Introduction to Fiction Final Paper

Introduction to Fiction Final Paper

Introduction:

I will try to show that Fenstad's mother is going through a change

during this story. At first she is described as a strong independent

woman very active social in control of things. She is not accepting

things as they are she tries to change the things that seem wrong to

her. However, gradually we are starting to see her as an old woman who

hates her age. A woman, who has a hard time excepting her age and all

the downsides of it, a woman whose physical condition is parallel to

her mental and emotional state, who needs help doing things which

young people do without any effort. It seems that during the story

Fenstad and his mother change places. Once he was dependent on her and

now gradually we see that she is more and more dependent of her son.

Fenstad's mother is gradually going through the process of accepting

her age and the changes she is going trough consequently. It is

difficult for her at first however eventually she stops being

preoccupied with the past and what she once was. She comes to terms

with her life and learns to appreciate and enjoy the little (simple)

pleasures of life, like music. The name of this fiction story is

Fenstad's Mother, the word mother is written with a capital letter

which sometimes can mean a woman in charge of some community. This

description is suitable for her character as it is described at the

beginning of the story. Clara Fenstad's going to her son's class,

meeting the people that took this class, listening to them and being

loved and appreciated by them helps her through this period. One of

this people influenced her very much and was responsible for one of

the various changes she went through. The fact that Fenstad's mother

learned to accept him as he made them closer and happier.

Fenstad's Mother:

At the beginning of the story Fenstad's mother is shown like a strong

and active woman. She is very much involved in the things that happen

around her. She is progressive and social. "Fenstad's mother was a

life long social progressive" (p.115). She is not taking seriously

her sons churchgoing, "was amused by her son's churchgoing. She had

spent her life in the company of rebels and deviationists, and she

recognized all their styles." (p.115). She is very logical and

attentive, "She glanced down at his trousers, damped with melted snow.

"You've been skating" "(p.116) she is aware of her son's habits, but

not necessary approves of them. She sneers her son's behavior and

looking for slips in it.