"THE BEGGAR MAID"
(to comprehend the written material, please read the following synopsis of "The Beggar Maid" below)
The Beggar Maid is a collection of stories that focuses on the life of Rose and Flo as they age. "The Beggar Maid" entails the story of Rose, who attends university on scholarship, meets Patrick, falls in love with him, and takes a loving journey together full of twists and turns.
Characters:
Rose - Blue-collar class student attending university on scholarship
Dr. Henshawe - Professor who constantly rooms scholarship students; Rose's rooming faculty; urges Rose to be a scholar
Patrick - A wealthy, timid graduate student studying history; falls in love with Rose
Flo - Rose's stepmother, known to be a low-class citizen.
Plot:
Critic's View
Positive:
Negative:
THEMES/MOTIFS
Alice Munro is constantly praised for her intricate themes and use of motifs. There are some common topics which Alice Munro weaves into themes, but both themes and motifs vary significantly piece to piece. In this section, we are going to draw some general trends about themes and motifs by examining "The Beggar Maid." The original video below is a very concise summary, however, the alternative of reading the text is also available (in this case, please refer to "The Beggar Maid" reference material on the side-bar.) I hope you enjoy!
Original presentation on Alice Munro's use of themes and motifs.
Theme: Key Components
(Refer to "The Beggar Maid" synopsis on the side-bar)
Common Topics
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Emergence of Themes
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Theme 1: When people conceal their true selves for various purposes, the adverse/unintended consequences emerge.
1. Characterization
2. Details
3. Plot
ULTIMATELY: Concealment distorts relationships in accumulating stress, guilt, and distrust. The couple not truly knowing each other presents a faulty relationship to begin with.
Theme 1: Love is stained when it's purpose is other than love itself.
1. Motifs
2. Plot
2. Allusions
ULTIMATELY: The couple's motives are not for love. They assume themselves to be in love while in reality holding different purposes for a reunion.