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How Does Cather Use Realism In A Wagner Matinee

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In A Wagner Matinee, Willa Cather utilizes realism in order to display the consequences of living for someone else. Realism particularly focuses on representing middle-class life from the Civil War in the 1860’s to the turn of the century. The story’s settings portray a middle-class life wrought with hardship, regret, and grief. Local realism is weaved throughout the story to emphasize the consequences of not staying true to one’s dreams. Cather draws upon Clark and his aunt Georgiana’s lives as a contrast of life choices. Clark is the example of growth and expansion. He enjoys a life in the constantly evolving modern world. Meanwhile, Georgiana is tied down by her past choices. She once lived in the modern world as well. Then, she decides to give up her own happiness in youth to live the way her husband wishes. Unfortunately, he dies thirty years later and leaves a realization in his wake: love does not prevail over everything else. Cather stays true to the feelings of Georgiana. Unlike the romanticism of a fairytale, Georgiana fills with regret after conceding an immense amount of her time in living for her husband’s sake. Couples normally agree to make compromises for the happiness of both individuals, but they also need …show more content…

The toll of living on the homestead played up specifically in his mind. He describes her as worn down, with physical and mental energy drained, tired from the hard life. When Clark and Georgiana watch a musical performance, the matinee takes her back to her days filled with music and joy. The memories give her sadness because she left them for a fleeting romance. Maybe she loved her husband, but nothing joyful remains in her home. The hardships of a homestead were her husband's happiness, which leaves her with no joy of her own. Even memories fade over time which means reality has left her a poor widow with a home filled full of dull decrepit

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