Too Soon A Woman Essay Example

father can't feed another mouth, but reluctantly allows Mary to go along to look after the girls.

* Inciting incident: When they stop at a deserted cabin, with no money and scant provision, Pa leaves in finding an old uncle who can give him both money and food, but on the fifth day of their father’s absence, the young people have run out of food. So they are all in danger of dying of hunger.

* Development: Mary wants to do something for the children because Pa leaves her in charge and goes to West to find food and money. That night Mary brings back a huge mushroom that may or not may be poisonous.

* Climax: Mary eats some mushroom herself in order to test it, thus earns the hatred of the children. She risks her life by eating a possibly poisonous mushroom. During the night Mary and the small boy wonder whether she will die or not. Mary is scared that she will die.

* Resolution: When we find out that the mushroom isn’t poisonous it is resolution for Mary and the narrator. (Mary feels relieved and looks at the world differently, and she feeds the children with the rest of the mushroom.They are very happy.) * Denouement: The verb tense of the last sentence informs us that Mary who was a wonderful woman got married to pa and is no longer alive.

The author wants to emphasize Mary’s strength and devotion to the children and also her courage. She displays great courage. ‘Even ordinary people may have great courage and strength’ Mood: The description of an open

wagon travelling across a huge expanse of windy prairie creates a lonely mood.

Mary: There is no direct characterization except the one narrator says ‘ my step mother was a wonderful woman’. Mary is a heroine because she risks her life by eating wild mushroom to determine whether they are safe for the children or not. The name ‘Mary’ is plain, simple and has religious connotations. It might suggest love, sacrifice and suffering. We don’t know much about her appearance but we can make inferences about her feelings and personality.

Mary is courageous, determined, strong, responsible, devoted to the children, caring, helpful, kind, mature to her age. She is a strong leader, with the ability to take charge of a difficult situation and to do what is needed. Background: We learn that Mary suffered from people she used to live with when the narrator notices the scars/marks on her shoulder. Motivation: Maybe to set a new/happy life with a loving family to live happily, to share everything with others. Relationship: At first Pa didn’t want her to come with them but then he got used to her . So did the children, because she took care of them when their father went away. So their relationship with Mary was wonderful.

Conflict: when she decides to eat the mushroom, she hesitates for a moment. Change: Mary is a static character. She doesn’t change. She is always the same wonderful, helpful, caring, kind woman.