preview

Comparing Motherhood In A Secret Narrow And A Secret Sorrowful Woman

Good Essays
Open Document

Romance novels are typically based in a set pattern and Karen van der Zee’s A Secret Sorrow is no exception. Meanwhile, in Gail Godwin’s “A Sorrowful Woman”, the romance aspect is not nearly as focused on. While A Secret Sorrow is a nice, easy romance novel, the short story “A Sorrowful Woman” is a much better example of literature, and portrays a much more unique message. The two stories differ greatly when compared by their theme, by the role of motherhood and children, and by how they are written. Theme is almost predictable in most romance novels. In A Secret Sorrow, the conflict of Faye, the main character, not being able to have children is easily overcome by the power of love. Faye and her future husband end up adopting children and …show more content…

For example in A Secret Sorrow, Faye cannot have children, and that is the main conflict. She refuses to accept Kai loving her for her, and just feels bad that she cannot give him children. She insists, “‘You don’t have to marry me. You could marry someone else and have children of your own’”(34). In her mind, having children with Kai is the most important thing, and she feels like a disappointment to Kai. She makes being a mother sound glorified as if that is the only thing that matters in a woman’s life. She even goes on to ask herself if she could “ever feel confident and secure in her worth as a woman”(35). It forces the stereotype that women are meant to, and want to, be mothers and have children. On the other hand, in “A sorrowful Woman”, the woman outright rejects motherhood, ignoring or acting cruel towards her child. In one scene, the child is just trying to play with her, and accidentally scratches her. She tells him, “Go away”(39). In another scene, she hits him. The entire tone of the story feels cold towards motherhood. The short story starts out sounding like a fairy tale, “Once upon a time there was a wife and a mother one too many times”(38). This peaks the reader’s interest, as well as foreshadows what the story could be about. The fairy tale tone continues into the next paragraph, “One winter evening, she looked at them: the husband …show more content…

They go by a set pattern of style and writing. They are usually written with non-complex sentences and often use cliched language and descriptions. For example, Faye is described as a “terrified animal”(32) at one point, and Kai’s descriptions consist of him speaking huskily and being tan and strong. The story uses chiched and flaccid descriptions such as, “strong brown hands”(35), “dark face”, and “intense blue eyes”(32). These sorts of phrases and wording are common in romance novels, with the hero in them usually being a tall, strong, and dark man, and being described in the same way. All and all, it is easy to read. “A Sorrowful Woman”, however, is written in an interesting manner, the author choosing to omit names. The wife and mother in the story is only known as the woman, the husband is only known as the husband, and the child is only known as the child. While A Secret Sorrow has more bland writing, “A Sorrowful Woman” has more stylistic writing and more literary elements. It uses more complex sentences and unnatural-sounding and stiff dialogue, including, “‘I don’t know what we’ll do. It’s all my fault, I know. I’m such a burden, I know that.’ ‘Let me think. I’ll think of something.’ . . . ‘I know you will. You always do’”(40). The overall effect is it gives off an air of mystery that keeps the reader guessing. Rather than giving everything to the reader like A secret Sorrow,

Get Access
Related
Get Access