Mary E. Wilkins Freeman Response
I really enjoyed these short stories. I especially liked them because they tell the stories of two women who were strong – and, in a sense, pioneers: making their lives their own in rural New England without the help of their male counterparts. Freeman challenged the traditional roles of women in America in the late 1800s in a way that was still within reach of women in this time period (I assume so, at least).
Between the two stories, I liked “The Revolt of ‘Mother’” better. Sarah’s “rebellion” was exciting to read about: I loved the way she took matters into her own hand when her husband wasn’t around, and stood her ground when he came back. She knew what was best for her family, and fought for it – I loved her spirit.
I’m including “Don’t Save Me” by HAIM in this post – a song that I was reminded of while reading “A New England Nun.” The song is about a woman reminding a man that she doesn’t need him – which is something I really loved about Louisa’s story. While I wouldn’t want to hang out with Louisa (I don’t love lettuce the way she does), I was rooting for her. I appreciated her kindness and the way that she was so content in the simple life that she led. Although she was standoffish by society’s standards, she was passionate about the things that were close to her, and held herself to a high standard, ultimately doing what was best for her.
One response so far
I like how you added a song to this post. It gave it an extra edge and connected these stories to something modern. Challenging a woman’s role in society was a big step for that time period and relates to what we are going through today with breaking gender roles in general. I also rooted for Louisa. Strong women who know what they want and aren’t afraid to go after it are to be respected always.