Mrs. Todd in The Country of the Pointed Firs

When I first started reading The Country of the Pointed Firs, the character of Mrs. Todd stood out to me. After hearing her description, I assumed that she would be the character who embodied the “new woman” throughout the story. The fact that she is a working woman who supports herself is what made her stand out in society in those times. I also noticed that her appearance was described as tall and large. This description does completely match with the slender “new woman” described in The Gibson Girl, but I do not think that outward appearance is most central feature of a more modern, independent woman. Mrs. Todd seems to be alone often. She has no mentioned children and never remarried after her husband died. However, I wonder how Mrs. Todd would have turned out if her husband had never been killed. She might not have had the chance to become independent as be seen as a “new woman” in those times.