Comparison of Kate Chopin's The Unexpected, Thomas Hardy's The Arch Deceiver and Arnold Bennett's News of the Engagement
The titles of the three stories I am comparing are: 'The Unexpected'
by Kate Chopin, 'The Arch Deceiver' by Thomas Hardy and 'News of the
Engagement' by Arnold Bennett. All these stories were written in the
19th century, the time of the Victorians where women were not supposed
to care about the male sexual attractions and would marry a man for
their money, financial security and for raising children.
I will now describe the stories briefly and tell you what they are
about. 'The Unexpected' is about a man called Randall and his fiancée,
Dorothea, someone who is apparently madly in love with Randall.
Randall becomes ill and deformed, which shocks Dorothea so much she
runs away, refusing to marry him, even though he is quite wealthy.
'The Arch Deceiver' is about a man called Tony Kytes who is loved by 3
women, whom he loves in return. He is already engagement but meets his
old girlfriends and has second thoughts. In the end each of his old
girlfriends refuse his proposal of marriage apart from the woman he
was supposed to be engaged to in the first place who still accepts
him. 'News of the Engagement' is about a man who is engaged but has
not told his mother. When he goes to see her he thinks she knows and
is preparing something for him, but it turns out she is also engaged
but had not told him.
Now I will compare how each of the main characters are described at
the start of each of the stories. At the start of 'The Unexpected' the
narrator doesn't describe the characters but their separation as
Randall had to leav...
... middle of paper ...
...rced to do something
against her will. Her father obviously thinks the worst and
demonstrates the fact that fathers' during that time were domineering.
"My daughter is not willing, sir!" "Be you willing Hannah?" I ask ye
to have spirit enough to refuse him, if yer virtue is left to 'ee and
you run no risk?"
In conclusion, I think all the stories teach us valuable lessons and
how important it is to treat women as individuals. 'The Unexpected'
teaches us that beauty is only skin deep and that to love someone
means you accept everything about them. 'The Arch Deceiver' teaches us
not to mess with peoples' feelings and that once you tell a lie you
will always be found out, not always with the result you expect. 'News
of the Engagement' teaches us not to be selfish, self-centred and to
think of others before ourselves.
Cambridge UP, 1988. Papke, Mary E. Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1990. Seyersted, Per. Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography.
Chopin, Kate. "The Awakening." The Norton Anthology of American Literature.. Gen. ed. Nina Baym. 8th ed. Vol. C. New York: Norton, 2012. 561-652. Print.
This line implies that there is only one thing on his mind and that is
The novels parallel each other in interesting ways. Edna, in The Awakening, begins as a character of submission. Margaret, in North and South, meanwhile, begins the novel by attending what could be called an act of submission, at least in her opinion. Both authors develop their novels according to the development of their female characters. As Chopin continues with the growth of the independent and defiant nature of Edna, the mood and atmosphere of the novel becomes more spiritual. Gaskell, meanwhile, is interested in the psychology of her characters and uses language to reflect the settings in which she throws Margaret.
Harris, Sharon M. "Kate Chopin." Magill’S Survey Of American Literature, Revised Edition (2006): 1-5. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Inspiration comes from anywhere or anything. Kate Chopin being born at a time where men were thought as superior, “soared above the level plain of tradition and prejudice” through her books and short stories that defied this norm (Chopin 217). As Chopin once said, "the artist must possess the courageous soul that dares and defies” (Chopin 165). Prime examples of this writing style are her book and short stories The Awakening, “The Story of an Hour,” and “Desiree’s Baby.” These books share Kate Chopin's passion for feminism and her views toward gender roles and equality. I will analyze Kate Chopin’s style and literary strategies and explain how society had an effect on women change throughout nineteenth-century.
Elizabeth Fox Genovese of Emory University shared in a PBS interview that “She [Kate Chopin] was very important as one of the earliest examples of modernism in the United States or, if you wish, the cutting edge of modernism in American literature” (PBS – Interviews). Kate Chopin published At Fault, her first novel, in 1890 and The Awakening, her last novel, in 1898 (Guilds 924). During these years Chopin wrote numerous other works and most, like At Fault and The Awakening, centered around upper-middle class Creole or French women involved in womanly uncertainties; such as, extramarital affairs, acceptable behavior in society for females, duties as a wife, responsibilities as a mother, and religious beliefs. Chopin was an extraordinary woman, and no indication was made, during the investigation of this research paper, reflecting her having regrets regarding her position as a wife or mother. This document is an attempt at comparing the issues the main characters experienced and presenting Chopin’s unique skill in writing about the culture she observed during her years of living in Louisiana. The tragedy of this author’s existence is that during her life the literary world did not recognize such exceptional skill.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. A Norton Critical Edition: Kate Chopin: The Awakening. Ed. Margo Culley. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1994. 3-109.
Papke, Mary E. Verging on the Abyss: The Social Fiction of Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton. New York: Greenwood P, 1995.
Beer, Janet. Kate Chopin, Edith Wharton, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman: studies in short fiction. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. Print.
He tells his father, and wants to tell everyone else, but his father tells him it will be hard to tell the people the truth.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton, 2007. 535-625. Print.
Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. Anthology of American Literature. Volume II: Realism to the Present. Ed. George McMichael. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 697-771.
Chopin, Kate. Complete Novels and Stories. Ed. Sandra M. Gilbert. New York: Library of America, 2002. Print.
Kate Chopin, O'Flaherty was her maiden name, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on February 8, 1850 and died on August 22, 1904 also in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.