Willa Cather’s “A Wagner Matinee” was first published in 1904 and is a short story about a woman, named Georgiana, who finds herself transition from the ecstatic city of Boston, to the primitive Nebraska frontier. Cather’s “A Wagner Matinee” was inspired by Richard Wagner who was a German composer and conductor that lived from 1813 to 1883. He’s well known for his operas and his most famous work is that of “The Flying Dutchman”. Willa Cather, instead, wasn’t a musician but was an author of the realist movement. The story in question shows how setting can have an effect on characterisation and the events that take place in a story. Cather also shows the relevance of setting and time to the story’s overall meaning.
Cather lived from 1873 to …show more content…
“She sat staring at the orchestra through a dullness of thirty years”. She had soon forced herself to forget what she left behind and start to accept that life in Nebraska was the only life for her. When she decided to go and visit her nephew Clark in Boston, he suggested to see a performance at the Music Hall. Since Georgiana had hardened herself to her reality, the concert hall transformed her, causing everything she left to start flooding back. “She preserved this utter immobility throughout the number from The Flying Dutchman, though her fingers worked mechanically upon her black dress, as though, of themselves, they were recalling the piano score they had once played”. The music penetrated all of her walls and barriers, all of her forgotten joy was suddenly being found in the music that she once knew so well. “She burst into tears and sobbed pleadingly. ‘I don't want to go, Clark, I don't want to go!’” After the performance, she lingered in her seat and didn’t want to leave because she didn’t want the moment to end. The music and Boston were a reminder of everything she had sacrificed when she chose to marry and move to Nebraska. As Clark watches this change take place, he learns to see deeply into his aunts heart and understand that she’s facing the terrible reality that she’s left all of this …show more content…
“It never really died, then—the soul that can suffer so excruciatingly and so interminably; it withers to the outward eye only…”. Her love for beauty is shown here, Nebraska may have warped her body, stolen her youth and ruined her loveliness, but it couldn’t destroy her love for music. The setting of the Music Hall has an awakening affect on Georgiana and she begins to feel sorrow for her loss of time. Through these actions taking place we learn that Clark has a tremendous amount of respect and understanding towards his aunt. Overall, Georgiana is good to Clark, she is kind and helps him with his schoolwork and taught him piano. The two settings in the story have different effects on both characters. After living in Nebraska, Georgiana is misshapen, hunched over and had yellow skin, and when she lived in Boston she had musical talent, was financially comfortable and was a teacher. Instead, Clark is lanky in Nebraska and had blisters and raw hands, whereas in Boston he is happy and successful. The Nebraska frontier shows Georgiana’s pain and denial, meanwhile, the Boston Music Hall represents everything she has sacrificed. The bleak Nebraska farmhouse versus the lively Boston Music Hall emphasises the emotional states of the characters and contributes to the characters’ development through the
Cather lived from 1873 to …show more content…
“She sat staring at the orchestra through a dullness of thirty years”. She had soon forced herself to forget what she left behind and start to accept that life in Nebraska was the only life for her. When she decided to go and visit her nephew Clark in Boston, he suggested to see a performance at the Music Hall. Since Georgiana had hardened herself to her reality, the concert hall transformed her, causing everything she left to start flooding back. “She preserved this utter immobility throughout the number from The Flying Dutchman, though her fingers worked mechanically upon her black dress, as though, of themselves, they were recalling the piano score they had once played”. The music penetrated all of her walls and barriers, all of her forgotten joy was suddenly being found in the music that she once knew so well. “She burst into tears and sobbed pleadingly. ‘I don't want to go, Clark, I don't want to go!’” After the performance, she lingered in her seat and didn’t want to leave because she didn’t want the moment to end. The music and Boston were a reminder of everything she had sacrificed when she chose to marry and move to Nebraska. As Clark watches this change take place, he learns to see deeply into his aunts heart and understand that she’s facing the terrible reality that she’s left all of this …show more content…
“It never really died, then—the soul that can suffer so excruciatingly and so interminably; it withers to the outward eye only…”. Her love for beauty is shown here, Nebraska may have warped her body, stolen her youth and ruined her loveliness, but it couldn’t destroy her love for music. The setting of the Music Hall has an awakening affect on Georgiana and she begins to feel sorrow for her loss of time. Through these actions taking place we learn that Clark has a tremendous amount of respect and understanding towards his aunt. Overall, Georgiana is good to Clark, she is kind and helps him with his schoolwork and taught him piano. The two settings in the story have different effects on both characters. After living in Nebraska, Georgiana is misshapen, hunched over and had yellow skin, and when she lived in Boston she had musical talent, was financially comfortable and was a teacher. Instead, Clark is lanky in Nebraska and had blisters and raw hands, whereas in Boston he is happy and successful. The Nebraska frontier shows Georgiana’s pain and denial, meanwhile, the Boston Music Hall represents everything she has sacrificed. The bleak Nebraska farmhouse versus the lively Boston Music Hall emphasises the emotional states of the characters and contributes to the characters’ development through the