THE FRUITCAKE SPECIAL

SETTING
The first place is the Amos Cosmetics factory where Anna works as a chemist. She designs new perfumes for her company. Her boss is David Amos, a rich and handsome Englishman. The second place mentioned is Annas home. She lives with her mother. Aunt Mimi seems to be a frequent visitor. She often comes to the house to try and match-make for Anna as she feels Anna should be married at her age. The third place is the restaurant that Mr. Amos brings Anna to. It is an expensive French restaurant. At first, Mr. Amos hardly speaks to Anna. He tells Anna that the dinner is a reward for her hard work at the factory. However, when Anna goes to the ladies room, sprays on the fruitcake perfume and comes back to the table, he again finds her beautiful and this time he declares his love for her. Unfortunately, his girlfriend is also at the restaurant and a fight ensues between Mr. Amos, his angry girlfriend and a waiter who, earlier on, had caught a sniff of the fruitcake perfume and had fallen hopelessly in love with Anna. Anna leaves the restaurant while the fight is going on. The fourth place is Aunt Mimis house. Aunt Mimi lives in an apartment on the other side of town. Anna visits her aunt to ask for the fruitcake recipe. She is very disappointed to learn that her aunt bought the cake from an old lady who passed away a week ago.

PLOT
Exposition
Anna works as a chemist for Amos Cosmetics factory. One day, she throws a piece of fruitcake in the perfume mixture.

Rising Action 1

 She is surprised when Mr. Amos shows interest in her and invites her to dinner. Her mother and Aunt Mimi want to introduce a man to her. Anna tells them she had a dinner date with her boss.

Rising Action 2
Mr. Amos shows lack of interest when he picks her up for dinner. At the restaurant, Anna feels hurt when Mr. Amos tells her the dinner is a reward for her hard work. Anna sprays on the fruitcake perfume. Mr. Amos immediately changes in his attitude toward her.

Climax
Sabrina, Mr. Amoss girlfriend, comes to the restaurant. Mr. Amos tells her that he loves Anna. Sabrina hits Mr. Amos. A fight breaks out between Sabrina, Mr. Amos and a waiter who has also fallen in love with Anna. Anna leaves the restaurant.

Falling Action 1
Anna visits Aunt Mimi to get the fruitcake recipe. She is disappointed to learn that the old lady who baked the cake has died.

Falling Action 2
Back to the office, Anna is told by Sabrina that Mr. Amos is not interested in her. Mr. Amos offers her money to forget the incident. In anger, Anna throws the bottle of fruitcake perfume at Sabrina and leaves.

Resolution
Anna now works for another perfume company. One day, Armstrong, the pizza delivery man visits her. He now owns a pizza company.

 He confesses his love for her. Anna finally finds true love.

SINOPSIS
Anna is a single, twenty-seven years old woman who works as a chemist for a perfume factory called Amos Cosmetics factory. Her mother and aunt are always nagging her to get married. One day, she impulsively makes a perfume using a piece of fruitcake from her lunch. When she uses this perfume, her rich and handsome boss shows interest in her. He takes her out for dinner. At first, he shows boredom and disinterest because she is not wearing the perfume, but once she puts on the perfume, his attitude towards her changes. He falls hopelessly in love with her. His jealous girlfriend hits him and a fight ensues between Amos, his girlfriend and a waiter who is also in love with Anna. Anna tries to find out the recipe for the fruitcake but is disappointed to learn that the old lady who makes the cake is dead. Back at the office, she feels insulted when Amos tries to offer her money to forget the whole embarrassing incident. In anger, she splashes her whole bottle of fruitcake perfume on Sabrina and walks away. She quits her job at the company. At the end of the story, she finds true love in the form of Armstrong, the pizza delivery man she meets two years ago.

POINT OF VIEW
The story is told in the first person point of view. The pronoun I is used and the main character, Anna tells us this delightfully funny story through her eyes.

THEME
Physical Attraction Versus True Love
David Amos is not in love with Anna. In fact, it is also doubtful that he is in love with Sabrina. She is one of many beautiful girlfriends. Amos is only attracted to Anna because of the fruitcake perfume which seems to make him view her as a very beautiful woman. Once the effect of the perfume is gone, he wonders what he could possibly

have seen in her. Armstrong, on the other hand, shows genuine feelings for Anna. He works hard and rises from a pizza delivery man to become the owner of a pizza company. He does not reveal his feeling to Anna until he is sure of his own success and worthy of her love. Armstrong displays true love and sincerity, unlike Amos who is very superficial.

Pride and Vanity

Amos is aware that he is rich and handsome. He does not lower his status and standard to associate with ordinary looking woman. His preference is always beautiful models. Sabrina is just like him. She calls Anna a nobody and insults her openly at the office by telling her that David Amos could not possibly fall in love with her. Then, on behalf of David Amos, she offers Anna some money for any disappointment caused. Both Amos and Sabrina flaunt their money and take pride in bringing other people down.

Determination
This admirable quantity is shown by Armstrong, who genuinely falls in love with Anna. He works hard for two years after meeting Anna and finally becomes the owner of the pizza company. Then, he feels that he is worthy of Anna, he comes back to visit her and reveals his feeling for her.

TONE AND MOOD

At the beginning
The tone is one of boredom as Anna throws a piece of fruitcake into her perfume mixture. She is tired of using flowers all the time.

As the story progresses

She is surprised when David Amos, her boss shows interest in her and invites her out for dinner. Amos is only interested in beautiful models and Anna is ordinary looking.

The atmosphere change

 At dinner, Mr. Amos loses interest in Anna and the tone changes to disappointment. He tells her the dinner is a reward for her hard work. Anna sprays on the fruitcake perfume again. Mr. Amos instantly falls madly in love with her again.

The suspense intensifies

Anna realizes the fruitcake makes men fall madly in love and she is curious. She tried to get the recipe for the cake but is very disappointed to learn that the woman who made the cake had died.

The end
Back at the office, Anna feels insulted when Mr. Amos offers her money to forget the whole incident. She throws the whole bottle of fruitcake perfume at Sabrina and leaves the company. The mood of romance sets in when Armstrong comes to see her. He has loved her for two years. The atmosphere at the end of the story is one of happiness and quiet contentment.

CHARACTERS
MAIN CHARACTER Anna She is single, twenty-seven years old who live with her mother. She works as a chemist in Amos Cosmetics factory.
Hardworking, conscientious and dedicated She is hardworking, conscientious and dedicated to her career. She takes the initiative to experiment and comes up with new perfumes. She uses her intuition and is willing to take risks. When she put a piece of fruitcake into the mixture of other things, she just did it- I dont know why I did it. As Anna puts it, I couldnt give something like that (the fruitcake perfume) to my boss. After all, I am a chemist and my job is to make perfumes in a proper way.

Modest and humble

Shy and self-effacing

She does not want to hand the perfume to her boss as he would tell me not to be a silly girl. Later, he would probably make a joke about it to his friends. She is embarrassed at the attention her boss showered on her as she knows that her boss would never dream of saying nice things to ordinary looking girls like me. Was he playing a joke on me? When Mr. Amos asks her out for the dinner, she thought of the strange situation and cannot believe that her boss who is famous for going out with beautiful woman had told me I was beautiful and had asked me outI am not his usual type at all.

Self-conscious and realistic

MINOR CHARACTERS David Amos He is Annas boss and the owner of Amos Cosmetics factory. He is a rich and handsome Englishman.
Self-opinionated and thinks highly He would never dream of saying nice things to ordinary looking girls. He preferred to be with pretty young models. He is known for going out with beautiful women.

Arrogant with employees

Not friendly with his employees as when he does speak to them, he usually complaining about something. He has a high opinion of himself and presumes that other people should follow his wishes. When he invites Anna for dinner, he does not bother to wait for a proper reply. He leaves before she could say anything. Sabrina seems to have the upper hand over David Amos. H

Presumptuous

Shallow and weak

especially in his dealing with women