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Theft by Katherine Anne Porter
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    JUGEMテーマ:英語の文学
    Theft by Katherine Anne Porter [from 50 Great Short Stories]

    The unnamed protagonist is a female theater critic living in an apartment by herself. She has relationships(?) with some men. She keeps her apartment door unlocked so that anyone can come in anytime. It seems that she pursues independence in the society where she (and some others in the theatrical circle) has to lead a very poor and obscure life. She has to accept her difficult situation because her policy is liberation and generosity. She is an "independent and liberated" woman.
    She does not care about the order in her apartment room, thereby inviting the janitress to steal her purse.
    First I thought the protagonist mistakenly thought that the janitress had stolen her purse. Maybe we should not doubt the protagonist's recognition, however, as this is a story written about 80 years ago.
    Now her precious purse is taken away and she is desperate to get it back, she realizes her own self-deception. First she tries to show her policy--generosity--to the janitress. The janitress may be more honest (to herself) and desperate, and is so clever a speaker. She conjures up rather convincing excuse for her theft.
    On the other hand, this female critic is so exhausted that she finally sees what she has lost because of her "policy".
    This lonely woman may be a kind of snob (just like her male friend who damaged his hat in the rain), and I understand this is how a woman has to be to hold independence and dignity. There might have been many so-called feminist women like her, especially in the 60s and 70s.

    Some critics seem to recognize the purse as a symbol of sexuality, especially an empty womb, but I feel it goes a little too far.
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    | mats | 作品 | 23:09 | comments(0) | - |
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