The story depicts American society in a transition period in which women are casting off the shackles of their traditional role as socially dependent and intellectually inferior to men. Katherine represents the newly emerging values; Wellesley, the old that resist social change. Despite the apparent opposition, she manages to awaken her students to think for themselves and aspire beyond their traditional role. Her classes become so popular that they attract record enrolment for the following semester. Her students come to respect and adore her, even though they cannot fully accept her values or way of life. So successful is she in winning their hearts, that the college is compelled to extend her term of employment subject to strict conditions. Though she has a deep affection for the students and attraction for the challenge of changing those around her, ultimately she realizes that greater challenges and opportunities for growth lie elsewhere and she departs from Wellesley to pursue her process of self-discovery in Europe.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 03:14:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015