Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

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Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons is the tale of nineteen-year-old Flora Poste and the changes she has to go through after the death of her parents. Flora begins her new life living with her friend Mrs. Smiling in the wealthy, upper-class side of London. Flora decides that she would prefer to live in the “real” world so she can gain material for a novel she plans on writing. In order to accomplish this, she chooses to live with her relatives, the Starkadders, at Cold Comfort Farm. Flora’s main reason for living there is to reform the Starkadders’ manners and fix their problems.. Her actions cause the reader to believe she is a malicious person, but Gibbons portrays her as a force of good through confidence, meddling, and sincerity.
Flora, regardless of her confidence, has some insecurities. However, she refuses to let them weaken her. This idea is shown when Flora is confessing to Mrs. Smiling that she was terrible playing sports in school, “…and then a whole lot of them got at me one day after one of the games was over, and told me I was no good (page 14).” Nevertheless, Flora continued playing because she was confident and knew that she was skilled in other areas. Her confidence is a positive attribute because it motivates her to achieve her goals; another example of her confidence is shown when she becomes an orphan. Flora is left without any method of support, but does not waste any time sulking. Instead, she begins trying to find a place to live with one of her relatives. Once she chooses the Starkadders, her arrival at the farm is hardly recognized, so she has to try and understand the pessimistic life endured at Cold Comfort Farm. Her confidence allows her to take on a challenge such as reforming Cold Comfort Farm, proven...

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...h solitude is resolved when Flora tempts her to visit Paris. Amos, Judith’s husband and a preacher, is persuaded by Flora to become a travelling preacher for his son’s sake. Reuben, Amos’ son who desperately wants his inheritance, finally receives it after Amos leaves. Adam, a nonagenarian obsessed with cows, is given a job that allows him to tend to the cattle. Elfine, who is smitten with someone of a higher class than her, is taught proper deportment and punctilio so she can entice him. Urk, a man that is slightly infatuated with Elfine, is fixed by Flora, who makes him forget his longing for Elfine. Meriam, a maid for the Starkadders and mother of four, is introduced to ways she can prevent pregnancy. Mr. Meyerburg, a writer that is attracted to Flora, falls in love with another woman. Finally, Flora fixes her own problems with love by marring her cousin Charles.

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