Dear Mr White

Write a letter to Miss Slattery telling her what you think about the decision she made to leave Szabo.

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Dear Mr White

I feel compelled to write to you to express how moved I was by your story “Miss Slattery and her demon lover”. This story has left a profound mark on me and I have reread it a number of times to truly absorb it. I was at first shocked and then overwhelmed at how well you capture and expressed the abusive and controlling nature of this symbolic relationship and its representation of the power unbalance between men and women in our society.

The symbolism of the glass ceiling, although now 55 years on seen by many as a somewhat overused and outdated term, is one that I still whole heartedly feel is relevant and necessary in modern western society. How can one fight against a barrier that one doesn’t even have a name for?

The way that you use language to capture the control and oppressive nature of Tibby is one that left me rattled with familiarity. The subtle control mechanisms and the blatant emotionally abusive behaviour is one that occurs all to frequently and your calling out of this through your story was both brave and refreshing. All I can say is thank you.   

Miss Slattery’s self-realisation and breakthrough was a moment of absolute awe and inspiration. I could feel the glass ceiling shatter above and the pieces crinkle and splinter as they lay around me on the floor. These moments in a woman’s life are rare but extremely powerful and important. Through years of subliminal oppression and sometimes in the face of blatant discrimination, control and abuse we push on but these moments, these whip cracking, shirt ripping, power-filled freedom moments are what make us. For me Miss Slattery’s decision to leave after this moment was incidental. Whether she chose to leave or stay now it was clear it would be on her terms, and that is what equality and feminism is all about: choice.

Thank you for so articulately and courageously bringing this to life in your story and empowering women readers to shake off the demands and expectations of men and to take our lives in our own hands and make them cracking!

Yours Sincerely

Miss Baker