Essay on "Two Short Stories and Their Symbolism"

Essay 8 pages (2687 words) Sources: 1+ Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Upper-class women like those depicted in Gallant's story have to choose their mates carefully with regard to social status and appropriate alliances. The women in Gallant's story are keenly aware of the importance of social appearances. For instance, the mother Mme. Carette does not like the Greek man as a potential son-in-law and much prefers that her daughters marry French. Gallant's "The Chosen Husband" is about the ways women navigate their roles in society and carve out ways to be in control of their lives, even when they have no political power.

Mme Carette serves as an ironic feminist role model for her two daughters. After losing her husband, Mme. never remarried. Instead, she opted for a single life independent from male support. Her reasons for refusing remarriage are complex, as Mme. Carette supports Berthe's independence while encouraging Marie to get married. Berthe may be following in her mother's footsteps by voluntarily remaining single. However, Mme. Carette unconsciously yearns to live vicariously through her daughters and her happiness may indeed depend on one of them getting married. She particularly wishes for Marie to marry a wealthy French man, as if through Marie's marriage, Mme. Carette might be able to recapture what it was like to have been married. In the end, Mme. Carette realizes that she pushed Marie into the marriage probably against her daughter's will. The most obvious indication that Mme Carette lives vicariously through Marie is when she gives Marie her wedding dress. Once Marie is married, though, Mme. Carette realizes that losing her daughter will not bring her happiness.

On the one hand, Mme. Carette can be viewed as being self-centered but on the other hand, she is only looking out for her daughters' best interest. Berthe has a career and is remarkably independent for a woman of their generation, but Marie is not as self-sufficient. Mme. Carette is independent, but lonely. As the narrator describes her, Mme Carette had a "long widowhood strictly observed," (Gallant 306). The "strict observance" of her widowhood may be because Mme Carette loved her first husband too much to remarry, but it might also be because she did not love her first husband at all and prefers solitude. In any case, being single "kept her childish," the narrator notes, but "not youthful," (Gallant 306). In other words, Mme. Carette can only pretend to be young but is not necessarily happy and has not emotionally matured.

By not remarrying, Mme Carette shows that women can and even should become financially independent. On the other hand, Mme Carette comes from a generation in which women were still dependent on men because their career options were limited and their social status depended on their marital status. Her daughters, and Berthe in particular, seem wise in comparison to their mother. Whereas their mother retains the prejudices of the past and lacks liberal-mindedness, the daughters seem more open-minded especially when it comes to multiculturalism. Neither daughter minds men from different backgrounds, but Mme Carette certainly does. Berthe is the most progressive of the three women featured in Gallant's short story, as she has a salaried career, travels independently, smokes, and has affairs with whomever she pleases. Marie, who often looks up to her older sister as she symbolically dons the same curlers in her hair, also displays clear signs of wisdom in that the title of the story is "the chosen husband." Louis is not necessarily someone Marie chooses, as initially she preferred the Greek man. Yet in the end, Marie does marry who she chooses, just as Mme. Carette and Berthe choose to marry no one. Gallant's short story is therefore empowering for women.

Although Louis was in some ways hand-picked by Mme. Carette as a suitable mate, even Berthe admits that he is a catch: "The girls cry with envy when you and Louis walk down the street," she comments (Gallant 313). Berthe would not steer her sister wrong. Marie marries Louis not because she has to, but ultimately because she wants to as Marie longs for a traditional life and "seems contented," (Gallant 316). In some ways, Marie seems like a doll who is being manipulated but Berthe is living proof that it is Marie's choice to marry Louis. Marie "wanted to be with Berthe," showing that their bond as sisters is a strong one and likely to be much stronger than the bond between husband and wife (Gallant 316). The line also hints subtly at potential lesbianism, which would have not been a choice for women during this era. More notably, Gallant shows that the relationships between female family members are special and deserves to be honored even after marriage.

One of the most powerful symbols in "The Chosen Husband" is the wedding ring. Louis gives Marie the ring worn by his former wife, who died. The hand-me-down ring suggests that Marie was not Louis's first choice as wife, which makes the two of them even as Louis was not Marie's first choice as husband. Moreover, the ring could be construed as "unlucky," as Berthe perceives it (Gallant 316). Their mother suffered the pain and agony of losing a husband; it is possible that Marie might also suffer the same fate. Mme. Carette claims that "widowers make good husbands," (Gallant 317). Most importantly, the ring represents the "unredeemable loss of Marie," (Gallant 317). It is as if a woman's life is over once she becomes a wife. Mme. Carette and Berthe seem to know this is true, which is why Mme Carette tells Berthe not to marry and understands why she has turned down so many good prospects. Berthe may have made herself unavailable because of her attachment and commitment to their mother. It will be Berthe who most likely takes care of the mother, because Marie will now be living with Louis in a traditional patriarchal marriage. Earlier in the story, Marie drops her engagement ring, which is a sign that she did not want to get married in the first place but had later come to accept marriage as her fate. Initially, Marie claims "she could not love" Louis, but it seems that she may come to create her own happiness within the patriarchal social structure (Gallant 314). Marie will always have her sister and her mother as social support systems, and it is unlikely that Berthe will marry.

"The Chosen Husband" provides a complex vision of feminism in a changing world. Mme. Carette is on the brink of two generations: one that required that all men and women get married and have children together, and another that encouraged the empowerment of women to choose their own destiny. Berthe effortlessly opts out of marriage, choosing instead to have simple, easy affairs. She pursues a career, whereas her younger sister chooses marriage. While it occasionally appears that Marie was pushed into the marriage, she could have easily opted to follow in her big sister's footsteps. Marie might be slightly envious of Berthe for her freedom and independence, but she may also find that she will be happy in her… READ MORE

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