Although Jewett employs many local color conventions, she transcends the school in her subtle, controlled use of dialect, her blending of setting with story, and her skill in creating characters, especially women. She also maintains a sophisticated tension between local color polarities (city/country, individual/society, child/adult, land/sea, past/present, and insider/outsider), finding both sides necessary to a balanced portrayal of place and people.Through an internal analysis in of fifty-seven stories, this study classifies women according to marital or social groups. A chapter on courtship relationships finds that women usually have the upper hand, displaying a mixture of pragmatism and humor. Courtships often involve romance but never passion. Having made a choice, women accept the imperfections of men with understanding and tolerance.Women also form small groups of two or three which are often centered around rite-of-passage situations. These groups transcend but maintain social standing; they often function by a non-verbal code which is sometimes misunderstood. Or, the relationships may exist in the mind or heart, crossing geographic and temporal barriers. For women, isolation brings mental, spiritual, and even physical death.The group of younger women who have a special gift or calling for medicine, teaching, art, or business most clearly reveals Jewett's nascent feminism. These women must choose between the calling and the more traditional feminine role. Often they have a special affinity for their mothers.Sisters, externally alike, function according to a clearly defined hierarchy; the older is more controlling and motherly, the younger often prettier, more gentle, and less disciplined.Jewett's forte, the spinsters and widows who often live and function alone, are usually self-reliant and optimistic. They may create imaginary audiences or alter egos for companionship. Overcoming occasional temptations to selfishness, they maintain the family home with dignity and fortitude, even when the social and economic problems of a passing era become overwhelming. Jewett's women are strong and resourceful, optimistic and resilient. Her success in character portrayal lies in the ability to blend specific homey detail with universality of thought and feeling.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/175096 |
| Date | January 1983 |
| Creators | Bicksler, Marith R. |
| Contributors | Kirkham, E. Bruce |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | vii, 362 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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