A Path To Individuality
In the story, “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin, a mother escapes her home temporarily, from all her worries of being in a lower class and encounters the luxuries that only people with a lot of money and wealth can experience. A poem, “Now and Then, America” by Pat Mora, however, is a short poem about a person that wants to be unique and free from society’s definition of ordinary. Even though the two authors both wrote about freedom, identity, and individuality, their attitudes of the theme are very different. In the story, “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” the mood is very dark. The main character is a mother who is struggling with the overwhelming reality of having to take care of her children and her restricted …show more content…
However, when she comes across a pair of serpent-like stockings, she has a strong urge to indulge. Without even realizing, she spends money on one thing after another. This escape gave Mrs.Sommers a taste of the “Better days,” but unfortunately, this feeling was only temporarily. She wishes to never go back to her home. The author provides images of Mrs.Sommer’s cheap gloves to the beautiful and delicate gloves, to contrast the difference of the lives of the rich and the poor. A small amount of luxury, like a pair of Silk stockings, is something the poor can only achieve through their fantasy, but means nothing to the people in the upper class. On the other hand, the mood of the story, “Then and Now, America,” is very powerful, and somewhat bright, despite the dreadful imagery she creates. The narrator is struggling to gain individuality and freedom. She refuses to be tied down, to a criteria, that people are forced to meet in their society, and is hopeful for a brighter future. The narrator claims, “Let me in to boardrooms wearing hot / colors, my hair long and free, / maybe speaking Spanish. / Risk my difference, my surprises. / Grant me a little life, America.” The person is willing to fight for her own personal statement to be heard and she wants to
In the story, “A Pair of Silk Stockings” by Kate Chopin, a mother escapes her home temporarily, from all her worries of being in a lower class and encounters the luxuries that only people with a lot of money and wealth can experience. A poem, “Now and Then, America” by Pat Mora, however, is a short poem about a person that wants to be unique and free from society’s definition of ordinary. Even though the two authors both wrote about freedom, identity, and individuality, their attitudes of the theme are very different. In the story, “A Pair of Silk Stockings,” the mood is very dark. The main character is a mother who is struggling with the overwhelming reality of having to take care of her children and her restricted …show more content…
However, when she comes across a pair of serpent-like stockings, she has a strong urge to indulge. Without even realizing, she spends money on one thing after another. This escape gave Mrs.Sommers a taste of the “Better days,” but unfortunately, this feeling was only temporarily. She wishes to never go back to her home. The author provides images of Mrs.Sommer’s cheap gloves to the beautiful and delicate gloves, to contrast the difference of the lives of the rich and the poor. A small amount of luxury, like a pair of Silk stockings, is something the poor can only achieve through their fantasy, but means nothing to the people in the upper class. On the other hand, the mood of the story, “Then and Now, America,” is very powerful, and somewhat bright, despite the dreadful imagery she creates. The narrator is struggling to gain individuality and freedom. She refuses to be tied down, to a criteria, that people are forced to meet in their society, and is hopeful for a brighter future. The narrator claims, “Let me in to boardrooms wearing hot / colors, my hair long and free, / maybe speaking Spanish. / Risk my difference, my surprises. / Grant me a little life, America.” The person is willing to fight for her own personal statement to be heard and she wants to