Draft:Loose Change

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The story Loose Change, written by Andrea Levy and published in 2005 begins with the protagonist explaining that she doesn’t make friends easily because she is a Londoner. After leaving the National Portrait Gallery on a cold day, she realizes she is unprepared for her period. Needing change for the tampon machine, she asks strangers for help, but everyone except one young girl walks away. The girl offers a handful of mostly copper coins, and when the protagonist asks if she has a five-pound note, the girl replies, “You look,” and lays out her money. The protagonist takes three coins, promising to pay her back.

When she returns, she finds the girl staring at a portrait of Darcey Bussell, which she likes because “it looks like a dream.” The protagonist shows her a picture she likes, and the two discuss several artworks. However, feeling obligated to the girl, the protagonist invites her for tea. The girl, who introduces herself as Laylor, tries to pay for the tea, but the protagonist refuses.

As they talk, Laylor reveals she is from Uzbekistan. While opening a sugar packet, Laylor spills it on the table and sweeps the sugar into her cup with her hand. The protagonist is irritated and disgusted, especially when she notices a piece of paper and a tiny black hair floating in the tea. Insisting on getting a new cup, the moment is interrupted when a young boy runs over, demanding coins from Laylor. She explains that this is her little brother and that they have been sleeping on the streets. Laylor and her brother fled Uzbekistan after their journalist parents were arrested.

The protagonist begins to suspect that Laylor intentionally approached her for help, wondering why she didn’t go to the police or a charity. Still, she feels empathy, recalling how her grandmother, an immigrant from the Caribbean, was once taken in by strangers during her own time of need. The protagonist imagines taking Laylor home, offering her warmth, food, and shelter. She dreams of a future where Laylor tells her children the story of how their mother was saved by a kind stranger.

Yet, despite her moment of empathy, when the protagonist gets up to fetch Laylor something to wipe her nose, she keeps walking and leaves Laylor behind.

Themes

Prejudice against immigrants

The protagonist assumes that Laylor is trying to take advantage of her kindness for her own benefit. She imagines that, if she were to take Laylor home, Laylor would touch everything with her dirty hands and lie on the couch while kicking off her filthy boots (On the Move, p. 60, l. 15). This highlights how the story addresses prejudice against immigrants, showing how some people are quick to judge without understanding the struggles or experiences these individuals have faced. The narrative shows how society often dismisses immigrants based on assumptions rather than taking the time to understand their circumstances. The one sidedness becomes even more clear because the reader only gets to know the protagonists thoughts and not Laylors, so there is no way to know what she would actually do if she were to come home with the protagonist

Indecisiveness about helping others in need

At one moment, the protagonist resolves to take Laylor home. However, in the next sentence, she uses the word would instead of will, indicating her hesitation (On the Move, p. 61, l. 186). If she were truly determined to help, she would have used a more decisive expression, such as will. This reveals her inner conflict and reluctance.She holds back because of her prejudice but also because she is concerned for her son. The story touches on the broader theme of how easy it is to talk about helping others, but how few people actually take action because we find ways to talk ourselves out of it. It critiques the human tendency to reconsider and ultimately choose inaction when faced with real opportunities to help those in need.

Turning a blind eye to those in need

In the final moments of the story, the protagonist gets up, supposedly to fetch something for Laylor to wipe her nose with. Yet, instead of returning, she simply walks away, leaving Laylor and her brother behind. Although it is clear that Laylor needs help, the protagonist refuses to provide it. This moment highlights a central critique of modern society: the tendency to prioritize one’s own comfort over the responsibility to help others. The story suggests that people are often more concerned with their own well-being than with fostering a sense of community or offering support to those in need.

Kindness

Despite having so little herself, Laylor does not hesitate to offer the protagonist a few coins when she needs them (On the Move, p. 57, l. 26). This act of generosity emphasizes themes of empathy and human connection. Laylor just wants someone to talk to in this foreign country and does not shy away from helping because she knows what it is like to be in the need of a helping hand.The narrative shows that helping someone in need is the right thing to do, regardless of whether they are a stranger or of one’s own circumstances. Laylor’s selflessness starkly contrasts with the protagonist’s reluctance to help and eventual decision to abandon her.

Immigration

Laylor and her brother face numerous challenges as immigrants in England. With no money or resources, they are forced to sleep in a public square. Through Laylor’s experiences, the story sheds light on the hardships immigrants endure as they try to adapt to a new culture and find their place in an unfamiliar country. The protagonist’s initial inability to recognize Laylor’s struggles – reflected in her failure to notice small details, such as Laylor’s unkempt appearance – illustrates the disconnection between immigrants and the societies they enter. The story encourages readers to reflect on the difficulties of cultural displacement and the lack of empathy often shown by host communities.

Symbols

Coins

Typically seen as low-value money or an annoying weight in one’s wallet, coins in Loose Change symbolize Laylor’s kindness. Although they represent everything she has, Laylor is still willing to offer her coins to help a stranger in need. This symbolism is already placed in the title, Loose Change. When connected to the story’s context, the title highlights how “loose change” is often overlooked or considered insignificant, yet in this story, it carries a deeper, more meaningful value.

Darcey Bussell

Laylor is mesmerized by the portrait of ballerina Darcey Bussell. The portrait symbolizes Laylor’s dreams and her longing for freedom—her desire to live as a normal teenage girl without the struggles of being in a foreign country. Laylor even remarks that the portrait “looks like a dream” (On the Move, p. 58, l. 45). Additionally, the fact that Laylor and the protagonist are drawn to different portraits reveals their contrasting worldviews, shaped by their vastly different life experiences.

Tea

The tea serves as a symbol of the disparity between the lifestyles of the rich and the poor. Laylor, used to surviving with the bare minimum, is unbothered by the paper and hair floating in her tea and continues to drink it without complaint. In contrast, the protagonist is repulsed by this and insists that Laylor get a fresh cup. This moment highlights the gap in their perspectives, shaped by their different views on realities.

Grandmother

The protagonist recalls her grandmother, who often shared stories about being saved by a stranger after arriving in England as an immigrant. Despite this, the protagonist finds her grandma now being condemned and dismissing refugees as a burden. Her grandmother, who once knew the struggles of arriving in a foreign country with nothing, contrasts sharply with the protagonist’s lack of empathy. This highlights a split between established immigrants who have built stable lives for themselves and newly arrived refugees struggling to find their footing. It reflects a broader tension between the two parties, where older immigrants fear losing what they have achieved, creating a sense of division rather than unity within immigrant communities.