1. The story is about a woman striving to
gain personal freedom and identity.
Yes.
Kate Chopin writes of her character in
"A Pair of Silk Stockings,"
readability="7">
She was not thinking at all. She seemed for the
time to be taking a rest from that laborious and fatiguing function and to have
abandoned herself to some mechanical impulse that directed her actions and freed her of
responsibility.
Mrs. Sommers
seeks an escape from the vicissitudes of life that have put her into a position in which
she must always be pragmatic and frugal. Having changed her cotton stockings for silk
ones, she splurges on herself as an escape from the quotidian. Reveling in
the enjoyment her lost freedoms and indulgings before her children, she wishes that the
cable car would never stop. Indeed, she rues the loss of her former
life.
2. This is a story of class struggle
No.
Chopin's story is one of inner
conflict. Mrs. Sommers knows that her children need new clothes, but she escapes her
quotidian duties and indulges in herself, instead. The struggle is not one of class,
but one of yearning for escape from the routine of
self-sacrifice.
3. "The power of money to
enhance self-esteem and confidence is at the core of this poignant tale."
No.
Rather than feeling empowered by the
extra money that she has, Mrs. Sommers enjoys the escape from her day-to-day duties and
her delight in being able to indulge in her own designs and pamper herself. In other
words, Mrs. Sommers feels more like the lady that she once was. The silk stockings and
new shoes and gloves make her feel young and feminine again. Thus, she feels better
about herself because she feels more attractive and carefree.
No comments:
Post a Comment