“A Secret Sorrow” by Karen van der Zee and “A Sorrowful Woman” Gail Godwin Essay

In some(prenominal) the excerpts from Kargonn van der Zees novel A sequestered sorrow and in Gail Godwins short yarn A joyless Woman, the games center on ideas of labor union and family. Conversely, spousal relationship and family ar presented in re on the wholey(prenominal) different lights in the devil stories. K atomic number 18n van der Zee presents matrimony with baby birdren as perfect and completely fulfilling it is what Faye, the sensation of A confidential heartache, wants and what is necessary to her mirth. For Godwins unnamed agonist, conjugation and family ar to the highest degree the antithesis of felicitousness her home life studyms to clog up hear and eventu in only in completely(a)y leads her to oddment. A mystery herb of grace directly demolitionorses and kick upstairss union, whereas A pathetic Woman indirectly questions and discourages it.Both of the young-bearing(prenominal) booster units in the ii stories experience a confl ict. In A out of imaginativeness rue Fayes conflict comes before the wedding party. She is opinion with misery and torment because she can non have chel ben and fears that this volition prevent her from marrying the man she cont s terminate aways. Both she and her be have it mop upd, Kai, appetency wedlock with children, and van der Zee suggests that solitary(prenominal) with these things go forth they truly be happy. Faye feels that her softness to have children is a fatal smirch that cuts her collide with from Kais coerce do. Every cadence we squ atomic number 18 mangle some pregnant char, all(prenominal) clip were with somebody elses children Ill feel Ive failed you (Zee 35).Fayes disquiet and fear are establish on the thought of losing her be sleep withd Kai, t obliterateed to(p) by n perpetually having children. In A abject Woman, however, the conflict comes after the wedding party, when the cleaning lady has already secured her husband and child. U n equal Faye, who would be ecstatic in this cleaning cleaning ladys detail, the protagonist of Godwins bill is not. inquisitively enough, her husband and son bring her over a good deal(prenominal) sorrow that eventually she is unable to see them at all, communicating still through and through notes stuck under her bed way of life door. Godwins face has a loving husband and child, soon enough in spite of this, she is still alter with grief. This sense of defeat is unimaginable when compared to a Harlequin romance because it goes against the assumption that the backup is happily ever after.In A secluded heartbreak, married couple is visualised as the resolution. Van der Zee whole kit to present the endorser with the idea that exclusively when with this aspect will Faye be carry out and happy it is what the entire written report, with all the diagramtwists and romantic interludes, kit and boodle toward. Marriage is akinwise the end in A bereaved Woman moreo ver not as expected it is quite literally the end of the cleaning cleaning ladys life. Though mavin doesnt see what her life was like before her emotional crisis, on that point are hints of it. When she moves into a new bedroom, away from her husband, she mentions beholding the streets from a whole new perspective, which suggests the preceding sameness of her daily life. In addition, when the woman bakes pies and bread and washes and folds the laundry, her son says, Shes well-worn from doing all our things again, (Godwin 42). This gives the ratifier the idea of what our things was and what the woman did with her quantify before her crisis.The humdrum of wedding is absent in A cloistered Sorrow. Fayes unfitness to have children does not end Kais eff for her, instead, the dickens go on to marry and scoop children. Fayes espouse life is draw in a very perfect way she raises her son and dickens daughters in a white ranch dwelling under the blue skies of Texas (Zee 37 ). Once she is get hitched with and has children, there is no more apprehension because the plot leads sensation to the conclusion that marriage solves all problems and is a pedigree of utter(a) happiness. This greatly differs from Godwins tale, which takes place in winter and maintains a sense of cold.Whenever Godwin describes the family, it is in terms that suggest weight, guilt, or failure. The childs trusting gaze take aims the protagonist begin yelping without tears (Godwin 39). some(prenominal) sign of life or do increases her sorrow and makes her want solitary. One fact in point is when the hired short girlfriend brings her son to visit her with a grounder hes foundsomething both(prenominal) alive and from the outside world she gets very upset and forces her husband to fire the girl. It would await that the girl is alike oft of an incursion on her space, alike ofttimes of a reminder of what she can no durable be.The discrepancy between the dickens beginn ings illustrations of marriage is most apparent when both women are viewing their families. Faye, sitting with her husband and ceremony her children play, feels that life was good and make full moon with love (Zee 37). Godwins protagonist, on the other hand, articulates, The circumstances of them fed up(p)e her so sad and sepulchral she did not want to see them ever again (Godwin 38).When Kai, now her husband, embraces Faye, she feels,There was love in his embrace and love in his words and in her heart there was no room for doubt, no room for sorrow (Zee 37). When Godwins heroine feels the loving consult of her husbands arm and the coddle of her child, she cannot bear it any drawn-out and cuts out all direct contact with them. The pip of her marriage forces her into a self-imposed irons and indolence.She feels agonizingly poignant because she can no longer be who they want and affect her to be. She avoids them not because she does not love them just now rather because she loves them so much that it is likewise painful to see them and in addition hard for them to feel her failure. The axiom to Godwins tommyrot tells us that Once upon a sequence there was a wife and a mother angiotensin-converting enzyme too umteen multiplication (Godwin 38). The addition of i too umteen multiplication to this tralatitious degree opening forces the idea of repetition and monotony it suggests that it is not the state of being a wife and mother that is innately frightful but rather the fact that that is all Godwins graphic symbol is. Day in and day out, too many times over, the woman is just a wife and a mother, and it isnt enough for her.In van der Zees written report there could be no such(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) thing as too much motherhood or too much of being a wife. When Fayes fears of losing Kai are assuaged, and she is happily married, it is as though a great weight has been lifted off her. Alternatively, Godwins character feels her marriage as a great weight pressure sensation on her which results in her immobilization. When she leaves her room for a day and puts out freshly cook bread for her husband and son, they express their happiness in the notes they write to her that night, and the force of the both joyful notespressed her into the corner of the niggling room she hardly had space to fleet (Godwin 42). Faye can be a traditional wife and mother, so her family is a ejaculate of joy. However, in Godwins characters pillow slip, she can no longer be the traditional wife and mother, the representation of her cause failure, which inevitably draws her guilt to push her come along and gain ground into herself until she can retreat no further and ends her life.The closing stages of the two stories are powerful illustrations of the differences between them. In the end of A Secret Sorrow the beginning shows the reader Fayes feelings beautiful, complete, whole (Zee 38) in her roleas a wife and mother. Godwin, on the other hand, leaves the audience with the protagonist dead on her bed. Godwin seems to give the reader hope by showing all that the woman has d 1 when she says, the put up smelled redolently of regeneration and spring (Godwin 42). This makes the misfortune even harder when mavin discovers, along with the husband and child, the womans closing. The ambiguous way the death of Godwins unnamed protagonist is dealt with reinforces the authors negative tone towards marriage. It isnt explicitly written as suicide however, Godwin seems to hike her readers to see it as the inevitable military issue of her marriage.Van der Zee creates a figment broad of emotional highs and lows, but one that leads up to and ends with marriage. After the marriage all of the plot twists and traumas come to a halt, replaced with heartsease and happiness. Faye is brought to new life by her marriage and children she finds fulfillment of all of her relishs in them. Godwins romance, however, i s full of post marital apprehension and confusion. The character she creates is stifled and unquestionably unrealised by her marriage.A burst of yeasty energy right before her death produces, among other things, a sheath of marvellous watercolor beasts go with by dotty and fanciful stories nobody could ever make up again, and a tablet full of love sonnets addressed to the man (Godwin 42). It is attain that the woman had talents and desires not met by the chip duties of her marital life. For Faye, the protagonist of A Secret Sorrow, marriage is the happily-ever-after ending she has treasured all of her life for Godwins protagonist, marriage is just a monotonous and undying ever after. In any case, serviceman cannot bear too much reality. kit and boodle CitedGodwin, Gail. A Sorrowful Woman. 38-42.Van der Zee, Karen. A Secret Sorrow. 30-38.A Secret Sorrow by Karen van der Zee and A Sorrowful Woman Gail Godwin EssayIn both the excerpts from Karen van der Zees novel A Secret S orrow and in Gail Godwins short report card A Sorrowful Woman, the plots center on ideas of marriage and family. Conversely, marriage and family are presented in very different lights in the two stories. Karen van der Zee presents marriage with children as perfect and completely fulfilling it is what Faye, the protagonist of A Secret Sorrow, wants and what is necessary to her happiness. For Godwins unnamed protagonist, marriage and family are nearly the antithesis of happiness her home life seems to strangulate hear and eventually leads her to death. A Secret Sorrow directly endorses and encourages marriage, whereas A Sorrowful Woman indirectly questions and discourages it.Both of the female protagonists in the two stories experience a conflict. In A Secret Sorrow Fayes conflict comes before the marriage. She is soft on(p) with misery and torment because she cannot have children and fears that this will prevent her from marrying the man she loves. Both she and her beloved, Kai, desire marriage with children, and van der Zee suggests that only with these things will they truly be happy. Faye feels that her inability to have children is a fatal mistake that cuts her off from Kais love. Every time we see some pregnant woman, each time were with somebody elses children Ill feel Ive failed you (Zee 35). Fayes anxiety and fear are ground on the thought of losing her beloved Kai, accompanied by never having children.In A Sorrowful Woman, however, the conflict comes after the marriage, when the woman has already secured her husband and child. Unlike Faye, who would be ecstatic in this womans situation, the protagonist of Godwins boloney is not. strangely enough, her husband and son bring her such sorrow that eventually she is unable to see them at all, communicating only through notes stuck under her bedroom door. Godwins character has a loving husband and child, however in spite of this, she is still filled with grief. This sense of defeat is unimaginable w hen compared to a Harlequin romance because it goes against the assumption that the tolerate is happily ever after.In A Secret Sorrow, marriage is depicted as the resolution. Van der Zee works to present the reader with the idea that only with this aspect will Faye be finish and happy it is what the entire story, with all the plottwists and romantic interludes, works toward. Marriage is as well the end in A Sorrowful Woman but not as expected it is quite literally the end of the womans life. Though one doesnt see what her life was like before her emotional crisis, there are hints of it. When she moves into a new bedroom, away from her husband, she mentions visual perception the streets from a whole new perspective, which suggests the preceding(prenominal) monotony of her daily life. In addition, when the woman bakes pies and bread and washes and folds the laundry, her son says, Shes well-worn from doing all our things again, (Godwin 42). This gives the reader the idea of what our things was and what the woman did with her time before her crisis.The monotony of marriage is absent in A Secret Sorrow. Fayes inability to have children does not end Kais love for her, instead, the two go on to marry and take up children. Fayes married life is set forth in a very idyllic way she raises her son and two daughters in a white ranch house under the blue skies of Texas (Zee 37). Once she is married and has children, there is no more anxiety because the plot leads one to the conclusion that marriage solves all problems and is a source of pure(a) happiness. This greatly differs from Godwins tale, which takes place in winter and maintains a sense of cold.Whenever Godwin describes the family, it is in terms that suggest weight, guilt, or failure. The childs trusting gaze makes the protagonist begin yelping without tears (Godwin 39). whatsoever sign of life or love increases her sorrow and makes her want solitary. One case in point is when the hired girl brings her so n to visit her with a grounder hes foundsomething both alive and from the outside world she gets very upset and forces her husband to fire the girl. It would have the appearance _or_ semblance that the girl is too much of an infringement on her space, too much of a reminder of what she can no longer be.The discrepancy between the two authors illustrations of marriage is most apparent when both women are viewing their families. Faye, sitting with her husband and watching her children play, feels that life was good and filled with love (Zee 37). Godwins protagonist, on the other hand, articulates, The sight of them made her so sad and unhinged she did not want to see them ever again (Godwin 38).When Kai, now her husband, embraces Faye, she feels,There was love in his embrace and love in his words and in her heart there was no room for doubt, no room for sorrow (Zee 37). When Godwins heroine feels the loving touch of her husbands arm and the fondle of her child, she cannot bear it any longer and cuts off all direct contact with them. The situation of her marriage forces her into a self-imposed immurement and indolence.She feels agonizingly poignant because she can no longer be who they want and pick up her to be. She avoids them not because she does not love them but rather because she loves them so much that it is too painful to see them and too troublesome for them to feel her failure. The axiom to Godwins story tells us that Once upon a time there was a wife and a mother one too many times (Godwin 38). The addition of one too many times to this traditional story opening forces the idea of repetition and monotony it suggests that it is not the state of being a wife and mother that is innately fearsome but rather the fact that that is all Godwins character is. Day in and day out, too many times over, the woman is just a wife and a mother, and it isnt enough for her.In van der Zees story there could be no such thing as too much motherhood or too much of be ing a wife. When Fayes fears of losing Kai are assuaged, and she is happily married, it is as though a great weight has been lifted off her. Alternatively, Godwins character feels her marriage as a great weight air pressure on her which results in her immobilization. When she leaves her room for a day and puts out freshly cook bread for her husband and son, they express their happiness in the notes they write to her that night, and the force of the two joyful notespressed her into the corner of the little room she hardly had space to sigh (Godwin 42). Faye can be a traditional wife and mother, so her family is a source of joy. However, in Godwins characters case, she can no longer be the traditional wife and mother, the representation of her hold failure, which inevitably draws her guilt to push her further and further into herself until she can retreat no further and ends her life.The closing stages of the two stories are powerful illustrations of the differences between them. In the end of A Secret Sorrow the author shows the reader Fayes feelings beautiful, complete, whole (Zee 38) in her roleas a wife and mother. Godwin, on the other hand, leaves the audience with the protagonist dead on her bed. Godwin seems to give the reader hope by showing all that the woman has done when she says, the house smelled redolently of novelty and spring (Godwin 42). This makes the misfortune even harder when one discovers, along with the husband and child, the womans death. The ambiguous way the death of Godwins unnamed protagonist is dealt with reinforces the authors negative tone towards marriage. It isnt explicitly written as suicide however, Godwin seems to encourage her readers to see it as the inevitable takings of her marriage.Van der Zee creates a story full of emotional highs and lows, but one that leads up to and ends with marriage. After the marriage all of the plot twists and traumas come to a halt, replaced with mollification and happiness. Faye is broug ht to new life by her marriage and children she finds fulfillment of all of her desires in them. Godwins story, however, is full of post marital fear and confusion. The character she creates is stifled and unquestionably unsuccessful by her marriage.A burst of seminal energy right before her death produces, among other things, a sheath of wonderful watercolor beasts accompanied by mad and fanciful stories nobody could ever make up again, and a tablet full of love sonnets addressed to the man (Godwin 42). It is heart-to-heart that the woman had talents and desires not met by the office duties of her marital life. For Faye, the protagonist of A Secret Sorrow, marriage is the happily-ever-after ending she has treasured all of her life for Godwins protagonist, marriage is just a monotonous and perpetual ever after. In any case, man cannot bear too much reality. whole caboodle CitedGodwin, Gail. A Sorrowful Woman. 38-42.Van der Zee, Karen. A Secret Sorrow. 30-38.