Model Essays

English 1102

Structure and Characterization in Sense and Sensibility

Fiction was not considered an important part of literature in the early nineteenth century when Jane Austen published her novels. Fiction was presumed to be immoral and even dangerous since it "over-excited the imagination" (Halperin 5). Many religious denominations instituted anti- fiction campaigns to protect young people from the corrupting influence of the novels. It was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that this attitude regarding fiction began to change. Due to this bias as well as the anonymity that Jane Austen sought by not putting her own name on her novels, there were very few critical reviews made of her work until the mid-1800's.

Many early reviewers of Austen's work were uncomplimentary. Among them were writers considered to be literary greats, such as Wordsworth and Mark Twain. Though Wordsworth conceded that Austen's novels were an admirable copy of life, he remained adamant in his dislike for that type of literature. Mark Twain compared Austen to a Puritan as her novels made him feel like a "bar-keeper entering the Kingdom of Heaven!" (Halperin). Gradually critics have come to recognize Austen's literary talents. Austen's ability to make her characters "speak and act as . . . in every day life" has caused some critics to refer to her as the "greatest artist that has ever written" (Halperin 18). Her "attention to detail" can be compared to a conscientious seamstress who stitches her seams neat and leaves no ragged edges (Hardy 21). In her novels, she shows her ability to overcome the gap between the author and her reader which enables the reader to better understand the characters and their conduct.

"Sense and Sensibility" was Austen's first published novel and although it is not considered one of her best works," . . .its portraiture is fascinating and convincing, and . . . the novelists happily abstains from inflicting poetic justice upon everyone at the end" (Halperin 22). The setting of the novel is in England around the beginning of the nineteenth century. Many of Austen's ideas about social conduct and moral attitudes can be attributed to this "Pre-Romantic ear" (Zimmerman 112). Because of her preconceived beliefs, throughout the story she teaches a lesson on the virtues of sense, the dangers of sensibility, and the pitfalls that can occur when a person does not adhere to a correct social and moral code. This paper is a study of the methods of structure and characterization that Austen uses in "Sense and Sensibility." Austen's structure of the novel attempts to develop the main idea that true happiness is contingent upon self-control and proper conduct. She uses characterization to establish the truth of her idea as she confronts her characters with numerous crises to test their reactions and emotional stability.

The story begins with an insight into the Dashwood family. The Dashwoods were an upper class family with a respectability that made them well thought of by their acquaintances. The characterization of the two older daughters, Elinor and Marianne, shows the contrasting methods in which they handle their problems and emotions. Austen plays on the differences in their behavior, as they face the obstacles that confront them, to lend support to her conviction in the superiority of self-control. Although they are both portrayed as the heroines in the novel, the story is seen through Elinor's point of view, which is "essentially the same as the narrator's" (Odmark 7). "The very structure of the novel attempts to engage and develop the total personalities of Elinor and Marianne by presenting them with a series of mysteries that must be solved" (Wiesenforth 35).

Many conflicts are presented and, though some have no bearing on the outcome, they provide a depth and realism to the story that is characteristic of Austen's work. For instance, some suspense was caused when Marianne and Elinor's father dies and their stepbrother inherited the estate. What would become of the girls¿ Would they be able to live on a smaller social scale because of lack of money¿ Though it seemed a problem when first discussed, it did not affect the story. Its only purpose was to place the family in the story and provide for some interesting insight.

Elinor and Marianne are contrasted quite sharply in the predictable way that each reacts to the moral and social issues that confront them. And in their description, the reader realizes that problems could develop because of their differences. Elinor is depicted as the calm, composed girl who thinks before she acts, feels a sense of duty to all of society, and never reveals her emotions. Jane Austen establishes her as the focal point of the story in that "The problems that Marianne, . . .Willoughby, . . . Lucy and Edward create are hers. Elinor is placed between contending factors and must deal with the problems of each" (Wiesenforth 50-51). Marianne is described as a very sensitive, emotional girl and the embodiment of sensibility. The difference in Elinor's and Marianne's behavior is the beginning of the lesson of sense versus sensibility that Jane Austen is attempting to teach her readers. These differences are most noticeable when both girls fall in love.

Austen introduces the men with whom Elinor and Marianne fall in love, by giving them opposing characteristics that complement the differences in the girls' outlook on life. Edward, as portrayed, "was not handsome, and his manners required intimacy to make them pleasing . . . when his natural shyness was overcome, his behavior gave every indication of an open affectionate heart" (15). Though Elinor believes Edward is in love with her, he does not broach the subject and there is an aura of suspense in his silence. There was " . . . a want of spirits about him which, if it did not denote indifference, spoke of something almost as unpromising" (22). Even after a long separation, Edward's mannerisms indicated he was very disturbed. Other clues provided no insight into his mysterious behavior. Why had he not visited them sooner since he had been staying such a short journey from them¿ Whose hair was in the ring that Edward wore¿ And most of all, why did he feel he must leave so soon¿ All of these problems bothered Elinor, but her personal code would not permit her to display her feelings for him. She resigned herself to playing a waiting game. The whole structure of the portrayal of the romance between Elinor and Edward stressed the correct behavior that Elinor used in concealing her emotions from the scrutiny of others. Elinor was saved the embarrassment of having others know the extent of her feelings for Edward, especially when his betrothal to Lucy was announced. Supposedly, Elinor's use of restraint enabled her to cope with life's difficulties. The accuracy of this outlook is debatable. Although Elinor was spared the solicitude of others, she was still deeply hurt by Edward's actions.

The romance of Willoughby and Marianne was extremely different, except that it also ended in disaster. Willoughby was an outgoing, fun-loving man who enjoyed the same interests as Marianne. Marianne exercised no caution in her attitude toward him and found nothing wrong with publicizing her feelings. Though all his actions." . . [bespoke] an intimacy so decided, a meaning so direct, as marked a perfect agreement between them," he made no mention of marriage (60). Marianne was distressed when he suddenly told her he had to leave and did not know when he would return, he gave no clues for his behavior. In this episode, Austen suggests that Marianne's grief was the result of her inappropriate behavior.

A pending crisis is hinted at when Colonel Brandon is introduced to the reader as a family friend who becomes attracted to Marianne. his friends are bewildered when he receives a mysterious note and departs immediately. Although the reader does not place much importance on the inclusion of Colonel Brandon in the structure of the novel, his involvement becomes very essential to the outcome. His rolf brings out another facet of Marianne's personality and her sometimes rigid outlook on life. For instance, she felt that any man Colonel Brandon's age would be too old to think about marriage, much less be able to consummate it. Colonel Brandon's rolf will also help Marianne eventually to overcome the misery in her life caused by Willoughby.

The pieces of the puzzle begin to take shape when Lucy Steele confides in Elinor that she and Edward had been engaged for four years and that it was her hair in the ring that he wore. Elinor reaches the conclusion that Edward could not possibly love Lucy:
 

Edward was not only without affection for the person who was to be his wife, but . . . he had not even the chance of being tolerably happy in marriage, which sincere affection on (Lucy's) side would have given, for self-interest alone could induce a woman to keep a man to an engagement, of which (Lucy) seemed so thoroughly aware that he was weary. (151)

Further insight is given into the mystery of Willoughby's sudden disappearance when he sends a note to Marianne. He states that his "affections have been long engaged elsewhere, and it (would) not be many weeks, (He believed), before (the) engagement (was) fulfilled" (183). His rejection and callousness cause Marianne to become gravely ill.

It must be borne steadily in mind that the author intends to impress upon us these critical conclusions" that Marianne . . . must appear to have been made unhappy because sensibility--unlike Elinor's sense--fatally damages the judgment . . .» that it is Marianne's sensibility which has caused her critical misjudgment of Willoughby» and that only by renouncing sensibility as a guide can she become settled and happy (Mudrick 81).

Although Mudrick appears to assess correctly the cause of Marianne's unhappiness, he does not consider the fact that Elinor has also had her share of unhappiness in Edward's rejection of her. The only difference between Elinor's unhappiness and Marianne's is that Elinor prefers to suffer in silence. The fact that Elinor's suffering is concealed does not imply that she suffers any less than Marianne.

With the complications presented to the reader, Austen begins her " . . . carefully prepared climax" (Lerner 98). Willoughby visits Elinor after he learns of Marianne's illness and begs to be forgiven. He explains that his financee forced learns of Marianne's illness and begs to be forgiven. He explains that his financee forced him to write the note to Marianne. Elinor also learns from Colonel Brandon his unexpected departure was the result of indiscretions that Willoughby had committed against the Colonel's ward. Colonel Brandon also explains that Marianne's problems remind him of "The fate of his first love" (Wiesenforth 42).

Elinor reveals everything to Marianne, who promptly forgives Willoughby and declares that "I never could have been happy with him, after knowing . . . all this" (350). When Elinor finally confides in Marianne that she had been devastated by Edward's engagement to Lucy, but kept it to herself to spare her family the suffering of grieving over her, Marianne suddenly realizes that she must change her ways and control her emotions. Her awakening " . . . puts Marianne in front of us as a suffering woman, not affecting sensibility, but feeling passion . . ." (Lerner 98). Marianne not only starts on the road to recovery, she has also learned the lesson that Jane Austen has been trying to teach--control of the emotional behavior.

The final climax begins when Edward visits the Dashwood family. The reader soon learns that Edward is there for only one purpose--to propose to Elinor., Lucy has married his brother. Austen neatly ties all the loose ends together. Predictably, Elinor and Edward live happily ever after in a marriage based on love. When Marianne and Colonel Brandon marry, however, the reader finds it hard to accept the suddenness of the marriage. It seems to be an afterthought in an otherwise well-structured novel, although with Marianne's marriage, Austen emphasizes the seriousness with which Marianne has begun to take charge of her life. "Elinor and Marianne undergo a transformation whereby each is forced to make some compromises with the inflexible attitudes she has held previously. They do not exchange roles, but they move closer together in their thinking, each having reordered her priorities in her own way" (Odmark 99).

Austen emphasizes her code of social conduct throughout the novel with such terms as "propriety," "decorum," and "civility" when giving information on conduct of the characters in various private or social functions. Equal treatment is also given to minor and to major rules of social conduct (Nardin 18).

Austen develops the idea that the moral consideration of duty to self and others dictates strict obedience to the whole conventional code of propriety, no matter what other considerations of feeling or judgment urge the individual to set that code aside (Nardin 18).

The most visible way that Austen emphasizes her code of social conduct throughout the novel is in her characterization techniques. Readily apparent in both the main heroines, Elinor and Marianne, these techniques can also be seen in the characterization of the minor characters. The narrator often gives us hints about the future actions of individuals in her descriptions of them.

The initial description of Elinor indicates her future reaction when faced with any decision:
 

. . . the eldest daughter whose advice was so affected, possessed a strength of understanding and coolness of judgment» . . . she had an excellent heart, and her feelings were strong» but she know how to handle them . . . (7)

Marianne's description casts her into different light. And as with Elinor, her description clearly indicates her future actions:
 

Marianne was sensible and clever--but eager in everything--her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was every thing but prudent (6).

Elinor, on the other hand, displayed tact and patience in waiting for her young man to announce his intentions. Though Marianne was happy for a time, her happiness faded and causes her immeasurable misery when Willoughby deserted her. Because Elinor followed one of the major rules of social conduct, she avoided the loss of her self-respect and dignity when she learned of his attachment to Lucy. Elinor's general civility involves a "delicate balance between personal feelings and the rational restraint demanded by public norms of polite pretense" (Brown 26). This was a direct contrast with Marianne's attitude" ." . . it was impossible for her to say what she did not feel, however trivial the occasion» and upon Elinor therefore the whole task of telling lies when politeness required it, always fell" (122). These occasions usually occurred when the truth had to be stretched to avoid gossip or hurt feelings. For instance, when Lucy and her sister discussed Lady Middleton's disposition with Marianne and Elinor, Marianne's silence made Elinor assume the burden of lying. There were many times when, meeting acquaintances or visiting with them, Marianne would be lost in thought with no concern about what was taking place. "To atone for this conduct therefore, Elinor took immediate possession of the post of civility which she had assigned herself . . ." (160). Proper social conduct was very exacting for Elinor. Marianne was of no help to her in meeting their social obligations to avoid any impression of rudeness. At a party, given by the Palmers, it was Elinor's "duty" to sit and talk with the other guests while " . . . Marianne, who had the knack of finding her way in every house to the library, . . . soon procured herself a book" (304). Only after her illness did Marianne begin to realize she " . . . (had) exhibited consistent imprudence toward (herself) and want of kindness to others" (345). "Marianne finally accepts Elinor's original view that the rules of propriety, with all their drawbacks, really do represent something approaching a morally valid standard of social behavior" (Nardin 44).

Elinor is constantly cast as a young woman with presence of mind. She followed the rules of correct social behavior with no thought of defiance-- not even when her own happiness was at stake. Elinor seemed much older than her years and only in her thought could the reader remember that she was also a young woman, barely past her teenage years when the story ended. At times, the qualities that Austen gave Elinor were too saintlike and, in many instances, the reader wished she would show her emotions like a normal woman. The features of Elinor's characterization pointed out the defects in Marianne's. Marianne acted a lot younger than her age and often the reader wondered if her constant unhappiness was a performance that she thought was expected of her. Marianne was only concerned with herself, what she wanted at the moment, without regard to the consequences of her acts. The most valid case against impropriety could be seen in the scene between John Dashwood and his wife when they debated on how much money to give his stepsisters and her mother from the estate. At first he had thought that the sum of three thousand pounds would be a generous amount to satisfy his father's dying wish. But he came to realize, as his wife told him,
 

"(Father) did not know what he was talking of, I dare say» ten to one but he was light-headed at the time. Had he been in his right senses, he could not have thought of such a thing as begging you to give away half your fortune from your own child." (9)

A lack of minor civility was displayed by Mrs. Jennings who " . . . was remarkably quick in the discovery of attachments, and had enjoyed the advantage of raising the blushes and the vanity of many a young lady . . ." (36). An example of the crude behavior exhibited by Mrs. Jennings was shown when she began to make jokes about the Colonel's attraction to Marianne. Although the Colonel felt
 

. . . her raillery was probably, as far as it regarded only himself, perfectly indifferent» but to (Marianne) it was at first incomprehensible» and when its object was understood, she hardly knew whether most to laugh at its absurdity, or censure its impertinence. (37)

Again this structure that Austen planned so well. These examples of human weakness emphasize that, even though the good are not always going to be rewarded and the bad are not always going to be penalized, "(The novel) gives us a glimpse of one of the transforming sorts of human dealings amid a powerful portrayal of society's frustrating character . . . " and the individual must continue to use good judgement in this society in order to survive (Scott 121).

[In the Works Cited section below students should note that in hard copies of essays the Works Cited starts on a new page and each entry must use hanging indentation, which is not available in web pages.]

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. "Sense and Sensibility." "The Novels of Jane Austen." Ed. R. W. Chapman. 3rd ed. 5 vols. London: Oxford UP, 1979. Vol. 2.

Brown, Julia Prewitt. "An Introduction to the Novels." "Jane Austen's Novels" Social Change and Literary Form." by Brown. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1979. 1-49.

Halperin, John. "Jane Austen's Nineteenth-Century Critics: Walter Scott to Henry James." "Jane Austen: Bicentenary Essays. By Halperin. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1975. 3-42.

Hardy, Barbara. "A Reading of Jane Austen." New York: New York UP, 1976.

Lerner, Laurence. "Sense and Sensibility" A Mixed Up Book." "Critics on Jane Austen." Ed. Judith O. O'Neil. Coral Gables" U of Miami P, 1970, 97-101.

Morgan, Susan. "In the Meantime: Character and Perception in Jane Austen's Fiction." Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1980.

Mudrick, Marvin. "Jane Austen: Irony as Defense and Discovery." Berkeley: U of California P. 1968.

Nardin, Jane. "Those Elegant Decorums: The Concept of Propriety in Jane Austen's Novels." Albany: State U of New York P, 1973.

Odmark, John. "An Understanding of Jane Austen's Novels" Character, Value and Ironic Perspective." Totowa: Barnes and Noble, 1981.

Scott, P.J.M. "Jane Austen" A Reassessment." London" Vision» Totowa" Barnes and Noble, 1982.

Wiesenforth, Joseph. "The Errand of Form: An Essay of Jane Austen's Art." New York: Fordham UP, 1967.

Wright, Andrew H. "Jane Austen's Novels: A Study in Structure." 2nd ed. London: Chatto, 1964.

Zimmerman, Everett. "Admiring Pope No More Than is Proper." "Jane Austen: Bicentenary Essays." Ed. John Halperin. Cambridge" Cambridge UP, 1975. 112-123.

A Character Analysis of Nora in Ibsen's A Doll's House

     It is a general consensus that women play more than one role after they are married and have a family.  These roles include wife, mother, chauffeur, and nurse.  In A Doll's House, Nora is given many roles to play and, though some of the above are included, she also plays the role of child, friend, confidante, and manipulator.  But the greatest feat that she accomplishes is her star performance as doting daughter and submissive spouse.

     Nora has been acting out a role to fit everyone's expectations of her since she was a small child.

          "When I was home with Daddy, he told me all his
          opinions, and so they became my options too.
          If I disagreed with him I kept it to myself, for
          he wouldn't have liked that.  He called me his
          little doll baby, and he played with me the way
          I played with my dolls" (Act III 945)

one can imagine Nora as a young child, living under the conditions that she did, knowing that, if she did want to make a decision for herself, her father wouldn't love her anymore.  under those circumstances, her reactions to the restrictions posed upon her were normal.  They also made life easier for her; she could simply have fun and enjoy life.  Her father's attitude was undoubtedly the main reason that she picked a man like Torvald to marry.  Unconsciously, she was still seeking a father figure, a continuation of her childhood.  As she herself realized, ."..I passed from Daddy's hands into yours.  You arranged everything . . . and so I came to share it--or pretended to..." (Act III 945).

     It is very surprising then to read between the lines of her actions.  She was not the shallow, doll baby that the first impression gives of her.  She was very mature and devoted in many ways.  She went to great lengths to obtain money for a trip so her husband could regain his health.  And, although she borrowed the money from a person of questionable integrity and forged her father's name on the note, she did it for her husband's life.  The fact that she had been making the payments out of money she could squeeze from her expenses and working at some odd job, says much for her mature attitude.  This mature attitude was concealed from all except for one person, Dr. Rank.  Rank was the only one who knew that she was a serious person under the costume of her frivolity.  He was able to confide in her about his death.  This was something he could not disclose to Torvald because his ."..refined nature (couldn't) stand anything hideous" (Act III 920).

     Her actions with her own children can also be explained from the actions of her father and husband.  Since she had never been treated any way except as a doll or plaything, she did now know how to be a real mother to them.  Just as any child learns from examples set before him, so did Nora learn only the fun and games of rearing children.  The nurse was there for all the serious work; Nora just had to love and play with them.

     When Dr. Rank explained to Nora the reason for his own ill health, he spoke for more than himself:

          "Paying for someone else's sins?  Is there justice in
          that?  And yet there isn't a single family that isn't
          ruled by that same law of ruthless retribution, in one
          way or another" (Act III 920).

Dr. Rank also spoke for Nora.  Her faults were not her own; they are to be blamed on those who kept her from finding her true self.  And we can only hope that, as Nora finally begins her journey to adulthood, she accomplishes her objective.

     The use of concise imagery and brilliant description in William Faulkner's "Barn Burning" gives depth and familiarity to his two main characters.  It is the poignant story of a boy's inner struggle between his inherent sense of right and the constricting bonds of blood which tie him to his evil, domineering father and pathetic family.  Faulkner often attributes to his characters animal-like qualities or compares them to elements of the earth (that he loves and knows so well).  The villain is a chilling figure; the hero is quiet and likable, and certainly more impressive that the other members of his family.

     Snopes, the father, is a character drawn in hard, dramatic terms.  He is small, but wiry and strong; his appearance is harsh and savage.  Faulkner's repeated references to Snopes' facial features ("the harsh level stare beneath the shaggy, graying, irascible brows"), his dark manner of dress, and his heavy, deliberate walk combine to present a foreboding figure of a man who strikes out in darkness against those he cannot dominate.  The reader never seem Snopes without the "wide, flat, black hat, the stiff black coat" that weren't made for him (and was probably stolen).  Snopes' singleness of purpose, driven by "ravening and jealous rage," is reflected in his heavy arrogant stride that seems to "bear twice, the weight which the body compassed."  His deliberate soiling of De Spains' rug further illustrates his rebellious disrespect and contempt for those who enjoy better circumstances than his own.

     Sarty is "small and wiry like his father," with "eyes gray and wild as a storm scud."  By contrast, his father's eyes are extremely cold and "pebble-colored."  Sarty is an obedient and respectful son, but at ten, with growing perception, is beginning to fight "that old fierce pull of blood" that is rending him apart "like between two teams of horses."  His perception of Snopes is keen, and he sees him as a figure "cut ruthlessly from tin, depthless," driven by "ferocious conviction in the rightness of his own actions," but having no substance of character, no morality.  Knowing that his father is basically evil, Sarty prays something will happen to alter their lives, to "change him (Snopes) now from what maybe he couldn't help but be."  Sarty respects his father's "wolf-like independence and even courage," but doesn't understand why it takes such vengeful and destructive directions.

     The other members of the Snopes family are not so clearly portrayed; they are minor players in the drama.  The twin sisters, ponderous and lethargic, are given bovine qualities in appearance and personality.  The older brother, unnamed and "narrowly eyed," quiet and slow, and constantly chews tobacco much as a cow absently chews cud.  Sarty's aunt is forced to sleep on the floor with the younger children.  His mother, desperate but obedient, is dominated by her cold, stiff, overbearing husband.  Her spirit has been wrecked, much like to works of the inlaid clock that had been her dowry.
 
     One does not learn from Faulkner the incidents or reasons that cause Snopes' defiant hatred (possibly the bullet wound inflicted by a soldier fighting a war in which Snopes had no interest).  He does not reveal whether Sarty would have kept running had he not known his father and brother were shot, or if warning De Spain would provide enough impetus for him to finally break away.  But knowing Snopes, sympathy for his fate does not come easily.  And knowing Sarty, one has to believe he is better off as he heads into the woods, not looking back.

Roxy Walston: Princess in a Fairy Tale

Sleeping Beauty's father was a king who loved his daughter dearly. Unfortunately, however, he forgot to invite one of the oldest and most powerful of the fairies to the celebration of his daughter's christening. Because of his forgetfulness, the princess was sentenced to one hundred years of sleep and inactivity. She was saved by a prince who made his way to her bedside and awakened her with a kiss of true love. Of course, they celebrated a glorious wedding and lived happily ever after. Roxy Walston, the heroine of Louise Shivers' "Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail," like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella or Snow White, lived a fairy tale existence. All of the supporting roles were accounted for: her father, Will Stanton (the king); her mean stepmother, Ruth; her grandmother, Georgeanna (the fairy godmother); her husband, Aaron (the shining knight)' and her lover, Jack, as Prince Charming. Even the evil witch is symbolized by the aura of death and foreboding of the funeral home--always preying, ready to devour the next unsuspecting victim. But unlike the princess in the fairy tale, Roxy's fairy tale ended when she was awakened from her "sleep" by Jack's kiss. The lovers had shared many a romantic, passionate kiss, but the kiss--the one which brought Roxy out of her trance--was the "spitty" one after Jack had confessed to murdering Aaron. At this moment Roxy awakened to her own self-awareness and freed herself from Jack's sensual, magic spell. Only then did she tap into the strength she never knew she had. It was that strength, at first as small as a tobacco seed, that enabled her to try to outlive her shame and move forward with her life as best she could.

For one to understand and appreciate Roxy's vulnerability and passivity, a discussion of her childhood will place in proper perspective her family relationships. Will Stanton was a big-boned man, a giant with a soft heart. One can imagine the sheer delight of his little girl as he surprised her with tangerines at Christmastime. She would slip her hand down into his big pocket and feel the white sack lining, "looking for a Saturday nickel" (Shivers 119). In Roxy's eyes, her Daddy was omniscient, a virtual god. That idolization of her male parent is not unusual. Caryl Rivers, author of "Beyond Sugar and Spice," tells us that "to many a young girl, there is something magical about her father" (50). Roxy invested her father with magical qualities; therefore, it required little effort for Will Stanton to turn his daughter into an "eternal girl," the definition of which Linda Leonard explains in her book, "The Wounded Woman":

It can be comfortable and exciting to be... a sweet young thing, to depend on someone stronger for important decisions. [She may] shy away from life and live in an inner wishworld. . . . The eternal girl dwells in weakness and usually gains her identify from projections others have upon her. [For Example]: the beautiful princess. (38)

To exacerbate this situation, when Roxy reached the tender age of six, her mother died. Her memories were those of a strong, happy mother. In interviews conducted with his child patients, Dr. David M. Moriarity gives an account of expressed feelings from children who have lost their mothers. Roxy could very well have commiserated withthem: "I don't have any feeling in my heart...I feel stone dead...empty of everything...always afraid" (73-87). This pervasive fear was that terrible feeling the child experiences, like mother's leaving the room and turning out the light. Monsters and things that go bump in the night could creep out from the shadows. Roxy associated her mother's death with an external source--a ghost. It was as if she was alone in the dark with hobgoblins, Bloody Bones and Rawhead. How genuine this fear appears as one reads Maria Nagy's account of the child's view of death: "Death is understood as final, but personified as a bogeyman, skeleton, or other culturally given symbol. Death can be escaped by running away or hiding..." (qtd. in Gordon 34). Unfortunately, there was no escape for Roxy, for the aura of death, the constant foreboding of death encircled her. Because the Stanton Funeral Home was literally "too close to home," it surrounded her like a shroud, with an abiding dread. Death itself, like a wicked crone, was always preying. Morbidly, she thinks, "One day the gravedigger will dig a grave for Daddy and someone will dig one for me" (Shivers 16). She would sit and listen intently to the stories of fantasies expressed in childhood superstitions and cultural and religious beliefs. A widespread children's song reveals this fascination with the gruesome details of mortality:
 

Did you ever see a hearse go by
Remember you may be next to die.
They wrap you in a big white sheet
And put you down about six feet deep
The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle in your snout...
(Gordon 112-113)

To compensate for the loss of her father and mother, the special person, the guiding force, in Roxy's life was her grandmother, Georgeanna. Possessing all the attributes of a fairy godmother, she was constantly whispering to Roxy, prodding her, giving her advice. Roxy declares, .".. that strong old woman stood right beside me" (Shivers 18). Even in a dream, Roxy sees Georgeanna "using a stick she always carried to make some markings on the ground" (Shivers 8). The meaning of these cryptic markings is not at first clear. What methodical planning did Georgeanna have in mind for Roxy? As Alan Dundes explains in this book, "Cinderella, A Casebook," the magic wand can symbolize a new beginning: ."..the hazel wand is the traditional symbol of re-birth, the badge of the magician's craft" (196). Bewildered as to the meaning of her dream, Roxy ponders over Georgeanna's satisfied smile. What did her grandmother's wish hold in store for her? This grandmother, this guiding force, seemed to have answers for everything. But the dark time came and enveloped roxy when Georgeanna died. The loneliness penetrated her whole being. Daddy was not there to hold and rock her. One can understand her need to be comforted. However, as the author of "Like Father, Like Daughter" reveals, the safety of a father's arms is not everlasting:
 

When a child is young, Daddy feels powerful, as every little girl who has ever thrilled to jumping into his arms well understands. But life is too large even for a Daddy to guarantee perpetual safety, and a daughter has to learn that no one else will ever catch her like that again.
(Fields 39)

...the girl, since childhood...has looked to the male for fulfillment and escape; he wears the face of Perseus of St. George; he is the liberator...he holds the keys to happiness... (de Beauvoir 328)

That dread feeling was haunting her again. She worries: "When I'm dying, will I feel as puzzled as I do now, unstrung, unquieted..." (Shivers 16). Simone de Beauvoir tell us how a woman typically reacts to a frustrated, unhappy marriage:
 

Now she is married, and before her there is no other future; this is to be her whole lot on earth...Day after day the same rites will be repeated. As a girl she had nothing, but in dreams she hoped for everything. Now she has her bit of earth, and she thinks in anguish: 'Only this, forever! Forever this husband, this dwelling.' (458).

She learns that to be happy she must be loved; to be loved she must await love's coming. Woman is the Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White, she who received and submits. In song and story, the young man is seen departing adventurously in search of woman, he slays the dragon, he battles giants; she is locked in a tower, a palace, a garden, a cave; she is chained to a rock a captive, sound asleep, she waits." (de Beauvoir 291)

Here we see how young children -
And particularly young ladies
Who are pretty, graceful and sweet -
Should always beware of strangers
And how, indeed, it is small wonder
If the wolf devours so many.
But when I say 'the wolf' you must understand
That all wolves are not of one ilk;
There are those with endearing ways -
Gentle, friendly, apparently kind, soft-spoken and genial,
(Who obligingly) escort young ladies to their doorsteps (or further).
But alas, these mealy-mouthed monsters
Are more to be feared than the others! (Jan 33)

Unfortunately, as time passes, events do begin to fester--Aaron's attention is on his tobacco crop, while Roxy's existence centers around Jack. Here movements are like those of a sleepwalker. As Roxy lies across the bed quilt in a trance-like state, "the chicken was lying floured and unfried on the kitchen table" (Shivers 61). She simply goes through the motions of housework:."..her feet would light across the linoleum, moving with haste" (Shivers 61). This state of mind Roxy is experiencing is called "limerence,"1 a new word, meaning ."..the blissful state of walking on air, of obsessive and intrusive thoughts about the loved one, of acute longing for reciprocation, of aching in the chest when there is uncertainty, and of seeing the loved one as utterly wonderful" (Halpern 22). In Roxy's mind, Jack is indeed wonderful, for he has rescued her from her stagnant life' he has cut through her hedge of thorns. She begins to realize the feeling she has for Aaron is just a flicker compared to the passion she feels for Jack. Nothing else matters; she must have Jack. At times she still wonders what will become of her, but like Scarlett O'Hara, she will worry about that tomorrow, as she hurries down the dirt path to the barn. She smells the sweet, heavy aroma of curing tobacco and almost tastes it--"the syrupy musty smell like bodies making love in the heat" (Shivers 79). Jack seems to be from some other world or time as he whispers to Roxy "you, you're the...princess" (Shivers 80). In "The Way of All Women," the author defined this spell as the birth of the "Ghostly Lover":

1New word "limerence" coined by Dorothy Tennov. "Love and Limerence." Briarcliff, New York: Stein and Day, 1979.

Indeed, a girl may be in love with a man, whom, in the absence of the glamour resulting from her state of mind, she might find not even likeable or attractive. The glamour and attraction are effects produced by forces in her unconscious which have been stirred to activity through her contact with the man. She projects onto him some important element from her unconscious, and then is attracted...Here we have the birth of the Ghostly Lover...Unconscious contents have a great tendency to be projected to the outer world, where they fasten onto any convenient carrier who presents a suitable hook. When this occurs, the mantle of Prince Charming falls upon some man in the outer world and the woman falls violently under the spell of this current incarnation on the prince. (Harding 41, 53, 102)

As the story nears its climax, Jack reaches for Roxy and pulls her to him. "I let his mouth come onto mine, but for the first time, I tasted the spit on his lips" (Shivers 108). At this moment, the magic spell is broken--this is the kiss that brings Roxy back to realty. She sees for the first time the person Jack truly is. She needs a royal road out, but yearnings for Daddy are futile. All the king's horses and all the kings men are even powerless against this predicament. Roxy has been living through a period of illusion; Jack has lured her away from reality and only now, through her own self-awareness, can she free herself. It is now that Roxy taps the strength she never knew she possessed. At first as small as a tobacco seed, it is growing into a new self--a new Roxy. According to Colette Dowling, there comes a "moment" when all things become possible:
 

A moment occurs - a 'psychological moment' - which may span weeks or even months, but which is often experienced as a particular moment in time--in which the conditions of personality creating the conflict seem to unmesh and the woman is released from the lockup that kept her immobilized. (236)

Roxy realizes she needs the strength of her will, mind and heart to make it possible for her to chance and move forward. However, one last piece of unfinished business remains. In order for Roxy to truly be free, she must recover from her childhood and give up the ghosts of those phantoms which prowl her mind. The people who loved her must be redeemed. Georgeanna, her force of justice, only wished to deliver her from her enclosed existence. Daddy was just a mere man, not a god. He was just a big-boned, soft-hearted man with hands of clay. Aaron, the clean-faced boy had been weak, like a knight without his protective armor. Sadly, he never had a chance to truly joust for his princess. As Simone de Beauvoir points out the weakness in men, we see that Daddy, Aaron and Jack were just mere, mortal men: "One must not believe in Prince Charming. Men are only poor creatures...They would not seem to be dwarfs if they had not been asked to be giants" (de Beauvoir). And, as the giants and knights and Prince Charming fade away, unfortunately, there is no "Happily ever after," but, there remains a new beginning for Roxy. As these ghosts, like Bloody Bones and Rawhead, move on down the tracks, she can begin to live again. The fairy tale must come to an end, and as Roxy springs free, one can almost see Georgeanna smile a satisfied smile.

Works Cited

de Beauvoir, Simone. "The Second Sex." New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953.

Dowling, Colette. "The Cinderella Complex." New York: Simon and Schuster, 1981.

Dundes, Alan. "Cinderella, A Casebook." New York: Wildman Press, 1983.

Euripides. "Iphigenia in Aulis: in "Orestes and other Plays." Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972.

Fields, Suzanne. "Like Father, Like Daughter." Boston: Little, Brown, 1983

Gordon, Audrey K. "They Need to Know." Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1979.

Halpern, Howard M. "How to Break Your Addiction to a Person." New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982.

Harding, Ester. "The Way of All Women." New York: Longmans, Green, 1933.

Jan, Isabelle. "On Children's Literature." New York: Schocken Books, 1974.

Leonard, Linda S. "The Wounded Woman." Boulder, Colorado: Shambhala Publications, 1982.

Moriarity, David M., M.D. "The Loss of Loved Ones." Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas, 1967.

Rivers, Caryl. "Beyond Sugar and Spice." New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1979.

Shivers, Louise. "Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail." New York: Random House, l983.

Stovicek, Vratislav. "The Book of Goodnight Stories." New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983.

An Old Man's Loneliness

We've all seen him -- the aged man, alone in his lst years, living on memories and an occasional trip into a bottle.  Eben Flood, the main and only character in "Mr. Flood's Party," written by Edwin Arlington Robinson, is that aged man.  He has a past that no one in town really remembers, except him.  No one remembers his accomplishments; no one remembers his failures.  He's just an old man who finds himself alone at the end of his life.

Robinson uses three methods to show Eben Flood's loneliness.  The first is to describe the isolation of the setting of the poem.  Mr. Flood climbs a hill which overlooks the town and finds a secluded road where he can hold his "party."  The night sky is lit up by moonlight, giving off the feeling of "silver loneliness."  One feels very isolated under a moonlit sky.  In the third stanza, Robinson further alienated Eben Flood from civilization when he describes images of knightly ghosts and a "phantom salutation of the dead."  Eben has chosen the perfect place for his "party."

The guest list of the "party" being held turns out to be rather scant.  Eben Flood is alone, even in his "celebration."  Robinson further emphasizes Eben's isolation by keeping the guest list to one -- or two.  Eben knows he is the only friend he has left.  "He raised again the jug regretfully and shook his head, and was again alone."  The reader gets a possible hint into Eben's past when he talks to himself about previous "parties":

          "Well, Mr. Flood, we have not met like this
          In a long time; and many a change has come
          To both of us, I fear, since last it was
          We had a drop together.  Welcome home!"

Robinson, through Eben Flood, seems to be commenting, with slight bitterness, on  a time gone by.  This also is a method of isolating the old man from the rest of the world.  Eben remembers a time when friends had saluted him:

          Below him, in the town among the trees,
          Where friends of other days had honored him,
          A phantom salutation of the dead
          Rang thinly till old Eben's eyes were dim.

There is bitterness in his thought about the uncertainty of men's lives, sure that they did not rest "on firm earth" as his jug had.

In the end, Eben Flood knows that he has no future, only the past, and his loneliness.  His is now a life lived in memory of the past.  The author's final lines poignantly explain:

          There was not much that was ahead of him,
          And there was nothing in the town below --
          Where strangers would have shut the many doors
          That many friends had opened long ago.