There is really no violence to speak of and there are happy endings, of a fairy tale nature, in some cases. There is a mixture of the real with the mystic. Then there is the story of a bitter, over zealous aunt who makes a deceitful bargain with her great nephews, only to be chastised by the minister for her duplicity. The next is about a pampered woman who finds her own strength and grows independent. One story was about a misunderstood woman going mad after the birth of her child, when her hormones were batting each other around like baseballs.Īnother was about a young woman wronged, who haunts the dreams of those living in the home she once lived in with her fatherless child. Each one, on its own, had a different theme about women. This collection of short stories was simply a pleasure to read. These stories are written in a different time frame, almost a century and a half ago, they are more literature than the made for TV tales turned out furiously on the computers of modern day authors, turned out with stories of violence and sex to attract an audience, rather than with interesting stories about life’s challenges. Those are impressive, and fun to read, too." ( ) Fascinatingly, Gilman did some experimental writing, crafting several stories 'in the style of' other well-known authors, including Alcott, Kipling, Twain, and Henry James. There is one other category of works included here. She hated the way some men dominate social structures in order to denigrate women, and there's strong evidence that she would have preferred the intimate company of women had that option been available to her. Oh, but I should add, before you misunderstand.
But all are inspirational and provocative. Some are downright Utopian, many are *almost* implausibly idealistic. They show how a variety of different women, and groups of women, can make choices and make a difference, in their own lives and in society. The classic story of madness is horrifying and powerful indeed, as are a couple of other 'gothic' stories including "The Giant Wistaria." Most of the rest of the many stories here are shorter and more didactic.īut, they are *all* worth reading. Gilman's later personal works were not so well-crafted. What I found most interesting about this collection is that the title story is the earliest included. But if this book were the primary text for a college class, I might just sign up. Normally I have little attraction to or respect for Women's Studies" courses, and I'm troubled by some aspects of Feminism.
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