“The Other Woman” is a short fictional story written by Sherwood Anderson during the 1920s. It focuses mainly on three unnamed characters: the man who tells his story, the other woman who is a tobacconist’s wife and the man’s fiancee who was a judge’s daughter. The story was about a man, who, days before his wedding day had a brief but unforgettable encounter with a woman she barely even knew. She was the wife of a tobacconist at a small cigar store at the corner of the street where he lived.
At the beginning of the story, the man spoke of his good fate as he was appointed a new government position. In addition to this, his poetry writing was acknowledged as best and this was printed in the local newspapers. Because of this, he became popular and received attention everywher
...e, which overwhelmed him. However one night, thoughts of the upcoming wedding and the new-found fame were replaced by thoughts of this woman.Quoting Sherwood “During that week in the midst of his distraction she was the only person he knew who stood out clear and distinct in his mind. The time came when the tobacconist’s wife went his place, and as implied, they made love.
All throughout the story, the man kept on declaring his love for his wife. At the same time, he kept denying he is in love with the tobacconist’s wife. However, in understanding the story, it appears that he was also contradicting himself as he described that evening with the tobacconist’s wife as the “most notable experience of his life. ” Furthermore, despite his marriage, he said he would think about th
other woman.
At the last part of the story, he appears defensive over thinking about this woman; stating that he was going to think of her that night only because they spoke of her. To grasp the story, it will take reading the entire text twice. Still, re-reading portions is necessary to understand the story’s meaning as well as the author’s sentiments and thoughts. On initial impression, the story appears to be simple to read, as there were no complex vocabularies used. However, Sherwood seemed to have written this story in a disorganized manner, making it a difficult read.There was a part where he spoke of Thursday morning then jumped to the events of Thursday evening and then went back to what took place in between, and went back again to Thursday evening.
Apart from this, it was noticeable in all throughout the text how he declares something, then contradicts it, and then explains. From which, the reader has to discern which of which is true. According to Rey in his work entitled Analytical Review of "The Other Woman,”one may have the impression that “he has a dizzying intellect because he does not present his thoughts and actions in an organized fashion” (2001).On regards the theme, it is but striking that during that period women can be depicted being capable of committing sexual acts with a stranger.
When the other woman was asked by the man to go to his apartment, she obliged without hesitation. Furthermore, the story implied that she knew that she had to be discrete in going there (as she softly knocked and not buzzed) and that they made love “quick. ” It
gave an impression that women were that inferior to engage in sexual rendezvous.Basset describes Sherwood as one who “makes liberal argument that women are too often made to think of themselves as sex objects…” (38). In addition to this, this author gives the “most sexist opinion of women’s inferior passions…against men’s unification of social, scientific, and physical virtues” (38).
This was depicted in the respectable stature of the man as having been appointed with a government position. He was also a popular figure in the arts because of his poetry while the other woman was merely cigar vendor’s wife.
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