GOING PLACESA. R. `Barton

'Going places' by Barton is a light piece of fiction that centers around a girl, her dreams and her fantasies. She wants to liberate herself from the shackles that bind her to a lower middle-class lifestyle; she dreams of carving a life of comfort for herself and wants to live in luxury. She fantasises so much that her day dreams find a place for a sports idol. She lives away from the grim realities of life which involve money, a good qualification and rich experience. Truly she struggles between a world of make-belief and her own real world which is lower middle-class wrought with difficulties and desires.

Value Points

Sophie's Day Dreams Own a boutique Be a manager Become an actress or a fashion designer and own a boutique on

the side.All this Sophie plans to do but without any money, qualification or experience. She belongs to a lower middle-class family and is expected to take up work in a biscuit factory after completing high school.

Jansie, Sophie's friend, more realistic. Suggests to Sophie that big dreams get fulfilled only with money

and experience. Sophie's father

Works real hard to make both ends meet. He expects that some more money will pour in once Sophie completes high school and starts working in a biscuit factory.

Sophie's mother Was always hard at work because of the financial constraints. She

lived in a small room with her family; a place which was used even for cooking purpose as well as laundry Continuous household chores had left the lady with a bent back.

Geoff, Sophie's brother An apprentice mechanic, Geoff had a life of his own in which he

did not allow any of his family member. However, Sophie suspected that he had befriended some special people and he wished that he would let her share his secrets and allow her to meet his group of friends. He was an introvert and his silence made Sophie feel jealous. She had a fascination for his life because it was unknown to her. She wished he would take her along on his new bike for rides and then she would also be a part of his mystery world.

Sophie fantasises about Danny Casey Casey was an Irish prodigy, a Soccer player. Although Sophie was

in the habit of concocting stories, no one ever believed her, least of all her family. Her father used to treat her tales as 'wild stories'. Even when she came up with another one that of meeting Danny Casey, he refused to believe it. However, Sophie was not bothered as to what he thought or believed. Her father had warned that one day she was going to get herself into trouble. Actually she did when her friend, Jansie got wind of her latest fantasy. Although Jansie said that she could be trusted, Sophie knew too well that her friend capable of spreading stories.

Story's ending Sophie continued with her fantasising and actually did go to meet

Danny Casey at a place that had an air of romanticism and mysticism in it. She imagined things that would have taken place had it all been a reality. At the same time her perception was moving towards reality because of which she became sad realising that things she wished to happen in her life would actually never happen.