ENGL 2329

Seite 1

Purpose

Pay attention to FORM and STRUCTURE

Consider how the story is told AND what the story tells

Is there a message the author is trying to tell?

Are there lessons to be learned from the character['s actions/circumstances faced?

Does story convey something about the time it was written or of the lives of people who lived in it?

Remember, even as you name the PARTS of the stories, you should always be thinking about the MEANING of it too

History

19th century was when modern short story began to flourish

Publications in 20th and 21st centuries that has short stories include: The New Yorker, Playboy, and The Atlantic

Terms

Genre:

Fiction:

Sub-genre:

Short story:

Plot:

Exposition:

The Story of An Hour

Central theme over freedom

Proof that Mrs. Mallard was wealthy/upper-class

- "great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband's death"

- "She would have no one follow her."

- " a comfortable, roomy armchair."

Even as a wealthy, upper-class person, Mrs. Mallard is restricted in many ways, considering that this was the 19th century. Women didn't have as many rights and freedom as their counterpart.

Contrast between the news she just heard and the setting:

- Setting was spring; lively, fresh "new spring life"

- Birth vs. death

- Patches of blue sky vs. piled clouds

Mrs. Mallard was focused on the blue sky instead of the clouds

- Imagery could've been explained as Mrs. Mallard subconsciously yearning for freedom because the sky represents the feeling of being unbound and limitless while the clouds represent heaviness and the feeling of being trapped.

Explained this way because of the following sentence: "It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought."

- If Mrs. Mallard was just reflecting, she would've gazed at the piled clouds because this imagery could also illustrate the gloomy mood and sadness she should've felt knowing that her husband "died"

Seite 2

About "Young Goodman Brown"

There are a lot of ambiguities and symbolism

Story could be read as an allegory, or when characters serve as symbolic representations of ideas, beliefs, and attitudes

Pay attention to objects, locations, names, and relationships

Themes: doubt and faith

- Protagonist loses his innocence during story, causing him to question everything and everyone dear to him

- Whatever happened changed his life forever

Culture and Context

Puritans were people who were unhappy with the Church of England so they came to America (non-separating Puritans) and started their own rules but still based on Christianity (reform but not separate)

They wanted to "purify" the church by:

- Stripping away traditional trappings/formalities

- Believed the Bible was God's true law & it provided a plan for living

Made the New Testament

Some points that must be noted that we often misunderstand:

They were NOT a small group

England's Civil War pitted Puritans against Crown Forces

- They won but short-lived so many displaced to America

Witchcraft DOES NOT define the Puritans way of living

- For the 100+ years they've been around, they've formed many successful communities

- Witchcraft was a result of the self-imposed isolation they put themselves into

GOD was at the forefront of everything they do

Spiritual beliefs were strong

Religious exclusiveness was the foremost principle

This worked both for AND against them

- Common unity strengthened the community

- Their devotion was so great that opposing views were asked to leave the community or to be converted

- ANY deviations from the normal way of Puritan life met w/ strict disapproval AND discipline

God rewards those who work hard

- Protestant work ethic was strong

THERE WAS NO MARGIN OF ERROR - TOO STRICT

Reading the Bible was NECESSARY for a pious life

Education of the next generation was important to further "purify" the church and perfect social living

Drama, religious music, and erotic poetry is banned

However...

Puritans establish a presence on American soil

- Est. a community

- Maintained a healthy economy

- Est. a school system

- Focused an efficient eye on political concerns

Young Goodman Brown - Pay attention to OBJECTS, LOCATIONS, NAMES, AND RELATIONSHIPS

Goodman Brown; his name is very basic, simple, not-distracting, good to god haha, ironic

- Could be analyzed as fear and distrust or in this case the devil can reach out to anybody, like common men or even respected or revered people like Goody Cloose, the minister, and Deacon Gookin, or even his loved ones, his wife Faith

- Hawthorne is writing to the mass public so a basic simple name like Goodman Brown can be reflected upon themselves

His wife's named, Faith, is symbolic to the faith he holds throughout his journey through the wood; also symbolizes his strength to not succumb/give in

His companion was never given a specific name but instead, always described as someone with a mysterious appearance and a serpent staff; many things pointed out STRANGER DANGER:

- Older people are seen as wiser and more trustworthy: "the second traveller was about fifty years old"

- The traveller miraculously look eerily similar to Goodman Brown: "bearing a considerable resemblance to him, though perhaps more in expression than features. Still they might have been taken for father and son." Psychologically, people who looks more like you or agree with you are more likely to earn your trust and sympathy

- Shows that the devil can take many form and can be smooth and sly, coaxing, persuasive

Color is an important factor that plays into the analysis of the theme:

- Pink: Faith's bow color could, of course, represent her youthfulness and innocence, BUT it could also be illustrated that she's a mix of purity (white) and evil (red), meaning she's tainted; can't help but see that the author is trying to say everyone has their evils and sins, no one is perfect like God , even if you try to as perfect as can be, you're only human

- Black/dull gray colors: "grave and decent attire", "great black snake", this color represents mystery and the uncertainty Goodman felt (it was also dusk so everything was dark and seemingly black so setting plays into it too)

Symbolism

- The snake not only signify slyness, deceit, evil, (slips away without notice) it also symbolize transformation, like how the snake sheds its skin, the devil could also transform to match his victim in order to persuade him to do evil deeds

- Especially in Christianity, the devil disguised himself as serpent to trick Eve into breaking God's command

- Also represent temptation for Goodman to hold on to the staff

I believe this is what had happened to Goodman Brown.

Seite 3

About "The Yellow Wallpaper"

Written 1892 by Charlotte Perkins

Traces the protagonist's progressive mental decline

Protagonist also serves as narrator; 1st person point of view

- Must determine the reliability of the narration

- Hear about protagonist's innermost thoughts/feelings

Ask:

- "Is the narration stream-of-consciousness?"

- "Is the narrator reliable/unreliable?"

- "How does PLOT and SETTING reveal challenges faced by 19th century women/ women writers?"

- "What do other characters say about the protagonist or the situation their in?"

Material objects serve as symbols for physical, emotional, and psychological states of the protagonist

About the author and her life ("The Cult of True Womanhood")

Following article talks about sexual stereotypes in the 19th century

The idea of "The Cult of True Womahood" asserts that to be a "proper woman" you must have piety (being religious/devoted), purity, submissiveness, and domesticity

Men were "bread bringers"

- Work long hours

- Neglected his religious values (vs. women who were expected to be pious)

Materialistic society

Women were hostage in the home

- No matter how fickle everything else is in the world, a true woman was a "true woman"

- Anyone who deviates from these virtues were seen as challenging God, civilization, and society

The 4 pillars: piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity

- Without them, "all was ashes"

- With them, "promised happiness and power"

Piety was the core; most important

- With piety, all else would follow

- Religion was the "tranquilizer" for many undefined longings

- This is because piety does not take her away from her "proper sphere"/her home

Women were warned not to let their literary/intellectual pursuits take them away from God

- B/c they explain it as without God, women are nothing

The lost of purity was described as madness or death

- No purity = no woman b/c they become like "fallen angle" and is unworthy of the company of her sex

They LITERALLY explained that men were BY NATURE more sensual and it's IN THEIR NATURE to try to assault a woman's virtue

- Apparently, women were built stronger and purer so they cannot give in, but it's okay for men to because they were built like that DON'T HATE THE PLAYER HATE THE GAME HAHA

I can't believe this but they LEGIT THOUGHT a woman's intellect was geared towards her hymen, NOT HER BRAIN TROI OI

- If she withstand a man's assaults on her virtue, she showed superiority and power over him so in return he's grateful that she has saved him from himself...

- "To suffer and be silent under suffering seems to be the great command a woman has to obey"

Repetitiveness of routine task inculcated patience and perseverance

The Yellow Wallpaper

John is extremely practical (actual doing/use of thing rather than theory or ideas)

- Doesn't care for faith

- Hates superstition

- Looks down upon things you can't see, touch, or proven

- Is a physician

Protagonist thinks she's sick but John, her husband, refuse to believe so

- She wants excitement and change "society and stimulus"

- Likes to write to express herself (but is forbid to)

"He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction

She has schedule prescription? So medicine?

"... commit suicide..."

"I am glad my case is not serious!"

"John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him."

She can't be with her son?

Seite 4

Background

Both stories:

Authors explore complicated mother-daughter relationships

Depict complex questions about race/ethnicity in the U.S.

Ask:

- What does each writer say about cultural identity, heritage, and family?

- How does cultural identity intertwine with mother-daughter relationships?

Think about how these issues intersect with your own family history

Ask:

- Is your own heritage represented by ethnic identity, a family heirloom, or ancestors' stories?

- How are complex relationships navigated within your family?

- Is there a family keepsake that individual family members value in different ways?

Culture & Context: Everyday Use

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Everyday Use

Mom didn't really understand her daughter, Dee

- Dee was so different, very feminine

- Her mom is very masculine, bulky, always trying her best for her daughters

Dee cared a lot about her image

- Everyone seems intimidated by her

Even when she's visiting her family, she has on a flowing dress and earrings; who is she impressing?

Dee is dead because she "couldn't bear any longer being named after the people who oppress her."

- Talking about slavery

She still eats all the cultured food, however...

They lived a simple live, while Dee is out here talking about artistic

Dee looked at the quilt and "stroke" it like its a prized animal, a trophy; it doesn't resemble culture or history to her

- Proof because she once rejected them; only wants them now because it's "in style"

Dee is very superficial; calling the quilts "priceless"

She keeps belittling her mom with statements like "You just will not understand," or "you don't see the point", "you'd never know"

- She kissed Maggie even though she's fussing

Culture & Context: Two Kinds

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Two Kinds

Mother believed you could be ANYTHING YOU WANNA BE in America

- Seems stereotypical; what was her life like back in the homeland? Probably hard, strict, very little opportunity to change your fortune/fate; strict, rigid, confined

Mother came to San Francisco after losing everything in China (lost her mom, dad, house, first husband, two daughters (twin baby girls) BUT is still very optimistic that America can change everything

Mother seems to have high standards for her daughter: "be best anything." or "you can be a prodigy"

- Is she trying to live her life out to the fullest with her daughter since she lost everything and couldn't live out her own life?

"You look like Negro Chinese" OOOOH the burn! Racist here as the hair looks like crap and she compared it to black people hair

The daughter is very hopeful in the beginning; innocent; does what children do best, they're hopeful and straightforward, not complex; seems like it wasn't only for her parents, but for the joy for herself too but there is a sense of tension and expectation felt here

Children like to please their parents and are always seeking approval, for instance, a child will less likely lie if they know the truth will please their parent more

- The daughter wants to be something, not "nothing"; wants to meet her mom's expectations and not disappoint

The tests were the triggering point that chased and haunt the daughter, she knows now it's not for enjoyment anymore, but to live up to her mother's hope; to be as good and as successful as other kids

- She compared herself to an animal; less human, because she associates these prodigies to "average and normal people" and since she's not a prodigy exactly like them, she instantly becomes "less than average, below"

Her mother isn't evil, just ignorant on how these tests affects her child's mind and self-esteem; doesn't see further than what's presented in front of her; I pity her

- No mother wants to believe her child isn't extraordinary so she keeps trying to find her child's gift and on the way, doesn't realize the toll it took on her daughter

MISCOMMUNICATION: She insists that her mom loves her for the way she is but her mom disagree with the term "Genius", there is a language and culture barrier as one generation explains a word but the other generation interpreted it differently

"So ungrateful"

"I was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different"

- She's partly wanting to fit in and partly wanting to rebel against her mom, "I was determined to put a stop to her foolish pride."

"my mother's blank face, my father's yawn"

"I felt the shame of my mother and father as they sat stiffly through the rest of the show."

They don't discuss about what had happened; her mom didn't discuss her failures or anything, the daughter wanted to discuss with her mom and let it out not bottled up but the miscommunication is mainly because they don't even talk as much

Her rebelling and not going to piano lesson was a way to catch her mom's attention; she desperately wanted her mom's love and attention but didn't realize it

People who are brutally honest generally enjoy the brutality more than the honesty. -Richard Needham

Seite 5

Author's Background

Born, grew up in Spokane Reservation

Known to challenge romanticized views of Native Americans

- He rejects "Native American"; prefers Indian

Writes prose, poetry; prepares screenplays based on his stories

- "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona"

- "The Business of Fancy Dancing"

Also frequently speaks at college campuses/other venues

3 times poetry slam champion

Won award for young adult novel

Alexie doesn't think alcoholism is a stereotype for Native Americans. As a matter of fact, it's the truth. He used an anecdote of how he used to be an alcoholic and the rest of his family was too.

- He thinks alcoholism is a symptom of poverty, desperation, loneliness, and it's a way to medicate pain.

- It's cheap, easy, accessible

Brief description of "What You Pawn I Will Redeem"

About a homeless Indian who tries to purchase a stolen family heirloom he discovers in a pawn shop

Find issues and themes about displacement, alcoholism, identity, heritage, and family

Spokane Indian's reservation went from 3 million acres to only 159,000 acres left

- Spokane split up into 3 bands of Indians: Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation, the Flathead Indians Reservation, and the Colville Indian Reservation

The Business of Fancydancing

"All the White people will be Indians. And all the Indians will be ghosts."

What You Pawn I Will Redeem

You start to realize why our protagonist is homeless

- He's an alcoholic

- He half-ass everything

- It's all about what's in the present (no investment)

- Still tries to keep his morals/rituals intact even though he doesn't have the luxury t be

- Buys cigars, lottery tickets, fast food; very convenient things; basically repeating the cycle and the cycle is vicious

- Buys BOOZE; spends his money on the things that keep him from realizing the reality

- Proof: Repetition of dialogues and laughing

- "I drank and sailed on that plastic boat"

- He's feeling high, lucid, but it's plastic because it's temporary, weak and ultimately, fake

Irene symbolizes something attainable but is way out of his reach. He wants comfort to just relax, now worries and luxury

Dude fell asleep on railroad tracks; life didn't matter

Discussion Post:

Alexie has been accused of stereotyping Native Americans as an alcoholic.; he says he is writing from his own experiences. Evaluate how you feel about his portrayal of Indians in the story you read. How is your reaction influenced by stereotypes others have held about you or your family?

He's been, KEYWORD, accused of stereotyping

- This doesn't directly mean he purposely did so because interpretations are within the eyes of the beholder

I think Alexie portrayed a lot of himself and his situation in this story

- The protagonist could very well be somewhat of a representation of Alexie, himself

I think alcoholism is a comfort zone here

For example, if someone wrote about incest within their family and that it also affected their community at an alarming rate, and they just so happen to be white, that doesn't mean that white people are incestual. They're just trying to shed a light on their own horrid situation that needs to be directed.

People get so much ridicule for stating a problem. It's like pride and loyalty is all you want to hear when it comes to your culture and background

Seite 6

Introduction to Poetry

"...that we do not admire what we cannot understand."

Characteristics include:

Condensed or compressed form to convey emotion or ideas

Devices like assonance and repetition for musical or incantatory effects

Rely on imagery, word association, & musical qualities

Interactive layering effects

Emphasize linguistic form instead of just purely content

It's the connotations and "baggage" that words carry (the weight of it)

- Words have different colors, shades, nuances

There are reasonable interpretations, never definitive ones

Often created from the need to escape the logical

"Great Poetry" include:

Sets apart by its complexity and sophistication

Captures images vividly in original, refreshing way

Weave together an intricate combination of elements like

- Theme tension

- Complex emotion

- Profound reflective thoughts

The most vital element of sound in poetry is RHYTHM

Different types of meter

Free verse: rhythm lines organized into looser units of cadence

However, RHYMES (different from rhythm) are not that extensively used

Alliteration and rhyme help emphasize and define a rhythmic pattern

Parallelism prominent in Biblical poetry

- A rhetorical structure where successive lines reflected each other grammatically

- Sound structure, notional content also similar

Sounds also include: alliteration, assonance, consonance, dissonance, & internal rhyme

Euphony: musical, flowing quality of words arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way

Structural Elements

Line, couplet, strophe, stanza, & verse paragraph

Enjambment: continuation of a sentence w/o pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza

- Creates a sense of expectation in the reader

- Or add dynamic to the movement of the verse

Many times, the EFFECTIVENESS of a poem comes derives from the tension between the use of LINGUISTIC and FORMAL units

Other rhetorical devices:

Similes and metaphors used extensively

Some use catachresis (using a word in a way that's not correct; mitigate vs. militate) in surrealism

Introduction to Poetry by Billy Collins

1st stanza: sight

2nd stanza: sound

3rd stanza: scent (mouse defecate/urinate to mark their territory or to become familiar w/ their environment)

4th stanza: touch

5th stanza: taste

1st stanza:

- To say that poems are colorful; it blooms into life and not just black words on white papers like how a dull a slide is without examining it through the light; if you examine closer and look through it transparently (a reference to the color slide) you can see a whole new perspective

2nd stanza:

- Listen to the "hive"; Hives just sound like a bunch of incomprehensible buzzes; indistinguishable, muddled, unclear, like reading a poem superficially; comparing a poem to a busy, secretive place, full of excitement "buzz!" Be amazed at how intricate a poem can be, full of "roles" to fill in order to execute and running hive or in this case to effectively deliver a message across

3rd stanza:

4th stanza:

- Feel for the "light switch"; although there are no definite interpretations to any poems (it's not as simple as off and on) there are still viable ones and the light switch portrays the lightbulb going off inside your head that says, "I understand this, I see it light up my eyes, I see my knowledge expanding like the light that extinguishes the darkness"

5th stanza

- Sometimes, the biggest meaning of a poem lies on its surface; some people dig so deep that they miss the overall point/message that the poem is trying to convey; so by "waterskiing" or skimming the surface, you get closer by you step away from the narrator's point of view and start to realize what the actual author is saying "waving at the author's name"

6th and 7th stanza:

- Personification is crucial here. By comparing the poem to an actual person by giving it actions that are only physically possible with a human, the brutality and aggressiveness intensify. The author is saying that many people are too forceful when it comes to interpretations. Instead of allowing their mind to open up and letting their senses figure out the poem by letting it wash over them, they spray down the poem first, using words like "torture" and "beating"

- Hoses are also very powerful and brute

First 5 stanzas are hopeful wishings, or my of advice, the last 2 stanzas are abrupt and proves that the reality is people do not take into considerations of these bits of advice, and instead gets frustrated because they want the answers to come easier and faster. We live in an age where everything is all about time. Quantity over quality

Seite 7

Introduction to Emily Dickinson

Her poems are based on her life

- Interpretations are shaped from the way she lived

As you read, take on the persona of "scholar/researcher"

Use biographical & historical information to interpret her poems WHILE ALSO expanding your understanding on biographical & historical context

Biography

Grew up in rich household

From her window, she could see the neighboring rich house

Flowerbeds we're between the 2 houses; tended by the servants

Born (1800) and died (1886) in the same house

Composed many of her poems in the 1800s in her bedroom, seated at a small work table (smaller, simpler than a regular desk)

Did it for over 30 years

Did all her chores in the daytime and wrote into the nighttime when everyone is asleep

Her room is her escape; where all her thoughts and imagination flowed; called it "this is freedom"

Made 1800s poems

The White Dress

Typical clothing of the late 1870s and 1880s

Worn when Dickinson was in her late 40s & 50s

Worn by women as everyday clothing for doing chores and other activities inside the house

People basically amped up the fact that Dickinson wear white even though her poems never directly says so

However, the heroine and characters she wrote about wore white or had white as a significance

She was also buried in white and enclosed in white casket

The Town & Times

Was an academic, agricultural, and manufacturing town

The Homestead was built on higher ground; has a view of Holyoke Range (beautiful)

When Emily was born, the town's industrial center, "The Crossing" near the railroad can be seen and heard

- Steam/smoke seen

- Loud, commanding whistles heard

People walk past the Homestead all the time throughout the day

Center of town was bustling and full of life

Emily witnessed the sight of hotel burning down & watch its resurrection to a billards room w/ public library on 2nd floor

There were literring of decaying fruit and garbage from the Market nearby and people complained about it being swept into the street and unruly children loitering on the corners

A lot going on with transforming the meadow into a civilized town common that was accessorized with water fountain, fencing, planted trees, and pond

- Forced the Cattle Show out and hosted military practices, commencement celebrations, bonfires, and circuses instead

The Dickinsons were members of an influential and priviledged class dedicated to improvements in education

Although there were many prominent men/women who went to fine colleges, Amherst had problems managing their poorer populations like the Irish immigrants and blacks

Amherst went through many changes during Emily's lifespan and her family and friends were central figures in the town's development. For Emily, the town, landscape, events, and citizens were often backdrop and inspiration for many poems

Reading for Emily

She said books were vehicles of the imagination

- "the Chariot", "Bequest of Wings"

Born into a book-loving household and was a voracious reader

Knowledgeable reader of the Bible

Her youth was the hey-day of Romantic literary era (could've drew inspiration from)

As a young woman, she read Shakespeare

Also read the newspapers; kept up with current-events

Important book: King James Bible

- Quote it from memory all the time

- Appears in her writings

Seite 8

Overview of the Novella: The Awakening - Kate Chopin

Novellas are fictions that are longer than short stories but shorter than novels

Context: 19th-century conventions for women

This novella is an example of a type of literary realism known as regional realism or local color

Pay attention to how geographical location influenced her

History

The aftermath of the war, slavery, & developments in science & technology influenced writers & artists as they sought to portray the American Life

Realism became the prominent style

The rich culture of Louisiana, specifically that of the Acadians who migrated to New Orleans affects Chopin's writing

Chopin's Biography

Only child out of 5 to survive past 25

Father died in a train accident

Attended a Catholic boarding school

Lived with mom, grandma, great-grandma

Her great-grandma taught her French, music, and the gossip on St. Louis women of the past

- Grew up around smart, independent, single women

Graduated at the top of her class; loved by her school

The Civil War caused the only female friend she had to be separated

- No other close female friendships

Tragic events in her life created a strong skepticism of religion on Chopin

Had a loving and supportive husband

- When he died, she took over his general store and plantation

Wrote The Awakening about a real New Orleans woman who was infamous in the French Quarter

Became well known as both a local colorist and a woman writer

- However, the novella caused an uproar; had to pay the price for defying and questioning societal rules

Remember, it is a tale of a young woman who struggles to realize herself and her artistic ability, JUST LIKE CHOPIN; was on a quest for artistic acceptance

Context

Creoles: French or Spanish people born in New Orleans

- Those born in the old world were simply French or Spanish

(NOUN) In Chopin's story, Creole were people with mixed French and Spanish blood; rarely does it only apply as French-New Orlean born only

New Orleans primary language was French

(ADJ.) Used to describe things that were made from the city, like "A Creole chair"

The Americans and Creoles segregated themselves through a street called Canal

- Everything above the street was Uptown

- Black people here called themselves "Blacks"

- Everything below the street was Downtown or the "French Quarter"

- Black people here called themselves "Negroes" or "Persons of Color"

The division between the terms referred to WAS NOT A RACIAL ONE but a cultural phenomenon

The Acadians were French settlers of Eastern Canada

- The Cajuns are their descendants who settled in Louisiana

- Some Cajuns, when traced back, can see other descendants like German, Spanish, Indians

The Awakening

"You are burnt beyond recognition," he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.

Edna's marriage ring seems to symbolize a rope/chain/object that represents restraint to marriage

Edna's husband could casually choose whether or not he wants to come home for dinner; Edna just accepts and laugh

- The children are just rewarded for staying put; doesn't spend quality time with him

"Robert talk a good deal about himself."

Edna is American w/ small relation to French but seems to be lost dilution

"He thought it very discouraging that his wife, who was the sole object of his existence, evinced so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little interest in things which concerned him, and valued so little his conversation."

- She was "fast asleep" and he woke her up just to be mad that she gave him "half utterances"

He also apparently love them very much but his actions prove otherwise

- He forgot the promised "bonbons and peanuts for the boys"

- He found out his son had a "fever" but only went to tell his sleeping wife then went to the door and smoked

- Reproached his wife about her inattention and habitual neglect of the children even though he was rarely there for any of the days

- Complained that he was busy making a living so he can't look after the kids

"Blowing out the candle, which her husband had left burning"

- Symbolize how she cleans up after him

- Fire could also represent passion; it's unattended so she took matters into her own hands and blew it out

"Mrs. Pontellier was forced to admit that she knew of none better."

- This was when her husband was away to work and sent home a box full of chocolate and fine fruits; people exclaimed she had the best husband

Chopin seems to have a negative connotation on "mother-women"

- They were women who idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as... ministering angels."

Edna still cares about her outer reputation somewhat, at least for her husband's sake, as she still does something to make it seem like she's a "mother-woman" like Madame Ratignolle

Edna was thrown in or forcibly enter the world of which the Creoles live; might still be finding acceptance within this community

Madame Ratigonelle serves as a FOILS to Mrs. Pontellier

- THE "embodiment of every womanly grace and charm."

- She fits societal mold and expectations SO MUCH that there MUST be something wrong with her husband if he doesn't embrace and adore her

- She sews a lot

- Gossips a lot; She's a Creole so she's very open and expressive with their opinions and emotions vs. Edna who struggles with displaying and connecting with the Creoles

- Is very "motherly"; she sews winter night-drawers/ garments already for the winter for her children when it's summer

- Very Structured; typical; has a kid every 2 years

- Has classic beauty

- Is compared to "Madonna" or the Virgin Mary because Catholicism is strong in this culture and queens

- A

THIS ALL EMPHASIZE HOW Mrs. Pontellier:

- "was not a mother-woman"

- Doesn't think it's any good to baby her children; if they fall they pick themselves back up

- Thinks the nursemaid is a hindrance

- Is not like Madame Ratigonelle with her motherly protective instincts

- Doesn't gossip too much: "sitting idle, exchanging occasional words, glances or smiles..."

- Imperfect

- Is lowkey jealous of Ratignolle: "seated there like some sensuous Madonna"

- "her brushes with a certain ease and freedom, which came not from long and close acquaintance with them, but from a natural aptitude."