I'm writing an essay on the short story, The Bouquet. It's a essay on the character of Mary Myrover. Tell me what you think... =D
Mary Myrover is Charles W. Chesnutt's major character in the short story, "The Bouquet". She is a prideful, southern white lady, suffering from the loss of her family, and the state of poverty in which they left her in. To save her well-being and help her meager income, Miss Myrover takes up one of the most embarassing and strenuous jobs of her time; teaching colored children. Though she disliked it at first, she found it more appealing and satisfactory afterwards; She even found herself in a slight relationship with one of the students. Mary Myrover's character is determined by her courage to teach colored children, her determination and devotion to rid herself of poverty, and her...
I'm still working on another character trait, perhaps you guys can help me? :)
Thanks for your time.
I am wondering what your point is in the "essay", looking for a thesis you are trying to develop. Essays without a point, ramble.
Is your thesis Mary met personal growth needs by teaching impoverished children? Then you are going to develope the character development associated with those growth needs?
At any rate, decide what you are trying to tell the reader.
By the way, having taught in the South, I am quite uncertain what colored children are. What color? I did find a lot of poor children there.
I don't understand what you're saying. And colored children are "African-American" children.
1. When you read a story written during a different era from ours, there will usually be vocabulary that is different from ours today. The term "colored" is one of these since this story was originally published in 1899. You need to clarify that early in your paper.
http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=CheBouq.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=1&division=div1
2. Do not simply retell the story. If you are to write about the main character, you will need to write a good, tight thesis statement and then focus on proving that statement true without summarizing the whole story or even large parts of it.
Read the information in these links very carefully:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/literature.htm
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/catalogue.html#org
from http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/catalogue.html
It seems like you are doing a great job analyzing the character of Mary Myrover in the short story "The Bouquet." You have already discussed her pride and her determination to improve her financial situation by taking up a job as a teacher for colored children. I can definitely help you with another character trait to add to your essay.
Another important trait that you can explore is Mary Myrover's resilience. Resilience refers to the ability to bounce back from difficult situations and keep moving forward. In the story, Mary faces various challenges, such as the loss of her family and the poverty she finds herself in. However, instead of giving up or succumbing to bitterness, she chooses to take on a challenging job that many would consider beneath them. She navigates the racial prejudices and societal expectations of her time and finds inner strength to overcome obstacles that come her way.
To further support this trait, consider looking for examples in the story where Mary demonstrates resilience. This could be moments where she faces various hardships or occasions where she shows determination and optimism despite the circumstances. By exploring this aspect of her character, you can provide a more well-rounded analysis of Mary Myrover and make your essay even stronger.
Remember to always include evidence from the text to support your analysis and arguments. Good luck with your essay!