THE ADDRESS . What is the significance of the title?

The story relays events before and after the war as the female narrator attempts to confront her past as she visits "the address" where her family's past belongings were "stored," a non-Jewish neighbour's house. On a deeper level, the story is a commentary on memories and remembering - on what is worth remembering and what is worth forgetting: things "lose their value when you see them again, torn out of context

The Address is a story of human predicament (situation) that follows war.Comment. The war creates many difficult and traumatic situations for human beings. Civilian life faces tremendous upheaval due to war. The human predicament that follows is amply illustrated through the experience of the narrator. The war had caused many physical difficulties as well as emotional sufferings to her. She had lost her dear mother. She went to 46, Marconi Street to see her mothers valuable possessions. Mrs. Dorling was a true opportunist who had used the narrators mothers belongings on the pretext of storing them for safekeeping. She refuses to recognize the narrator and does not even let her in. The narrator gets another chance to visit the house. The presence of her mothers possessions in a strange atmosphere hurted her. Now these valuables had lost all their importance for her as they had been separated from her mother. She could get no solace or comfort from them. She resolved to forget the address. She wanted to leave the memories of her mother and the war behind. She decided to move on. What impression do you form of the narrator? The narrator was a very loving, caring and obedient daughter. Having wanted to fulfill her mothers wishes she attempted to locate Mrs. Dorlings house and twice went there to retrieve her mothers belongings. She was practical and logical and seeing her belongings kept distastefully, she decided to forgo everything and return with only her mothers good memories with her. How did the narrator reconcile herself to the loss of her mothers preciousbelongings? The narrator told herself that she didnt want to remember the address anymore and also had no place for the objects in her new post-war life. She felt that these things had lost their charm because of being cut off from their original owners and surroundings. She was not happy to see them in strange surroundings and consoled herself by saying that they would not look nice even in her own very small rented room. She became instantly detached from her mothers possessions. Have you come back? Said the woman, I thought that no one had comeback. Does this statement give some clue about the story? If yes, what is it? Yes, these words by Mrs Dorling to the narrator shows that she least expected such a visit. She had presumed that all of them were dead. This lead to the conclusion that the story is set against

the tragic circumstances of a War in which families lost their lives and belongings.The statement tells us that the narrator and her family at one time lived in that area and secondly, the clue that the war has brought about a lot of destruction and it seems that Mrs. Dorling was not expecting anyone to return to her house to claim the belongings. Justify the title of the story, The Address. 'The Address' is a very apt title as it brings out the pain and anguish inflicted on the narrator and her mother by the war. The address 46, Marconi Street was important because her mother had given her valuables to Mrs. Dorling who lived at that address. Although the narrator found the address, she didnt take her belongings as they were kept in an ugly setting. She decided to leave her belongings and forget the address. Hence, the address plays an important role in the story. Who was Mrs. Dorling? Why did she visit Mrs. Ss house frequently? Mrs. Dorling was just an acquaintance of Mrs. S. Mrs. Ss belongings had a lot of value as they were beautiful. During the Second World War, the Jews were persecuted everywhere. Mrs. Dorling at this time revived her friendship with Mrs. Dorling and volunteered to keep her belongings safely till the war got over. Who had given the narrator the address, when and under what circumstances? The narrators mother had given her the address, years ago during the first half of the war. The narrator came home for a few days and missed various things in the rooms. Then her mother told her about Mrs. Dorling and gave her the address.