“A Gap of Sky”

Change never comes easily, and the process of finding and shaping our identity is no exception. We constantly learn, adapt and evolve, but never as much as when we are adolescents. Our parents’ protective “cloak” is no longer there to shield us from external stimulus, and we are suddenly exposed to the world in a new way with different and exciting perspectives. One of the most common reactions to this newfound perspective is, to strive as far from the road, their parents have tried to lead them down, and experience the world without limitations for the first time. Rebellious adolescents are nothing new, but sometimes the nature of the revolt becomes so strong that the rebel becomes the very definition of the person itself.

In Anna Hopes short story from 2008, “A Gap of Sky”, the nineteen-year-old Ellie from central London, experiences the intriguing stimulus the city has to offer.

After a night out with friends, drugs and booze, Ellie wakes up the next day, disoriented and hung over. She realizes that se has an important essay on Virginia Woolf due the next day, which will determine her continued school attendance. She decides to take a “Little bump [of cocaine] just to get things started” (p.1, l.32), where after she realizes, she is missing printer ink. She ventures into the city to buy ink, but is distracted by the life in the city.
The narrative technique can be explained by a concept called a “stream of consciousness”, also known as interior monologue. This narrative device attempts to resemble the thought process of the protagonist. The thoughts seem deranged and come so fast they almost stumble upon each other. This can be seen after the previously mentioned quote. One of the side effects of coke is excited and exuberant speech, which can be seen on page one, line 34-35: “Good plan. Good, this was good, fine. Coffee plunged, poured, slurped; hot, fuck that’s hot.” The narrative technique changes as the effects of the drugs flow through her system. Ellie slowly becomes more aware of her surroundings, and rather than being a tsunami of unfiltered thoughts, it slowly transmits into complete sentences but still follows the rules of interior monologue. The author, Virginia Woolf, of the story Ellie is supposed to write an essay about, is famous for this particular narrative technique, as well as her depiction of the metropolitan city.
Like in Virginia Woolf story, the city plays a central part. As Ellie wanders the city in attempt to find the desperately needed printing ink, the city helps her realize parts of herself she had suppressed. Upon discovering a glove, rammed down over the top of a spike on the iron railing by its middle finger, it spikes a volt of naughtiness inside her. Ellie feels that this provocative gesture, is directed directly at her, and releases a careless side of her. “She was totally and absolutely free, and last night she smoked crack pipe and danced on a rooftop in East London and everything was grey and misty but beautiful still, and she didn't want the night to end, but it did, and she was alone, and that was fine, and now she could go and do anything that she liked.” (p.2, ll.69-72). Upon deciding she was free to do exactly what she wanted, she spontaneously follows two men into the British Museum – just for the heck of it. Once again, one can see a side effect of the cocaine, as she carelessly abandons one task for another without regard for the consequences. In the museum, she feels the exhibit “Living and Dying” is intended solely for her. Although, she is not ready to think about death, even though she has seemed hopeless and depressed earlier on – “It is dark, but the wrong kind of dark. Something is wrong with the dark.” (p.1, l.1)
Another characteristic about the city setting is the comparison between the busy city life and the body. “The traffic [is] clotted like blood in the arteries nearing the heart of the city,” (p.3, ll.90-91) The city is like a fully functioning body, and she is one with the city. She fits in perfectly. People of different races and cultures live together and Ellie blends in easily, “It is filled with people, and everyone, everyone Ellie sees has the same substance within them, around them, connecting them, looping between them in great bonds of love” (p.4, 119-121).
Ellie mentions a passage from Virginia Woolf’s short story “Street Haunting". “Something Oyster of Perceptiveness.” (p.1, l.15). This story also takes place in London, as well as main character who is wandering around in London. In “Street Haunting”, Woolf writes about an “oyster of perceptiveness”, which is described as an “enormous eye” that sees and takes in everything. During Ellie’s walk through the streets she becomes an oyster of perceptiveness herself. She starts to see things differently, and realizes the meaning of the little things, like the stone her mother gave her (p.2, §4). At the end of the story Ellie finally becomes aware of the choices she must make.
The city gives her freedom to develop her life in numerous ways, but unfortunately it also paves the way for substance abuse among other stimuli. One of the most important parts of the city is “the gap of sky,” (p.3, ll.91-92). She debates whether it is because something has been destroyed or if something is being build. This can be directly applied to Ellie – in her search for her identity, is she being destroy or being rebuild?

It is important to remember though, that Ellie is not meant to be interpreted as an individual. She is a symbol, an exaggeration of the things she stands for. She represents the result of children growing up in this modern society. Coming generations has more choices and more freedom than ever before, but like everything else, this has both positive and negative outcomes. Are we able to cope with all these choices? Which path is the “right” one to take in life, when there are so many available? This is the theme, which Anna Hope touches upon in her short story, and simply concludes that sometimes it is best to take a walk by the river, preserve the moment and live in the present.