The Little Black Dress

This study guide will help you analyse the text “The Little Black Dress” by Clifford Thurlow. We will show you examples of elements in the text that will be relevant for your analysis.

In these notes, we will focus on the summary, structure, characters, setting, narrator and point of view, language, theme and message, and we will help you put the text into perspective.

Presentation of the text

Title: “The Little Black Dress”
Author: Clifford Thurlow
Date of Publication: 2000
Genre: Short Story

Clifford Thurlow (b. 1952) is an English writer and journalist. He has published various books since 1982, and he is currently the editor of a publishing house.

Excerpt

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Symbols

Symbols are very important in "The Little Black Dress". First, the little black dress symbolises change and Vicky’s need to change something in her boring life. What is more, the dress symbolises everything that Vicky has abandoned; instead of being elegant and beautiful, she constantly wears her hair “held back with an elastic band” (l. 34), and always wears the “yellow jogging suit” (l. 32) when she goes to work.