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 is hyperbole in the story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his... The most obvious use of hyperbole in "The Gift of the Magi" occurs when the narrator describes Della's and Jim's evaluations of their two treasures—her long, luxuriant hair and his gold watch. Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the flat across the airshaft, Della would have let her hair hang out the window some day to dry just to depreciate Her Majesty's jewels and gifts. Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him plu

How can I analyze Moon and Six Pence by Somerset Maugham?

In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of... In "Moon and Sixpence," loosely based on the life of Paul Gaugin, Maugham presents a study of the tension between the "civilized" life of 19th century Europe, and the lead character's desire to throw off the shackles of bourgeois life. Charles Strickland is a middle-aged English stockbroker with a wife and family. By abandoning his domestic life, Strickland commits what many in European society would consider a gross betrayal of one of the foundations of that society. His decision to e

What are some literary devices in Macbeth, Act V, Scene 1?

Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not... Act V, Scene i of Macbeth certainly continues the imagery that is prevalent in the play with its phantasmagoric realm, as in this scene a succession of things are seen or imagined by Lady Macbeth. Imagery - The representation of sensory experience Lady Macbeth imagines that she sees bloody spots (visual imagery) on the stairs; she also smells blood (olfactory imagery): Here's the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! oh, oh! (5.1.53-55) Hyperbole - Obvious exaggeration  There is also h