Love, Sex and Relationships

The story centers around the development of Neil's relationship with Brenda, from their first meeting to their final breakup. The first person narration portrays the relationship from Neil's perspective, highlighting the class differences between the two of them. A significant element of their relationship is their sexual encounters, first in her family TV room, and later, while he is staying at her house, in her bedroom at night. Neil describes his first sexual encounter with Brenda in terms of "winning," using the metaphor of the competitive game to describe the experience of making love to her; due to their class differences, having Brenda as a girlfriend represents a symbolic socioeconomic rise for him. Their first quarrel revolves around his suggestion that she get a diaphragm, her initial negative response to the idea, and eventual conciliation. For Neil, the issue of the diaphragm represents a gesture...