Mrs Turner Cutting The Grass Summary

The short story Mrs. Turner Cutting the Grass, written by Carol Shields, illustrates the story of senior women referred to as Mrs. Turner and escorts the reader on a journey throughout much of her life. On this voyage, Carol Shields allows the reader the ability to delve into Mrs. Turner’s past and experience the critical events within her life which ultimately helped to shape her as a person. From beginning to end, Carol Shields gives the reader a god-like viewpoint of the story, presenting different perspectives and perceptions of Mrs. Turner held by various side characters. These interpretations of Mrs. Turner help to provide the reader with additional information about her as an individual. Ultimately, using all the available information, …show more content…
This method of narrative voice gives the reader knowledge of what a character might be thinking during any point of the story. Using this approach, Carol Shields shows the reader how other characters view Mrs. Turner as an individual. Frequently, many characters within the story view Mrs. Turner in a negative manner, judging her by the way she acts while having no prior knowledge of the tribulations that she has experienced within her lifetime. By utilizing third person omniscient and its ability to inform the reader about what occurs around a character, Carole Shields illustrates to the reader the tribulations that Mrs. Turner has overcome during her lifetime. This insight into Mrs. Turner's past allows the reader a deeper comprehension of Mrs. Turner’s character as the reader has knowledge of which events have helped shape Mrs. Turner as a person. One instance where this can be seen occurring is when Mrs. Turner is forced by the circumstances of her life to give up her newborn child. Recognizing that she cannot provide a suitable lifestyle for her son, she bequeaths him on the doorstep of a wealthy family in the hopes that her son will receive a better life than she can provide, believing “that she did the best she could under the …show more content…
By showing this part of Mrs. Turner’s life, Carol Shields displays to the reader a point in Mrs. Turner's life where she had to make a difficult decision to allow her son the chance at a better life. With this information, the reader can understand Mrs. Turner's character deeper than any other side character within the story. This deeper understanding of Mrs. Turner demonstrates to the reader that the perceptions other characters have of Mrs. Turner are not accurate as they portray Mrs. Turner in a negative light without knowing who she truly is as a person and the hardships she's managed to overcome due to her resilient personality. Another method of storytelling Carol Shields employs is the way she begins and ends the story of Mrs. Turner. When first reading the story, the reader will notice that it simply starts with Mrs. Turner cutting the grass, but as the reader nears the end, it is noticeable that the story ends with Mrs. Turner still cutting the grass. During the space between the beginning and end; however, the reader experiences different parts of Mrs. Turner's life and witnesses how she has developed as a person throughout her life. Thus, the reader sees Mrs. Turner change throughout