Literary Analysis 1

This piece was my greatest challenge because I was having a hard time writing an analysis paper. I can see now that my paper sounds more like a summary. I guess I was trying to emphasize the conflict in the story instead pinpointing actions surrounding the conflict. If I wrote the paper now, I would use points from the story to indicate the strength of women. I would explain how women notonly stood together against infidelity, but what forced the women to join their forces. I was very impressed by "Turned". I wish that more women would stand up together instead of blaming each other, when the man is in fault.


Consequences of Infidelity

“Turned” was a fictional story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that represented the pain, turmoil, and changes caused by infidelity. It showed the emotional struggle between two women who were used for the sexual excitement of one man. The situation brought resentment between the women who were once friends. This story described how the lust of a man can change the lives of all three individuals involved forever.

The story began in the Marroners’ home. It was a normal, upper class home. The couple took in a servant named Gerta Petersen. She was an important part of their family, especially to Mrs. Marroner. She loved Gerta as if she was her own daughter, and being a teacher, Mrs. Marroner took it upon herself to formally educate Gerta. The two ladies were left to take care of each other when Mr. Marroner had to take a business trip. During his departure, Mrs. Marroner found out that Gerta was pregnant. She collectively pondered how to address the issue until a mysterious letter landed in her hands from her husband. It was meant to be addressed to Gerta, but somehow their envelopes were mixed up in the shipping process. She read the letter, flabbergasted by its contents, and realized her life would be different from that moment on.
Everything was turned upside down, when Mrs. Marroner found out that Gerta was pregnant because of her husband’s infidelity. Mixed emotions swirled around the room when Gerta was confronted by Mrs. Marroner. The young girl was frightened and took cover to protect herself from the wrath of Mrs. Marroner’s anguish. Mrs. Marroner quickly dismissed Gerta to pack her trunk, and instructed her that she musts leave their home that evening. The two women go into their bedrooms rooms to digest the situation at hand.

Mrs. Marroner laid in her bed for a long while in disarray of the situation she had encountered. After all of her years in education, nothing prepared her for the situation that was right in front of her. She had never been a jealous woman, but at first she was pierced with envy by the youthful beauty which Gerta possessed. She decided to spend some time dissecting the situation. She started to consider Gerta’s feelings, and realized that immediate banishment was a little harsh. Gerta was innocent and unaware of the capabilities of a man. She concluded that Gerta could not have stopped Mr. Marroner from his advances, because she was so eager to make her family happy. Mrs. Marroner knew that Gerta was uneducated in the ways of a man, and it would have been easy to persuade her into sexual intimacy by someone she trusted as much as Mr. Marroner.

Now Mrs. Marroner was faced with a life- changing decision. She could either stand by her husband or stand by Gerta. She realized that her husband had taken advantage of Gerta’s innocence. She was an intelligent woman and could not stand by a man that manipulated women. She knew that this was her life’s conviction, and with God in mind, she concluded to take care of Gerta and the baby. She would overpower the manipulations of her husband by taking Gerta and the baby far away. She took the power from her husband by taking responsibility for Gerta and the baby. Mrs. Marroner left him with nothing but his own thoughts. Although Mr. Marroner created a rift between the two ladies momentarily, Mrs. Marroner was strong enough to realize who was really at fault.

Mr. Marroner arrived home to find that his wife and Gerta were gone. He didn’t know what to think until the days passed by and he still had no word from either one of them. He hired detectives who found their whereabouts. While traveling to their new abode Mr. Marroner was struck with anger towards Greta, believing it was her fault that his marriage had fallen apart. When he arrived at their home, he was surprised by Gerta’s newfound intelligence and his ex-wife’s cold gaze. In the end, he was weakened by their new bond, and was surprised that he had no effect on them.

This story depicted the emotional upheaval of the lives of those involved. It showed how one man’s supremacy conquered the innocence of a young woman. It also showed how he unwittingly took advantage of his wife’s companionship. Fortunately, Mrs. Marroner was a strong woman who was able to look past her own pain, and see the situation in its true identity. She overpowered her husband’s lustful endeavors by encountering the situation levelheaded. Mrs. Marroner took everything from her husband as he had taken everything from them. She left him alone to think about his character, which thrived on the thoughts of male supremacy and women as subordinate beings. Mrs. Marroner left him with the notion that women are not to be taken advantage.


Works Cited
Perkins-Gilman, Charlotte. "Turned." Heath Anthology of American Literature.
Ed. Paul Lauter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.