked for
* Bold – told Anna how he
•Was determined to improve
felt, and called her even
his social and economic
status before asking Anna out though she was in the
restaurant with David on a
date.
15. THEMES
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
VS TRUE LOVE
VS TRUE LOVE
•Anna’s experiences with David and the waiter
at the French restaurant illustrate the
fragility of physical attraction or superficial
love.
•Both the men are drawn to her not because
of her own qualities but because of the
‘special’ perfume she is wearing.
•Fortunately Anna realizes that true love is not
based on external appearances but on genuine
liking and mutual self-respect.
•The man who truly loves her- Armstrong the
pizza delivery man- declares his love for her
only after he has achieved success in his life.
16. THEMES
IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRITY
IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRITY
AND SELF-RESPECT
AND SELF-RESPECT
•We should focus on a person’s
character rather than their physical
appearance.
•Anna is a person of integrity and
practicality who is truly a credit to her
company.
•Anna has dignity, pride and principles
and looks for these qualities in a future
husband.
•She finds them in Armstrong, a
slightly short and balding man, but is a
gem compared to the superficial David.
17. •When Anna creates the potent perfume
by chance, she does not give it to her
boss immediately as she is afraid of him
making fun of her.
•She reveals her character and good
sense of values in her actions, speech and
Rationality thoughts ( mental self talk)
and moral •Her outrage at David’s treatment of her
courage and the scene in the office with Sabina
present shows her sense of dignity, pride
and moral courage.
•Anna’s character grows and in the end
we see her willingness to accept
Armstrong even though she may have
higher expectations before.
18. •Anna’s painstaking attitude and
seriousness about her work are work
Diligence ethics that should be followed.
and •She is creative and intelligent in the
Perseveran work she is doing.
ce
19. •Can be seen in Armstrong’s character
•He is determine to be successful
before he can declare his love to
Anna.
Determinati •From just ordinary pizza delivery
on man, he turns to be the owner of
the pizza restaurant.
•All this displays his strong
determination to be successful in life.
20. Honesty
•Momma is honest in terms of her feelings
towards Armstrong. Even Armstrong is just a
pizza delivery man, she does not look down on
her.
•Aunt Mimi is honest in finding a husband for
Anna.
•Anna is an honest employee. She does not reveal
the secret
21. •Armstrong accepts Anna for who she
is. He also able to accept his own
weaknesses and work to improve on
them until he becomes successful.
Acceptanc •Anna accepts the fact to let the
e secret of the fruitcake special “lie
buried” with the old woman who has
died. She never pursues the matter
although she was persistent in finding
out the truth about it.
22. •It takes courage to stand up to one’s
beliefs. Anna is willing to walk out of
Courag
her career in Amos Cosmetics after
e
the event in the French restaurant.
•Armstrong is courageous in asking
Anna out at last. He knows his status
but never gives up .
