Skip to main content

Whom does Mrs. Sommers put first in "A Pair of Silk Stockings" by Kate Chopin?

In Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings," when she unexpectedly finds that she has an extra fifteen dollars, Mrs. Sommers first considers the needs of her children.


Because "[T]he question of investment was one that occupied her greatly," Mrs. Sommers deliberates so intensely that she walks around for one or two days, barely conscious of her surroundings. Instead, she is "absorbed in speculation and calculation" because she does not wish to act rashly and...

In Kate Chopin's "A Pair of Silk Stockings," when she unexpectedly finds that she has an extra fifteen dollars, Mrs. Sommers first considers the needs of her children.


Because "[T]he question of investment was one that occupied her greatly," Mrs. Sommers deliberates so intensely that she walks around for one or two days, barely conscious of her surroundings. Instead, she is "absorbed in speculation and calculation" because she does not wish to act rashly and later regret her actions. In fact, she lies awake calculating how she will slightly increase the amounts that she would usually spend on each child, and how she can make the best use of her windfall.


With "the needs of the present absorb[ing] her every faculty," this mother rides the cable car to town. However, when she arrives, Mrs. Sommers feels rather faint because in her preoccupation she has forgotten to eat lunch. So, as she enters a department store, Mrs. Sommers is "a little faint and tired." Therefore, she sits upon a revolving stool at a counter to rest, but she inadvertently lays her hand upon a stack of silk stockings. Just then a clerk asks her if she would like to examine the store's line of silk hosiery, and Mrs. Sommers smiles at the temptation. Nevertheless, she continues to feel "the soft sheeny luxurious things."  With both of her hands, she holds them up to watch them "glide serpent-like through her fingers," and the temptation becomes too great for the enervated Mrs. Sommers. Succumbing to this temptation, Mrs. Sommers selects a pair of black stockings and pays for them. After making her purchase, Mrs. Sommers goes to the ladies' waiting room and eagerly changes her cotton stockings for this luxurious pair of silk stockings.


These rather impetuous actions initiate the beginning of an afternoon in which she uses the fifteen dollars much differently from how she has planned. Mrs. Sommers indulges herself in small pleasures such as a new pair of polished, pointed-tipped boots and well-fitting kid gloves. Further, she enjoys a delightful lunch and attends a play.
For this one day, Mrs. Summers escapes her life of frugality, returning home with "a poignant wish...that the cable car would never stop...." so that she could reclaim a past life of comfort. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...

Where did Atticus take the light and extension cord in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with... Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with Jim if that’s what it takes to protect him.  Atticus tells the men that he will make sure his client gets his fair shake at the law.  “Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till ...