Analysis Of Mrs Sommers In A Pair Of Silk Stockings

A Pair of Ambiguous Feelings
Mrs. Sommers, the main character in the short story of A Pair of Silk Stockings, should not feel guilty for pampering herself once in a while. Throughout the short story Mrs. Sommers is debating on whether she should use money to buy things for her children or to buy things for herself. She typically does not spend money on herself and focuses her time, attention, and money to her kids. In an instance Mrs. Sommers comes across a significant amount of money and she is put in a situation of deciding what to do with this quick fortune. She ends up using the money for herself. This can be taken one of two ways. People might perceive her as selfish, and say that she should have used the money on her kids. Others will …show more content…
Sommers found the money she figured that she would most likely buy things for her children; however, she had other ways in mind of how to spend her quick fortune. Typically the choice of where to spend the money would be an obvious decision but, “The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly” (Chopin, 55). In the beginning Mrs. Sommers was having a difficult time deciding whether to spend the money on herself or buy for her children that needed clothes and shoes. This was the point of time in which Mrs. Sommers was making the decision of where to spend her money, and what to buy with it. This is the point of ambiguity. Mrs. Sommers is indecisive on what to do with the money she found and this shows ambiguity. During this time she is contemplating on whether to use her money to benefit her kids or to use the money for her own …show more content…
Sommers does not typically have the privilege of thinking and doing things for herself like the majority of people do. Most people have plenty of time to themselves but Mrs. Sommers “had not time – no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty” (Chopin, 55). Having all the kids she had made it nearly impossible to spend any time thinking about herself. All of her money, time, and attention went to helping her kids have a good life. She did not even have time to think about the past because her thoughts were so consumed in the present. I believe that being so busy helped her forget about the “better days that little Mrs. Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Mrs. Sommers” (Chopin, 55). This hints to the fact that before she had ever met her husband she was better off financially and this could be a difficult transition going from being more fortunate when it comes to money than having less than the typical family. Instead of Mrs. Sommers always focusing on her children and the current situation she should have time to herself to reflect and do something benefiting herself. Ambiguity is prevalent because she is constantly indecisive on whether to take time for herself or to spend her time focusing on her