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The Green Satin Gown and The Shed Chamber by Laura Richards have unique plots yet both of them can be linked to actions of war.  This link is further established through the gender roles that are created in both short stories that emphasize the rise of feminism that can be associated with the Civil War and World War I and II.  In contrast to the allusions of war, the actual form and style of Laura Richard’s writing reflects an imaginative and peaceful mind.  The suspense that is built up in both stories is a device that intrigues children and draws them into the story.  In The Green Satin Gown and The Shed Chamber Laura Richards juxtaposes war imagery with the purity and imagination of youth in order to demonstrate this contrast that existed in her own childhood.    

The Green Satin Gown and The Shed Chamber both have a plot that mirrors major events taking place during Laura Richard's childhood.  The Shed Chamber follows a story line that can be related to war.  First a girl, Nora, goes to work for a family where the mother is ill and the story quickly takes an exciting turn when a robber is hiding in the house and the young girl is forced to be brave and run get the men in the neighborhood to catch the burglar.  Laura Richards lived through the Civil War and World War I and II so she was heavily influenced by gender roles and men leaving to fight the enemy.  The plot of A Green Satin Gown follows a young girl who is invited to the mysterious Madam Le Baron’s mansion to do a favor for the older woman who has a niece coming into town with all of her friends.  This plot follows only female characters and not one male figure is mentioned throughout the entire short story.  This void of men reflects the society that Laura Richards grew up in because men were constantly leaving for war and many men died in battle leaving their wives widowed.  

The rise of feminism was a major political movement that took place during Laura Richard’s lifetime.  The role of women changed in numerous ways during her existence, and the vote for women was won when she was alive.  When Laura Richards was just in the beginning of her teen years the Civil War began, which caused massive abolition movements that triggered the first wave of feminism.  In addition, later in Laura Richard's life the second wave of feminism began that questioned women’s roles and examined domesticity and its effect on women.  This empowerment of women is seen in both The Green Satin Gown and The Shed Chamber.  In The Shed Chamber Nora begins to work for a family who has an ill mother and is extremely successful at running the household despite her young age.  Nora is placed in a specific female gender role of cooking and cleaning, which was questioned during Laura Richard's lifetime.  In A Green Satin Gown typical female roles are also played out because the plot revolves around women entertaining by coordinating social gatherings and getting dressed up in beautiful gowns.  All of these roles were common and widely accepted when Laura Richards was alive, yet at the same time Laura Richards sees the fall of these ideas when the feminist movement emerges.  The fact that Richards includes these female gender roles in her stories shows the deep influence that the political changes during her lifetime had on her.

Laura Richard establishes ties to war in both The Green Satin Gown and The Shed Chamber, but this is juxtaposed with her free style of writing that creates fairytale imagery.  In The Green Satin Gown the narrator steps into a dream world when she goes to Madam Le Baron’s home and she even says, “I had walked into a fairy tale, or else I was dreaming!” (Richards 5).  The entire story establishes imagery that creates a fantasy scene that children always can relate to.  Madame Le Baron even gives the young girl a beautiful green satin gown that she puts on for a party that evening.  This dressing up in fine clothing alludes to a fairytale such as “Cinderella”.  This perfect world is contrasted with the plot and gender roles that suggest war.  In The Shed Chamber Laura Richards creates another dream world where Nora is allowed to leave her home and begin working for a lovely family.  She even gets her own room that is vividly described as, “a pretty little room with sloping gables and windows down by the floor” (Richards 5).  The contrast of the fairytale childhood and the war environment mirrors Laura Richard's own upbringing and journey in life.  She grew up “in a delightful old house set in a lovely garden in a suburb of Boston” yet just as she entered into adolescence the Civil War began (Richards 1).

In both The Green Satin Gown and The Shed Chamber a great deal of suspense is built up that is extremely customary of children's literature.  This suspense and sense of adventure allows young people to let their imaginations run free, and even begin to predict and wonder what is going to happen next in the story.  A common device that Laura Richards uses to build anticipation is fear of the unknown.  In The Green Satin Gown the unknown is Madam Le Baron who lives in a grand house all alone.  In The Shed Chamber suspense is built by wondering what is hiding in the shed in the dark trunk.  This build up demonstrates how Laura Richards is in tune to children's imaginations.  This relates to her childhood that she seems to cherish and hold close in her memory as a time of true freedom and imagination.

Childhood is a time that impacts an individual even when they are adults, and it is something that is always remembered.  Young people are so impressionable and easily affected by their environments.  Laura Richards grew up in a beautiful house and spent long days playing games with her brother in her fantasy world "hunting elephants and rhinoceroses (which other persons did not see) in the garden" and having "wonderful adventures under the dining room table" (Estes 314).  As she grew up she came to face the realities of her time, which was the Civil War and World War I and II.  Her works of literature are completely influenced by this deep contrast in her life.  In The Green Satin Gown and The Shed Chamber Laura Richards juxtaposes war imagery with the purity and imagination of youth in order to demonstrate this contrast that existed in her own childhood.

Works Cited

Estes, Glenn E. American Writers for Children before 1900. Vol. 42. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print.

Richards, Laura E. Letter to Junior Readers. 1935. MS.

Richards, Laura Elizabeth Howe. The Green Satin Gown. Boston: Dana Estes &, 1903. Print.

Richards, Laura Elizabeth Howe. The Shed Chamber. Print.

Richard Harding Davis, a Man of Realism

(Hannah Hollon)

Twentieth century literary realism developed to provide readers entertainment and an accurate worldly portrayal, which oftentimes served as an escape. Readers enjoyed this relief, which made realism a very popular writing genre during the time period. Richard Harding Davis’ short stories exemplify all of the qualities of twentieth century realism, yet critics often questioned and even debated his writing style for it provided optimism and ethics in a transitional time period when such literature was needed. In particular, his stories “A Question of Latitude” and “The Man Who Could Not Lose” provide idealism to readers, which define Davis’ literary works. 

            The historical background of the twentieth century offers an explanation as to why literary realism survived and had such appeal to readers. The end of the nineteenth century saw the rise of the Industrial Revolution and pre-World War I attitude. “The rapid growth in industrialism and urbanization, an expanding population base due to immigration, and a relative rise in middle-class affluence” explained why change occured in the general culture (Campbell). This gave way to American Realism, which focused on the everyday tradition, values, morals, and truth. This writing style appealed to the public, for they “saw their own struggles in print”, which explained the growing support behind Richard Harding Davis’ work (Penrose). He utilized vernacular dialogue that connected with the public and focused on character rather than plot development. Taking an ordinary character, he could analyze and develop the person to be complex and truthful. Davis focused on the divide between the high and low class, specifically on the “interests and aspirations of an insurgent middle class” (Campbell). However, not everyone accepted realism. A large group of cynics felt that realism did not actually well-represent America. They attacked realism, claiming that this literature brushed over major topics and sugar-coated problems. “Debates over the suitability of realism…led to a critical exchange known as the realism war” and particularly led to the criticism of Davis’ writing (Penrose). 

            The argument over Davis’ work divided between realistic and over-simplified, which created a huge dispute during the twentieth century. One side praised Davis for preaching morality, truth, and social class while also attacking “American crudeness” (Osborn 85). They saw him as a symbol of American tradition that represented the masses. Cynics did not really carry an argument; they argued that Davis failed because he was “too American.” This term referred to modernizing fairy tales, emphasizing “the smiling aspects of life,” and “cramping prejudice” (Osborn 89-90). They claimed that he focused on an immature audience and wrote for pleasure when he should have written instructive literature. He could not analyze complicated matters due to inexperience and “limited intelligence” (Osborn 90). However, this argument is weak since Davis was specifically a realist writer and stayed true to form. His stories developed a character throughout, emphasizing the high and low classes equally. This kind of writing “promot[ed] optimism, confidence, and happiness, which obviously appealed to the public (Osborn 88). His stories followed a maturing character through a situation to reveal a moral lesson directed to the reader, which explains Davis’ wide popularity.

            In particular, “A Question of Latitude” represents Davis’ idealistic writing style that embodied the realism of the optimistic time period in literature successfully. “A Question of Latitude” exposes the strange culture of the Congo in comparison to that of America, for it is simple, uncivilized, violent, poor, and uneducated. Davis chooses to brush over the violence, which is actually a central tenet of African culture. He has the protagonist, Everett, ignore the violence and even take part in it just to survive until the next day. Everett takes note that he is going against his moral standards, a necessity if he plans to stay there. In this way, Davis raises a moral lesson on violence and the consequences of passivity towards such violence. He zeroes in on the divide between the rich and the poor through Everett’s point of view. “The standard of life to which Everett was accustomed was high,” and coming into the Congo he upheld high status, which held no value in the Congo (Davis). This fact shocked Everett, who was used to prominent class distinctions, but only one class existed in the Congo: the poor. Thus, he acclimates to this strange environment and cultural exposure where “death must be faced, conciliated, conquered” (Davis). Realism is present in this work as Everett uncovers the real problems of the Congo, yet Davis’ key trait comes to forefront as Everett merely sees these issues rather than analyzes them. Davis found a way to highlight complex issues without diving in, which existed in his all of his short stories and made his writing accessible to almost anyone. 

            “The Man Who Could Not Lose” also represents the idealistic nature of Richard Harding Davis, as he takes an unrealistic situation and develops it into a humbling experience that exposes the true value of the characters. This story focuses on social class and the back-and-forth nature between the rich and the poor. Therefore money and the struggle for wealth are the central themes of the story. The characters develop as their attitudes toward money change and become more realistic. Carter’s fortune-telling dreams make him money-hungry as he drags himself out of poverty and gains wealth through horse races. On the other hand, his wife, who grew up in a rich household, never showed an interest in this money but supported her husband’s endeavors. She grounds him, making him realize that the best prize of all is his wife, not the money. Readers find pleasure in this story because it represents the “rags to riches” dream that seems distant and even idealistic. Davis focuses on wealth and class in this story, utilizing true characteristics of realism. He highlights the gloom surrounding poverty and the overt excitement of newfound wealth. These contrasting outlooks create a problem, but ideally in the end, there is an equilibrium between greed and paucity. Without explicitly stating these facts, Davis uses two characters to display this struggle. He creates an unlikely situation, yet successfully produces realistic lessons and morals, a characteristic that made Davis famous. 

            Optimism was key to the early twentieth century and is essential to literature in order to successfully appeal to a variety of readers. Literature is read for entertainment, and people want to leave a story feeling good, as if it were an escape from reality. Twentieth century literature reflects the happy attitude surrounding the Industrial Revolution and pre-war time. Davis’ work clearly fits in with this tone, for his realism draws readers in through his optimistic style and choice of storyline. Both “A Question of Latitude” and “The Man Who Could Not Lose” represent these storylines that related to his audience and left them feelings satisfied. While debate exists over Richard Harding Davis, the amount of popularity surrounding his stories shows that he was a successful twentieth century writer who effectively gave the readers what they wanted.

Works Cited

Campbell, Donna. "Realism in American Literature." Washington State University –

Pullman, Washington. Washington State University, 08 Sept. 2011. Web. 09 Oct. 2011. <http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm>.

Davis, Richard Harding. "A Question of Latitude." Short Stories & Classic Literature from  

           around the World. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.

           <http://www.americanliterature.com/sstitleindex.html>.

Osborn, Scott C. "Richard Harding Davis: Critical Background." American Quarterly

            12.1 (1960): 84-92. JSTOR. Web. 23 Sept. 2011.

Penrose, Patricia. "American Realistion 1865-1910." American Collection: Welcome.

Harper and Row, 1987. Web. 09 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ncteamericancollection.org/amer_realism.htm>.

A Different Perspective on "A Dog's Tale"

Upon reading Mark Twain’s short story, A Dog’s Tale, for the first time, the story may seem like a tragic tale about a dog who loses her puppy to a mean owner. However, upon closer analysis, a much more complex and socially controversial meaning comes out of A Dog’s Tale. In the article by Gay S. Herzberg, “A Dog’s Tale: An Expanded View”, Herzberg argues that A Dog’s Tale is actually a critical piece of work, “Condemning the misuse of language, the cold-bloodedness of science, and the evils of slavery.” In his article on A Dog’s Tale, Herzberg’s main argument is that in A Dog’s Tale, Twain subtly presents his views on language, science, and slavery; three subjects that were extremely important to him. Herzberg’s analysis also does a good job at relating an old story to a younger readership by elaborating on the themes of Mark Twain’s short story and relating them to relative issues today.


 Language is obviously a motif of A Dog’s Tale, however in his article, Herzberg argues that it is actually central to the meaning as well. Herzberg spends the first paragraph of his article reflecting on Twain’s twisting of language to mean different things in his story. Herzberg points out that language is used as a “social weapon”, because Aileen's mother uses it to impress and intimidate her fellow dogs. Herzberg also notes that although language is used as social weapon in this story, by changing the meanings of words merely to impress other dogs, Twain leads the reader to believe that language is actually useless or “gone to the dogs.” In his first paragraph, Herzberg makes his claim that by showing the abuse of language by the dogs, Twain is actually voicing his belief that language as a whole has fallen to misuse and under-appreciation. Language is important to Twain because language is the tool that Twain uses to communicate with his audience. By having the dogs speak words so that the meaning is lost, Twain is subtly showing that language as a whole has less meaning than it used to because of gross misuse. Although Twain does hold language to be extremely important, one of the most obvious themes of the story is not the abuse of language, but the abuse of Aileen’s puppy by the scientist.


 The scientist in A Dog’s Tale is certainly viewed by the reader to be the antagonist in the story. Herzberg, in his article and analysis of A Dog’s Tale, argues that in his story, Twain is sharply criticizing some of the harsh and cruel methods of science. Mr. Gray (the scientist) represents the scientific world, placing ethics and equity aside for the sake of progress. Herzberg claims that Mr. Gray considers logic and reason to be more important than compassion and emotion and therefore feels no compassion for Aileen’s little puppy that he killed. Twain is painting a picture of the scientific world through his description of Mr. Gray, claiming that science is primarily concerned with proving theories and outdoing other scientists and in the name of progress, actually harms and kills many innocent animals. Herzberg argues that Twain is reminding the reader, through the character of Mr. Gray, that although scientific advancement can save humans, it can also do great harm to animals. Herzberg’s claim that Twain is using Mr. Gray as a representation for the scientific world is easy to pull out of the story, however Herzberg’s next claim, that the dog’s represent slaves, requires a more in-depth analysis of the text.


 After explaining the misuse of language and the cruelty of the scientist, Herzberg goes even deeper into his analysis of A Dog’s Tale. Herzberg claims that A Dog’s Tale is also a parody of slavery, stating that the same story of separation that Aileen and her mother experienced could have been written about a slave family. Herzberg compares the dog’s “unquestioning resignation to fate” to that of a 19th century slave. Herzberg also goes on to explain that Aileen served her new owners loyally, without question and was “pathetically grateful” for attention. He compares Aileen’s willingness to serve to that of a slave, claiming that Twain was probably making a point about slavery. Herzberg also includes a quote taken from A Dog’s Tale in which Aileen’s mother says, “we were sent into this world for a wise and good purpose, and must do our duties without repining, take our life as we might find it, live it for the best good of others, and never mind about the results; they were not our affair”. Herzberg considers the attitude of Aileen and her mother to be much like that of a slave, such as serving for no reward and putting others before self. Herzberg’s claim that A Dog’s Tale is a parody of slavery brings new meaning to the story by giving it a deeper meaning that is more relevant to a young readership than just simply a story of a dog and her puppy.


 In his article, “A Dog’s Tale: An Expanded View”, Gay Herzberg argues that Mark Twain uses the story, A Dog’s Tale, as a way to express his views on language, science, and slavery. Herzberg states that although A Dog’s Tale may at first appear to be yet another bash against mankind for the way that we treat animals, the story is actually a critical work with deeper meanings and more complex themes than one may originally understand. Herzberg, in his analysis of A Dog’s Tale, brings to the surface some of the subtle themes of the short story and in doing so, helps young readers to relate to the interesting and relevant topics presented by Mark Twain. “A Dog’s Tale: An Expanded View” is therefore an important analysis of one of Mark Twain’s least well-known works.

Works Cited

Herzberg, Gay S. “A Dog’s Tale: An Expanded View.” Mark Twain Journal Winter 1977-1978: 20. Print.

http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3716891886

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kheelcenter/5277921657/

Cite: Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University

"What Fools We Were!"

“The premise on which Woolf  bases her story is that these young women know as little about the social, political and artistic achievements of men as most men know about those of women. The society they now create among themselves will both expose and challenge [the men].” In “What Fools We Were!” by Susan Dick, Dick suggests that Virginia Woolf’s short story, A Society was a counterargument to a anti-feminist article called Our Women: Chapters on Sex Discord. Dick uses background on Woolf and plot summary to conclude that “ A Society” was written with a pro-feminist outlook, but ended up supporting the opposite argument due to Woolf’s fear of a uproar from the male audience.

Susan Dick first introduces “A Society” by giving some background information on the story. Due to the author’s wishes, Virginia Woolf’s short story “A Society” was not published alongside her other short stories after her death. Dick suggests that Woolf didn’t want to republish her work because her short story didn’t implement her usual narrative technique and she had already explored feminist views in her previous works.  Woolf always explores the lives of women “within the historical and cultural context which shapes their lives and which, through the course of the narrative most come to see more clearly.” Dick also points out that“ A Society has affinities with the fable and the novel of ideas. It also resembles some of Woolf’s own essays in which fictional situations serve as the occasion for the discussion of ideas.” Woolf felt that this short story reiterated ideas and themes she had already wrote about. In the beginning of “What Fools We Were!” Dick provides the audience with background information and brings up the pattern of feminism in “A Society”. 

           Establishing that “A Society” is a feminist short story, Dick continues her claim by proposing it was written in counter argument to Arnold Bennett’s book Our Women: Chapters on the Sex Discord. In her counterargument located in New Statesmen disagrees with Bennett’s point that women are “intellectually inferior to men.”  Woolf argues that Sappho was a female Greek poet who’s skills couldn’t be challenged by any other male poet. In the short story, Woolf continues her former argument by using, “The group of young women who form themselves into a society ‘for asking questions’.” One of most hypocritical characters in the society is Cassandra, who agrees with all the requirements, but backs out on her word in the end. The fact that Woolf told “A Society” from the point of view of Cassandra, shows that Woolf was afraid to voice her true feelings. Cassandra forces “readers to draw their own conclusions about discoveries the society makes.” rather than stating what she truly means. Dick declares that even though “A Society” is a short story with feminist themes, Woolf is still afraid of backlash from the public and attempts to hide her true purpose behind her short story. 

    After giving the background information, Dick approaches “A Society” by summarizing the plot and making conclusions. “While sitting one day after tea begin as usual to praise men, these young women are about to begin questioning the “usual” assumptions of their society. In doing so they unknowingly enacting the process through which new societies evolve.” After this meeting, the women decide to go into the world of men and figure out exactly what it is men do with their time and their intellects. Each of the women come back with their hilarious experiences as “men” and come close to concluding men as a waste of time and energy to raise. However, Cassandra, the main character who’s point of view is most apparent to the audience soon reveals that she is pregnant with child and the women, “hear men in the street…this passage associates Castalia’s concern for her daughter’s future and her denunciation of the fruits of men’s intellect with the war and its aftermath.” At which point the women decide to disband the society. Dick claims that that while reading the story, the audience is pushed to believe the feminist themes; however, at the last minute Woolf pulls a twist which leaves the audience confused and unable to agree with one idea or another. However, because of the background information on Woolf, we now know that Woolf was trying to put across the feminist ideals, but was unable to due to fear of public backlash. 

          Dick suggests that although this short story is often seen as a feminist story, Woolf’s usage of names detracts from the message of the story. “The suggestion that a matriarchal society could evolve to replace the bellicose patriarchal one is supplemented in the story by the richly allusive names Woolf gives her characters…the names suggests a long female tradition of which these women are a vital part.” For example: “Cassandra’s name clearly seems an ironic allusion to the prophetess who was condemned by Apollo to tell the truth and not be believed…Cassandra which presents a bitter and impassioned portrait of the restricted life of a young woman in the middle of the previous century.” Dick explores Cassandra’s hypocrisy by describing the meaning Woolf gives to her name. Woolf is also to have said that “Thus though women have every reason to hope that the intellect of the male sex is steadily diminishing it would be unwise until they have more evidence than the great war and the great peace to announce it as a fact.” In ‘A Society’, Woolf brings up the point of women being more intelligent than men but doesn’t support it in fear of too much heat from the public. 

“The compelling links between the societies of women envisioned in ‘A Society’ and 3 Guineas bring to mind the observation Woolf makes that ‘we think back through our mothers if we are women.” According to Dick, Woolf wanted to get her feminist opinions across and believed that feminism was a topical and important right to fight for. However, Woolf makes a complete 180 degree turn at the end of “A Society” which Dick attributes to her fear of public outrage. 

Cite:  Dick , Susan . "What Fools We Were!." 20th Century Literature. 33.1 (1987): 51-66.       Web. 26 Sep. 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/441332>.

A Poetic Prose

“I felt this beauty rather strangely. It was not desire, nor ecstasy, nor enjoyment...but a painful though pleasant sadness. It was a sadness vague and undefined as a dream.” Like this perplexing quotation, in which beauty is the source of sadness rather than celebration, Anton Chekhov’s short story, “The Beauties,” develops a poetic view on everyday life when he notices two gorgeous women. Radislav Lapushin analyzes Chekhov’s artistic language and its effects in his scholarly book, “Dew on the Grass”: The Poetics of Inbetweeness in Chekhov. According to Lapushin, Chekhov uses symbolism of nature, conflicting dual worlds, emotional confrontations, and beauty’s magical effects to create some of the most poetic prose ever written and to provide a new perspective on love.
        

Chekhov achieves his poetic flow through repeating symbolism of dust and clouds. Lapushin observes that the dust and wind of the story serve as a “biblical connotation of primordial natural elements.” Thus, dust starts and ends all life, and the wind from the book of Ecclesiastes is associated with an everlasting redundancy. In addition, there are “the clouds of golden chaff,” which are raised up from the wind made by the beautiful Armenian girl, therefore surrounding her and connected to her beauty. “Clouds of smoke” also appear in the story for the purpose of shifting the setting from one of nature in the Armenian village to one of industry in the train station. Furthermore, the wind serves as a similar transformative symbol, in that it can either blow “clouds of dust” or blow away “all the impressions of the day with their dust and dreariness.” Yet, an important note should be made that wind has the power to destroy the beauty of a woman by being able to “scatter the capricious beauty like the pollen of a flower” (Lapushin 129-131). With a use of the wind and dust as symbols, Chekhov creates a circular movement of setting shifts, creation, and demolition.          

          These said symbols of wind and dust help to ease the shift in setting from a rural village to a modernized train station. This shift did not happen instantly; however, the narrator, in between the two worlds, grows from a schoolboy to a university student. Lapushin interprets this as not only the scenery changing, but the weather turns from dry heat to a “damp” evening. Also different are the types of beauties. The first is more classical in nature, compared to “images of swiftness and motion.” While the second is a “butterfly” beauty, standing in one position, but simultaneously moving her body continuously. However, these separate worlds remain connected through adverbial descriptions. In the first section, the horses run “reluctantly, as if with effort,” and passengers in the second section moved “sluggishly and reluctantly” back to their train cars (Lapushin 133-134). Consequently, the two different worlds are separated by several distinct differences, but they also correlated through repeated adverbs.
         

          Another correlation between the two worlds is the sadness brought upon by the attractive women. The image of the train conductor exemplifies the causal relationship between beauty and anguish as the result of a lost past. Lapushin offers that with the conductor’s confrontation of the beautiful woman at the train station also comes an encounter with his ideal self. Due to this esteemed meeting, his “ordinary” face becomes one “of tenderness and of the deepest sadness.” In addition, the conductor seems to almost be having “an instant spiritual resurrection” through Chekhov’s use of the verbs “see,” “repent,” and “feel.” Moreover, Chekhov chooses to end the passage with the phrase “as far away as heaven,” denoting a meaningful, even religious, experience undergone by the conductor (Lapushin 140-1). The conductor’s abrupt contact with his ideal “I” causes the narrator to be “sticking out my head and looking back” towards the end of the story, when the train is leaving the girl on the platform. This act by the narrator demonstrates his desperate attempt at “trying to hold together a crumbling world” (Lapushin 144).

 

           The source of the beauty that affects the narrator and the conductor so is continually questioned throughout the short story, whether it be natural or magical. Lapushin considers the Armenian girl’s father to be a repeated image of a demonic sorcerer in Gogol’s novella “A Terrible Revenge.” Similar characteristics include a hunch, a deformed nose, and a general mark of monstrosity. Yet, the father seems more humorous than demonic in his depiction. Furthermore, the Armenian girl’s features are described as “bewitching.” Therefore, the grandfather’s reaction to the first girl is described as if a spell was being cast. The narrator also loses control of his senses and talks of a “peculiar air, proud and happy, ” and feels a sadness “undefined, vague as a dream.” In addition, the second girl is described as having a “whole secret and magic of her beauty” (Lapushin 136-7). Through the allusion to Gogol, a whole new interpretation of Chekhov’s words can be made to one concerning magic, which illuminates his deceptively poetic abilities.

Anton Chekhov continues to be studied by both young and mature readers alike because of his accomplished prose. On the surface, “The Beauties” seems to be about a male narrator glorifying the beauty of two women. Yet, if one digs deeper into the passage, one will find symbols in a cycle, unexpected allusions, and themes consisting of dual worlds and lost pasts. Through these tools, the story becomes more relateable to the audience on a deeper level than just young love. By reading Chekhov, readers truly experience the epitome of poetic writing and an unparalleled example of prose. And from this accomplished writing, comes a broader implication of the effects of beauty, which are not always simply observed, but felt with real conviction.

 

Works Cited

Lapushin, Radislav. "Dew on the Grass": The Poetics of Inbetweeness in Chekhov. New

         York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 2010. 126-144. Print.

Photo licensed by Joe Green under Creative Commons

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeandsarah/2643806734/

[Laura Richards] and her closest brother, Henry, avid readers and "constant playmates," spent much of their time "hunting elephants and rhinoceroses (which other persons did not see) in the garden" and having "wonderful adventures under the dining room table." (Estes 314)  Laura E. Richards grew up during the gilded age and World War II, yet she somehow has a fairytale childhood and this juxtaposition is reflected in her writings. She has a rich background of interaction with children and youth that allows her writing to be highly relatable.  This is highly evident in The Green Satin Gown because of the style of writing she establishes.  Laura Richards is widely known as the first prominent American writer of nonsense verse for children.  The tense war time environment allowed young adults to seek refuge within her writing.  In addition, her ideal childhood played a major role in formulating fairy-tale children’s stories.  In The Green Satin Gown the authors perspective of being surrounded by children her entire life, social and political environment juxtaposed with her easy style, and her ideal childhood create a short story that is truly relevant to young people.

Laura Richards was surrounded by children growing up, which gives her a unique perspective into the minds of young people.  This view allows her to write in a way that youth can understand and relate to on a deeper level.  Laura Richards was one of six children, and her father was an educator at a school for the blind (Estes 313).  She was surrounded by children and the imagination and purity of their minds that she fed off of in order to create truly unique and light stories.  These stories have the ability to transport young readers to another world of learning and creativity.

Non-sense verse is a very unique style of writing that has an extremely light tone that often rhymes and is targeted towards children.  This carefree verse stands in stark contrast to the social and political atmosphere of the world when she was writing these stories.  She wrote many of her stories during the challenging times of the gilded age and World War II.  These periods in history where extremely difficult and tense, yet her writing is the exact opposite.  In a way, her stories non-sense verse brought some much needed light into a time of war and economic hardship.

Laura Richards spent most of her childhood in "a delightful old house set in a lovely garden in a suburb of Boston that her mother named Green Peace” (Estes 314). This beautiful setting and even the name of her home sets a fairytale scene of her childhood that is translated into all of her works.  In addition, later in life she falls in love, goes on a honeymoon to Europe and eventually returns to Green Peace, her childhood home.  This sequence of events appear very dream-like and unlikely to happen, yet they are a part of her life.  This positivity and fantasy influences her works and allows them to transport a young reader in to a fantasy of their own.

In The Green Satin Gown the authors perspective of being surrounded by children her entire life, social and political environment juxtaposed with her easy style, and her ideal childhood create a short story that is truly relevant to young people.  In the early years of her life she is instantly surrounded by young people, including her five brothers and sisters.  Laura Richards writes during a time of political turmoil and tension, yet her stories are light and fantastic written in a non-sense verse style.  She also grows up in a beautiful house and spends long days playing with her brother, this fairytale childhood is conveyed through her stories.

Works Cited

Estes, Glenn E. American Writers for Children before 1900. Vol. 42. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Print.

An Academic Battlefield

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Richard Harding Davis wrote during a time period in America where literary criticism was split in two; these divided lines affected the ways in which one saw Davis’ work, for one group praised Davis’ idealistic writing, while the other criticized him for oversimplifying literature. An academic “battlefield” characterized the era between 1880 and 1920 (Osborn 92). All analytical forms were attacked and questioned, which created a divide between the idealists and cynics. This carried over into literature, and specifically, to the writing of Richard Harding Davis. He held the reputation of writing realistic literature advocating ethics and morality. Davis came to represent a symbol of the time period for both criticisms, although the connotations of these representations contrasted between realistic, even traditional, and immature.  

            American impressionists and realists fully supported Davis for his literary work. His writing came off as impeccably moral, sophisticated, and brilliant (Osborn 85). To them, this seemed to promise a revolution on “American crudeness” (Osborn 85). Davis wrote of foreign culture often and even showed a particular interest in European literary forms. His writing contrasted between the different social classes while upholding moral standards. This can be seen in “A Question of Latitude,” when he shows the Congo through Everett’s eyes. This point of view exposes the violence and immorality embedded in African society, something Everett had not witnessed due to his wealthier background. This indirectly creates a contrast between the lower class of the Congo and the higher class of the West. Everett enters this new environment educated and idealistic to serve the underprivileged. Davis’ advocates appreciate his literature because he opens up new cultures and exposes them in a realistic and inoffensive. He never delves into complex matters, leaving that interpretation up to the reader. For this explicit reason, Davis’ writing is attacked by another group of critics who find that Davis simplifies such concepts which produce innocent and inexperienced writing.

            On the other side of literary criticism, cynics balked at Davis’ gentlemanly code, attention to manners, and smiling attitude toward life. They argued that literature is not a source of entertainment, but rather, a means to teach ethics and current events to a mature audience. Instead, Davis wrote for an immature audience, one made up particularly of young women. Literary rebels saw Davis’ writing as directed toward the point of view of the wealthy, and he idealized this class as superb and gracious. While idealists praised his descriptions of social classes, these critics found his assumptions to be a “cramping prejudice” that did not adequately represent the classes (Osborn 91). In other words, Richard Harding Davis failed in writing effectively to portray his subjects and captivate his audience. He started with complex ideas but left them underdeveloped. For instance, he brought about the large question of violence in the Congo, yet has Everett simply turn the other way rather than face the issue just to survive to the next day. These actions leave the reader wanting to know more about this violence, and it is as if Davis wants to only see the good in the world rather than the entire picture. It is this “limited outlook” that has critics questioning why realists pioneer Davis as such a brilliant writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (Osborn 91).

            Why was there such a stark contrast between the views of Richard Harding Davis’ work? The time period explains everything, for some needed an idealistic view of life, yet others chose to critique that view point in favor of a more realistic one. To some, Davis wrote everything they wanted to hear, and he even became a symbol of tradition worth preserving. On the other hand, his attackers saw him as a symbol of immaturity and outmoded American life. Davis was “too American,” meaning he had a “sunny innocence” toward his simple and inexperienced outlooks (Osborn 91). These contrasting viewpoints of Davis’ career provide insight into a larger picture of the great divide between two outlooks on life during a difficult time period.

Works Cited

Osborn, Scott C. "Richard Harding Davis: Critical Background." American Quarterly

            12.1 (1960): 84-92. JSTOR. Web. 23 Sept. 2011.