Going Places
A.R. Barton’s Going Places explores the world of adolescent fantasies, hero worship, and the gap between reality and dreams.
The story revolves around Sophie, a schoolgirl from a lower middle-class family. She dreams of wealth, sophistication, and glamour, despite her modest background. After school, she and her friend Jansie are destined to work in a biscuit factory. While Jansie is realistic, Sophie fantasises about opening a boutique, becoming a manager, an actress, or a fashion designer.
Sophie lives with her working-class family in a cramped house: her father, a plump labourer fond of football and the pub; her tired mother burdened with housework; little Derek, who teases her; and her elder brother Geoff, an apprentice mechanic. Sophie admires Geoff’s silence and mysterious life. She imagines riding with him on his motorcycle, exploring exotic places. To her, Geoff symbolises freedom and entry into the adult world.
Sophie’s most vivid fantasy is meeting Danny Casey, a young, talented Irish footballer who plays for United. She imagines seeing him in the arcade, talking about clothes, and planning to meet him again for an autograph. Geoff doubts her story but half-believes it, while their father dismisses it as one of her wild tales. Sophie clings to the fantasy, feeling it brings her closer to the glamorous world she longs for.
She confides in Geoff but hides it from Jansie, fearing she would spread it. Later, she even goes to the canal at night, waiting for Danny Casey, imagining his arrival. But he never comes. Despite this, she convinces herself of the reality of her dream, replaying the imaginary meeting in her mind.
The story ends with Sophie despondent yet still clinging to her fantasy. She imagines Danny Casey’s green eyes, shy smile, and the goal he scored during a real football match.
Through Sophie, Barton portrays the natural tendency of teenagers to dream beyond their means. Such dreams give hope but also lead to disappointment. Sophie’s fantasies reflect her desire to escape poverty and reach a world of glamour, but they also show her immaturity in confusing dreams with reality.
Going Places thus highlights the conflict between adolescent imagination and harsh social reality. It shows how hero worship and unrealistic fantasies can provide temporary comfort but also cause sadness when reality intrudes.
Word Count: ~502