Question

In at least one hundred words, describe how the title of Daly's short story helps give a context for the story. In "sixteen"

Answer 1

"Sixteen" by Maureen Daly, is the story of a young teenager who, after spending an evening with a boy, hopes that something will develop from this meeting. For several days she waits and hopes for the young man to call her after he left her at home, and finally, she realizes that he never meant anything that he said to her and he was not interested at all in her. The story is interesting because this young girl, whom we don´t know the name of, seems to be insistently trying to tell her audience that just because she is young and was duped by a guy, doesn´t mean that she isn´t smart and unintelligent. Another thing that is shown through in the story is the youth of the character and the impulsiveness of the teenage mind. She is more concerned about what people may say, or think, about her because of what happened, but she is also coming to grips with a harsh fact, that things are not always as they seem. This is what the title "Sixteen" puts forward; youth, impulsivity, superficiality and decision making that is not guided by deepr thoughts.

Answer 2

The title, "sixteen", gives the context of adolescence or teenage life and also provides an overview of infatuation. Teenage life is the period where the confusion starts to dwell in one’s mind. Whether to love or to live by oneself, to give your all or to keep everything by yourself, questions arise to this crucial period Adolescence is also the most difficult decision-making stage. The teenager often confuses infatuation and real love and this is what the protagonist tries to conquer. The title relates to the main theme of the story which is the struggle between feeling and thought. However, it is revealed in the end that the protagonist realizes from her experience. As  stated,  “My heart still prays but my mind laughs.' Finally, mind wins!”