Characterization in Harriet Beecher Stowes Minister without a Pulpit :: Harriet Beecher Stowe Minister Pulpit Essays

Characterization in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Minister without a Pulpit Harriet Beecher Stowe uses characterization and a tragic situation to portray the contrast of the bourgeois and the proletariat classes and the social movements within the class structure. The first character appearing in the story is a little girl whose mother has just died. The descriptions of her are vague, and the name of this child is not revealed until late in the story. Throughout the story, the little girl is referred to as â€Å" ‘ere,† â€Å"beautiful little girl of seven years,† â€Å"little girl,† â€Å"little one,† and â€Å"child.† Only when she is asked for her name do the readers learn that it is Eglantine Percival. Even after her name has been revealed, none of the characters use her name. This absence of a name indirectly reflects Eglantine’s position in society after her mother’s death. Stowe uses vague words like â€Å"child† to show the subordination of Eglantine as a result of Miss Asphyxia’s demands. Before Eglantine is taken in, she held a high status with her mother and brother Harry. Her mother dies, and her brother is taken away from her along with â€Å"money enough† to pay for her mother’s funeral. The loss of these material possessions must coincide with a loss of high status according to Karl Marx. Dropping from bourgeois, Eglantine falls into the proletariat status. She does not submit entirely to the social structure at first. In fact, she resents the work Miss Asphyxia demands of her saying that she â€Å"wants to play.† Eglantine still dreams of her previous leisurely lifestyle where she had no responsibilities, where flowers were beautiful, and where her mother â€Å"always brushed them [her curls] out everyday.† She refuses Miss Asphyxia’s authority on a few occasions, but her efforts end with her own tears and eventual obedience. As her possessions escape her, Eglantine becomes more and more submissive to Miss Asphyxia and more proletariat status-like. Contrasting Eglantine is her benefactor Miss Asphyxia. She is a working woman, older and stronger. Miss Asphyxia is a â€Å"working machine, always wound up and going.† She understood that â€Å"nature had made her†¦entirely for use.† She described herself having nothing but bone and muscle, purely with practical and efficient uses. The use of Miss Asphyxia’s name is quite interesting. The short story is unexpectedly named after her although it seems that Eglantine is the main character of the story. Characterization in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Minister without a Pulpit :: Harriet Beecher Stowe Minister Pulpit Essays Characterization in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Minister without a Pulpit Harriet Beecher Stowe uses characterization and a tragic situation to portray the contrast of the bourgeois and the proletariat classes and the social movements within the class structure. The first character appearing in the story is a little girl whose mother has just died. The descriptions of her are vague, and the name of this child is not revealed until late in the story. Throughout the story, the little girl is referred to as â€Å" ‘ere,† â€Å"beautiful little girl of seven years,† â€Å"little girl,† â€Å"little one,† and â€Å"child.† Only when she is asked for her name do the readers learn that it is Eglantine Percival. Even after her name has been revealed, none of the characters use her name. This absence of a name indirectly reflects Eglantine’s position in society after her mother’s death. Stowe uses vague words like â€Å"child† to show the subordination of Eglantine as a result of Miss Asphyxia’s demands. Before Eglantine is taken in, she held a high status with her mother and brother Harry. Her mother dies, and her brother is taken away from her along with â€Å"money enough† to pay for her mother’s funeral. The loss of these material possessions must coincide with a loss of high status according to Karl Marx. Dropping from bourgeois, Eglantine falls into the proletariat status. She does not submit entirely to the social structure at first. In fact, she resents the work Miss Asphyxia demands of her saying that she â€Å"wants to play.† Eglantine still dreams of her previous leisurely lifestyle where she had no responsibilities, where flowers were beautiful, and where her mother â€Å"always brushed them [her curls] out everyday.† She refuses Miss Asphyxia’s authority on a few occasions, but her efforts end with her own tears and eventual obedience. As her possessions escape her, Eglantine becomes more and more submissive to Miss Asphyxia and more proletariat status-like. Contrasting Eglantine is her benefactor Miss Asphyxia. She is a working woman, older and stronger. Miss Asphyxia is a â€Å"working machine, always wound up and going.† She understood that â€Å"nature had made her†¦entirely for use.† She described herself having nothing but bone and muscle, purely with practical and efficient uses. The use of Miss Asphyxia’s name is quite interesting. The short story is unexpectedly named after her although it seems that Eglantine is the main character of the story.