Frank Brennan is a short story writer who wrote a collection of stories including "The Fruitcake Special". The story follows Anna, a 27-year old chemist who invents a potent perfume. On a date with her boss David, the perfume's effects cause him and a waiter to declare their love for Anna, resulting in a fight. Anna is later courted by Armstrong, a pizza delivery man who has ambitious goals. They find love and live happily ever after. The story explores themes of family, hard work, dignity, and finding true love.

1. The Fruitcake Special

2. The Introduction the Author

3. Frank brennan is a fantasy, science fiction
and short story writer. He was once an
english teacher in singapore . Brennan also
taught english in a secondry school in
England after graduating from the
University of wales.
The Author
Frank Brennan

4. Frank Brennan has many collection of short
stories :
1) The Fruitcake Special
2) Windows of the Mind
3) Tales of the Supernatural
4) Circle games
5) Three Tomorrows

5. Title
1) A fruitcake – play important role in the
story
2) The story evolves around this special
fruitcake & how in an instant it can change :
- The lives of people
- Their emotion
- Their reaction to others

6. Setting
-French restaurant where David and Anna
have dinner together.
- This is the cosmetic factory where Anna
works as a chemist, Anna the main character
& she travels to work by bus.
- We meet Anna ‘s mother and her Aunt
Mimi is the frequant visitor to the house.
Restaurant
Workplace
Anna ‘s home

7. Theme
1) Determination and hard work bring success
2) Family love and concern
3) No venture, no gain
4) Maintain your self – worth and dignity

8. Point of view
The writer tells the story from the first
person point of view with Anna through the
eyes of the main character. Anna is able to
share her thoughts and feelings but not of the
other character like her Mother, Aunt
Mimi, David Amos, Sabina, the waiter or
the old lady at the open market. Anna is only
able to describe what she sees and hears about
these characters. We are made to feel that
we are one with her in the story.

9. The characters in the story

10. The character

11. Anna
 Single 27 – year – old chemist
 Practical and sensible
 Ordinary – looking
 Innovative and intelligent
 Observant and perceptive
 Resourceful and adventurous – invents
potent perfume which can mesmerized man
 Realistic – is aware that she is average –
looking and therefore feels unworthy of her
boss’s attention

12. David Amos
 Owner of Amos Cosmetics
 Supercial
 Was submissive to his girlfriend
 Was haughty
 Shallow – likes to be surrounded by
beautiful woman even though he knows that
they are only interested in his looks and
wealth
 Cowardly – does not defend Anna when
Sabina insults and humiliates Anna in his
office

13. Aunt Mimi
 Anna’s mother’s sister
 Curious
 Good - hearted, generous
 Nosy – very nosy and wants to find Anna
husband
 Observant – is suspicious about Anna’s
sudden interest in baking

14. Sabina
 Beautiful young model
 David’s latest girlfriend
 Was dominant
 haughty and condescending – looks down on
Anna
 Violent – strikes David when he declares
his love for Anna

15. Armstrong
 The pizza delivery man
 Ambitious – is successful in setting up
his own pizza company
 Fell in love with Anna at first sight
 Was determined to improve his social and
economic status before asking Anna out
 Gentlemanly – treats Anna with respect
 Patient – waits for the right time to declare
his love for Anna

16. Anna’s Mother
 Married young – Anna mother married in
age eighteen years old
 Loving and caring – still packs meals for
Anna and concerned that Anna is still
unmarried
 Astutue – is aware that the pizza delivery
boy has a crush on Anna
 Gets on well with Aunt Mimi

17. The Waiter
 Impulsive – cannot wait to declare his love
to Anna and interrupts her with a phone
call during dinner
 Bold – told Anna how he felt, and called
her even though she was in the restaurant
with David on a date

18. Old Woman
 She had seven husbands
 She had baked and sold fruitcakes at the
open – market in the park
 She grew herself in the fruitcakes but would
not reveal the secret ingredient
 She died the week before

19. Plot
 Anna is a chemist who designs perfumes. She
is single and this worries her mother and aunt.
 During dinner, David is not as attentive as he
was in the morning. Anna dabs on the
Fruitcake perfume in the ladies room
 the scene in the restaurant is hilarious with
David and the waiter declaring their love for
Anna. A fight breaks out.
Exposition
Conflict
Climax

20.  Anna wants to find the special something in
the fruitcake but is unable to
 Who is the pizza man, declares his love for
her. Anna has found the right man !. They
lived happily ever after Anna and Armstrong
Falling
action
Resolution

21. Moral values
 We must not compromise on our dignity
 One should be caring and helpful
 Hard work is the key success
 One should take time to find true love
 We must not be blinded by physical attraction
 Appreciate ourselves for what we are

22. The End
 By : Nur Fatin Adawiah Bt Ismail
 Class : 4 Amanah