How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a fantasy story by Naiman, set in 1970s London. Enn, the main character, narrates it after thirty years from the action. He and his friend, Vic, in their teenage years decided to meet young ladies. They study at the school for boys which was quite common for educational places in London at that time. Thus, this means that boys did not have much interaction with ladies. The fact that the story takes place in the evening adds to the mystical theme of the story.
Enn is a timid boy with little knowledge about the other gender. He begrudges Vic because the latter quickly finds a common language with girls. Vic even says, “They’re just girls. They don’t come from another planet,” showing his attitude towards meeting young women (Gaiman 8). Enn mentions that he has kissed a couple of his sisters’ companions, and Vic has had many female friends (Gaiman 4). To Enn, Vic is portrayed as an exemplary man whose level he can never reach. Enn attempts to start a conversation with three young ladies at the party, each of whom tells incredible stories which Enn does not understand because he is focused on the physical relationship. This demonstrates how difficult it is for him to interact with girls and how small attention he pays for their contextual messages. Eventually, they escape from the party since it appears that it was not for normal people. While Enn views women as ‘aliens’ whom he cannot comprehend, they meet real aliens at this strange party.
The endeavor to comprehend others is a consistent subject throughout the short story. Gaiman develops the plot by mainly featuring Enn’s longing to know more about the other gender by talking to them (5). This desire is additionally combined with a fear of dismissal, disappointment, and lack of confidence. The author implies that men view women as some creatures from another planet and exploits this symbolism in a comic way by putting the lead characters into a fictional situation. This story was created to explore the misunderstandings between opposite genders and make growing men relate to Enn’s thoughts.
Reference
Gaiman, Neil. How to Talk to Girls at Parties. Fragile Things, 2006.