A New England Nun Essay

to the male figure. Each work deals with conflicting views of the female protagonist and the expectations of their male counter-character, though each has a differing outcome that correlates to the woman’s reaction to this male supremacy. “A New England Nun” features Louisa and Joe Dagget, who come to a mutual agreement to call of their engagement. This ending follows closely with realism, as there is a healthy development and closure to the conflict. Then, Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”

An Analytical Essay of “A New England Nun” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman Independence is an empowering state where one feels no need to rely on another. In the short story “A New England Nun,” Mary E. Wilkins Freeman demonstrates the internal struggle of a woman accustomed to being solitary that she feels confined by her upcoming marriage. The author presents the characterizations effectively through Louisa’s internal independence, the comfort she has with her household, the relationship she built with

Couch, Ben. "The no-Man's-Land of "A New England Nun"." Studies in Short Fiction 35.2 (1998): 187-98. ProQuest. Web. 25 Jan. 2017. (B) This source will fit into my essay by helping me establish the fact that Louisa is, in fact, a compulsive character by outlining her behavior as being precise, organized, and compulsive, as well as depicting her traits of perfectionism. This source will be used in my introduction paragraph as well as body paragraphs. (A) Elbert, Monika M. "The Displacement of Desire:

women they were not to socialize in their free time, they were expected to do other things to “better” the home such as sewing socks or doing laundry. Very few women had the same educational opportunities as men. “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “A New England Nun” are very good examples of how things were for women and the American culture at the turn of the century and in each of these stories the women were able to defeat the patriarchal culture represented in their husband and soon to be husband. “The

A scholarly article written on the subdued meaning in “A New England Nun” agrees with this notion as it states, “The naturalistic details are rendered so as to provide what is almost a case study of an obsessive neurosis, that is, a ‘neurotic disorder in which there are repetitive impulses to perform certain acts.

In Mary Freeman’s A New England Nun (1891), Louisa Ellis introduces the idea of spinsterhood as a willingly made choice. Louisa moves throughout the story, initially without a reason to break off her engagement to Joe Dagget. Ever loyal to him, she knows the proper decision is to follow through with the marriage in spite of her discomfort and worries. On top of having to relinquish her house and habits, “among her forebodings of disturbance…was with regard to Caesar”, her deceased brother’s dog (658)

Mary Wilkins Freeman and her writing can be considered the epitome of a lonely spinster. In Freeman’s piece, “A New England Nun,” Freeman tells of a woman by the name of Louisa Ellis. Louisa is a spinster in New England following the Civil War. She is destined to marry a man by the name of Joe Dagget. However, when Joe returns from making his fortune to take Louisa’s hand in marriage, Louisa would now rather have her independence than a husband. Freeman’s character development, use of symbolism,

The Value of Freedom in “The Story of an Hour” and “A New England Nun” A prevailing theme of American literature in the early nineteenth century was freedom and individualism of characters in a story. The concept of freedom is portrayed in two pieces of American literature- Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s “A New England Nun”. In both stories, the two women, Louise and Louisa, are freed from suppressed relationships from their partners. A feeling of joy surpasses

do much without their Husband or another male figure in their life , they really didn’t have a voice of their own. In the stories A New England Nun , Desiree’s Baby, The Story of an Hour, and The Storm, Mary and Kate have represented how this situation of the society affected women and their viewpoints about life and marriage. Mary Wilkins Freeman’s A New England Nun and Kate Chopin’s Desiree’s Baby, The Story of an Hour, and The Storm have very comparable qualities that make it efficient to relate

this and made a name for herself in the mid-1880s. She grew up in a home of orthodox Congregationalists and was expected to have very strict behavior. The roles in society for women during this time are key subjects in Freeman’s stories. In, “A New England Nun,” Freeman expresses the pressure and constraints of the obligation put on women to marry. The first encounter of Joe Dagget and Louisa Ellis is so awkward. “He sat bolt-upright, toeing out his heavy feet squarely, glancing with a good-humored