Monday, February 6, 2012
A New England Nun - Julia Parzyck
I found the reading of A New England Nun to be very interesting. I at first thought of the main character, Louisa as some OCD clean freak housewife but as I continued to read I saw her as surprisingly independent. Considering she spent fourteen years of her life waiting for her husband to be to make money in Australia she found a routine which she found pleasantly peaceful. When he finally returns and she must leave her home of perfection she finds out that life outside her home is not what it seems and she becomes equal to a "nun". She is alone and only finds peach in keeping the house neat and tidy. I found her to be independent because she finds out that her fiance is no longer in love with her and in love with someone else and decides to go their separate ways. She is pleased because now her dog will not be released into the village, the canary will sleep peacefully and her possessions will not be moved. Despite the fact that many "new woman" rejected the idea of housework and wanted to pursue other jobs and lifestyles she loves this lifestyle but wants to live independently. She finds peace in her solitude and chooses this life, which is how this relates to the "new woman", someone who picks their life and the way they want to live it. I enjoyed this reading and found it to be different then a lot of what we have been reading.
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I definitely agree with you in seeing how Louisa is a "New Woman" of her own. It is not that she does housework and knitting because she believes it is a "proper" woman's place. Rather - she truly enjoys sewing and taking care of her home. She is very independent, and not saddened by the failure of her marriage prospect - which she herself ends. She sees her new freedom as a hopeful opportunity to live her own life and for a bright future not dominated by anyone else's mandates.
ReplyDeleteI had the same idea from the short story, Louisa completely relates to the "new woman". At first I thought she was just the typical,lonely woman in the home, but she is actually completely independent. I was happy she was strong enough in the end to give up Joe to maintain her happiness.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Louisa has "New Woman" characteristics, but I find her life highly dominated by fear. She is afraid of disorder, change, and disturbing the peace of the finely calculated domestic bubble she created for herself. You have to wonder if she hadn't heard Joe and Lily talking would she have gone through with the marriage, or found the courage within herself to keep living her life the way she has been for years.
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