Monday, January 25, 2010

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

I thoroughly enjoyed the other two stories to this week’s readings. “A New England Nun” is a detailed look into the life of a woman who is mesmerizing in her own right. The story, though rather short, was captivating and gave the reader a look into what the world was like at the time it was written.
I like the theme of OCD in this story. The main character, Louisa, shows the classic symptoms of having OCD. She has became this way after having been alone so many years and doing things her way. The gap in time from when her fiance’ first left and from when he came back was so large that it basically formed a hole too deep in the relationship for Luisa to come out of her own world. It is interesting to look at just this aspect. She wanted everything her way so much that she sacrificed her own love to keep it this same way. It was if she was so petrified of things not being just the exact way she wanted it that she gave up everything to keep it the same.
I found the dog, Caesar, to be n interesting twist in the story. She wouldn’t change the way the dog was treated just because it would change her world. The dog didn’t need to be tied up anymore because there was no immediate danger left in the dog but she still kept it locked up outside. Then when she set Joe Dagget free at the end, again the story alludes to the dog. There are things in her life that need to line up just right for her to be able to feel powerful and in control of her own self.
If we were to place this situation in today’s society there would be a completely different turn out. I think there might be a lot more drama and more tears and emotions involved. It is interesting to see how a situation that happens everyday is interpreted and dealt with in different eras.

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