Love and Marriage in News of the Engagement, The Unexpected, and Twenty-Six Men and a Girl

Love and Marriage in News of the Engagement, The Unexpected, and Twenty-Six Men and a Girl

The three short stories I have chosen to compare are "News of the

Engagement", "The Unexpected" and "Twenty-six Men and a Girl". All the

stories were written around 1900 and at this time women were still

viewed as housewives and mothers. Divorce was still socially

unacceptable. Arnold Bennett the writer of "News of the Engagement"

was a journalist who aimed his work at women. He grew up in

Staffordshire in a not particularly well off family. Kate Chopin lived

in New Orland's when she wrote "The Unexpected". Her short stories

were viewed as being quite controversial when they were first written

and were often been refused publication. Maxim Gorky who had a

terrible childhood wrote "Twenty-six Men and a Girl". He ran away at

twelve and lived with the poorest people in society. He worked in a

bakery in Russia, which is the setting of "Twenty-six Men and a Girl".

In "News of the Engagement" Philip does not see his mother as

something that could be loved in a sexual way. Nor that someone could

possibly fall in love with her and she with him. As she is maternal

and her role is to be his cuddly mother waiting for him to arrive home

with open arms.

"My little plump mother".

He assumes that everything she does is for his benefit. Even when

there is a third place set at the table he presumes it is for his

partner not for his mother:

"In some way or another she must have discovered the state of my

desires towards Agnes."

He does not see that she might want to re-marry and get on with her

life. It is obvious Philip considers himself above ...

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...ne for who you imagine them

to be even if you never really know them. The workers never really

knew Tanya; they built up an image of her in their minds. When their

image was annihilated by her behaviour they were heart broken. They

imagined Tanya as a stereotype virgin goddess. The stereotype was once

again obliterated as it was in the other two short stories.

Each Short Story treats love and marriage in a different way this may

be because of different circumstances. They were all written in

different counties but they are all controversial. "News of the

Engagement" by its view on mothers re-marrying. "The Unexpected" for

its stereotypical role reversal. "Twenty-six men and a girl" as it

questions the need for icons in a poverty stricken life style. In each

story stereotypes of people are followed and then abolished.