A: Sum up the story in about 200 words.
John McCreedy is a lonesome husband, who lives with his wife Hilda, his daughter Katy and his son Michael. His wife always calls him McCreedy as if he was a stranger she did not know.
She asks him sullenly what they will do on his birthday, but he has no idea so he goes out into the garden to ask his nine-year-old and plain daughter. She only cares about her dolls and has no suggestions. Michael speaks impolite to his father and does not concern about his 46-year birthday.
McCreedy books the local restaurant, where he knows the owner, Spiros.
McCreedy is tired of his family and civil status so he complains to his pals at the pub and they understand him. .
At the restaurant Hilda is sour, because McCreedy is a little late. Michael snaps at Katy so Hilda scolds him in an annoyed tone.
McCreedy cannot eat his steak. It is strange because it is a good steak.
When McCreedy's steak is the only food left, he gathers all the empty plates underneath his own plate with the steak on. Hilda grumbles, but then McCreedy says that the steak on top is symbolising him and the cold, hard and empty plates symbolises them. He says he wants to get down, but does not know how. The family are choked and Katy just waits to see her father throw the plates on the floor, but a waitress comes and picks the stack up, and Spiros calls for champagne and a dessert for Katy.
B: Write an interpretation of the story.
I think John McCreedy and his wife has a cold and very not intimately relationship, which contains neither love nor happy moments. I do not think they have many common interests or do a lot of activities together. It seems like he is just an economical support to her and she is just a chain around the ankle to him. Neither of them means anything to each other and they never experience new things in their lives. As regards the relationship between McCreedy and his children, I am sure it is basically the same.
