"Yes, sir: right after it. The fellow came down to Nettleton and ran amuck, the way they sometimes do. After they've done a wood-cutting job they come down and blow the money in; and this man ended up with manslaughter. I got him convicted, though they were scared of the Mountain even at Nettleton; and then a queer thing happened. The fellow sent for me to go and see him in gaol. I went, and this is what he says: 'The fool that defended me is a chicken-livered son of a--and all the rest of it,' he says. 'I've got a job to be done for me up on the Mountain, and you're the only man I seen in court that looks as if he'd do it.' He told me he had a child up there--or thought he had-- a little girl; and he wanted her brought down and reared like a Christian. I was sorry for the fellow, so I went up and got the child." He paused, and Charity listened with a throbbing heart. "That's the only time I ever went up the Mountain," he concluded” (Wharton Chapter 6)
I had a strong reaction to this passage, because I liked how it showed Charity’s vulnerability. So far in Summer, Edith Warton shows Charity as independent, a little tomboyish, and not concerned with romance. She kind of strikes me as a character from Jane Austen’s novels. Charity is a little bit sassy and does what she wants when she wants. The quote above shows a whole other side to her personality that was unexpected, but refreshing to see as a reader. Her being worried and embarrassed about Mr. Royall telling Lucius about her mountain past—even though he doesn’t directly mention her name—is a sign that she really likes Lucius. This observation says a lot about other events in the book so far. The whole book shows Charity as a little cold but completely aware of her surroundings. Developing a liking for Lucius makes her appear to feel a little lost and she doesn’t have control of the situation that she seems to love.
This passage in Summer seems to touch on the cultural narrative that men are strong and females are insignificant. The way Mr. Royall talks to Lucius about the Mountain and his experiences going up the mountain is kind of superior sounding. It’s as if he knows everything and these people in the Mountains are so inferior to him. And of course the passage shows Charity becoming a little weak about the situation and getting upset.
"Anywhere where I can earn my living. I'll try here first, and if I can't do it here I'll go somewhere else. I'll go up the Mountain if I have to." She paused on this threat, and saw that it had taken effect. "I want you should get Miss Hatchard and the selectmen to take me at the library: and I want a woman here in the house with me," she repeated" (Wharton Chapter 2).
I like this part, because it showed how Charity was strong. She stood up for what she believed in, told off Mr. Royall, gave him circumstances, and he met those. I got the impression that he was intimidated and surprised by her confidence towards the situation. I almost put the book down and clapped. Got to love that girl power!
This event in the book really connects with another one in the future. The passage where she tells off Luicus because she thought he sort of “told” on her for not being at the library is similar. She doesn’t hold back in that scene either. To me, it kind of showed her Mountain side. She’s a little unruly, headstrong, and aggressive—just the traits the Mountain people are supposed to bear (beside rumoring to be a dirty and ignorant people). This scene show that she is this type of women.
1 comment:
I quoted the first passage that you wrote about as well but I liked reading your blog entry because we took different takes on this passage. I focused on how Mr. Royall did not mention Charity's name while talking to Harney and you focused on the fact that it showed Charity's vulnerability because it showed that she likes Harney. I did not think of that when I was reading that passage but your entry gave me another insight into what that passage meant.
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