I have tried to make these as accurate as possible. The optimists daughter deals with family relationships, as do the earlier novels delta wedding and losing battles and many of weltys short stories. Alone in the old house, laurel finally comes to an understanding of the past, herself, and her parents. In the optimists daughter, welty tries to refute such masculine claims. Recurrent in weltys fiction, including the optimists daughter, is the paradox of the family as both nurturing and stifling. Hitlers daughter, after the war, do you have to say you are sorry for what your father has done, and that you had no part of it. I cant quite believe im about to admit this on the internet, but i had never read eudora welty before i picked up this book not even that short story why i live at the p. Large cast of characters and complex relationships. Thoughts on eudora weltys the optimists daughter by. It was first published as a long story in the new yorker in march 1969 and was subsequently revised and published in book form in 1972.
The optimists daughter by eudora welty by shea hewitt on. Jesus and goblins, macbeth andthe porter mystery dissolves before patient watchingthe unbroken stare of laurel mckelva hand, the woman at the center. This partially autobiographical story explores the subtle bonds between parent and child and the complexities of love and grief. Main characters the optimists daughter eudora welty main characters laurel hand. The optimists daughter symbols, allegory and motifs. Written by timothy sexton and other people who wish to remain anonymous mardi gras the novel takes place during mardi gras celebrations in new. Sparknotes are the most helpful study guides around to literature, math, science, and more. Readers guide developed by lee anne bryan, former education and outreach specialist for the eudora welty house and garden 1. Literary analysis of the optimist s daughter 1918 words 8 pages allison neal engl 357 women in the south j.
Weltys narrative method in the optimists daughter works perfectly to reveal her themes and her suggestion of laurels growth. Laurel mckelva hand leaves her job as a textile designer in chicago, to go back home to the south. In addition to the storyform, youll also find any additional analysis or media related to the story in question more analysis the others. Complete summary of eudora weltys the optimists daughter.
The life of laurel eudora welty, author of famous novel the optimists daughter, is known for her exquisite literary works. The optimists daughter essay example 1436 words cram. The optimist in question is 71yearold judge mckelva, who has come to a new orleans hospital from mount salus, mississippi, complaining of a disturbance in his vision. The book begins with the main character, laurel hand, who travels to new orleans from her home in chicago. Literary analysis of the optimists daughter 1918 words. The optimists daugh ter is the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans, where her father is dying. This pulitzer prizewinning novel tells the story of laurel mckelva hand, a young woman who has left the south and returns, years later, to new orleans, where her father is dying. Those who didnt enjoy the topsyturvy eccentricity of losing battles will be happy to find miss welty back in the changeless countryside of her earlier short novels where memory is the eternal revenant keeping alive places and people often in the mortmain of the past.
Related questions and answers for characters in the optimists daugh ter. The optimists daugh ter book summary and study guide. Considered by many to be weltys best novel, the optimist s daughter has garnered the admiration of. The book begins with the main character, laurel hand, who travels to new orleans from her home in chicago to assist. The optimist s daughter eudora welty, 1972 knopf doubleday 192 pp. The optimists daughter summary supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Laurel mckelva hand leaves her job as a textile designer in chicago, to go back home to the south when her father calls because hes sick. The question and answer section for the optimist s daughter is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and. The optimists daughter summary and analysis like sparknotes. Are any of the characters in hitlers daughter based on real people. In the optimists daughter, readers will discover a large cast of characters and the complexity of their relationships, the rich humor and subtlety of dialog that reveals without describing, the wideness of scope compressed within the boundaries of a short novel, the wisdom and. Revised and published as a novel in 1972, it is considered by some to be her sparest novel. Mount salus, mississippi, along with his daughter, laurel mckelva hand, from.
Welty is a mississippi native, having attended jackson high school where she first engaged with her literary strengths. Eudora weltys novel, the optimists daughter, was inspired by the very concept of ones own memory, dealing with loss and grief, and her own personal experiences. Despite their powerful mutual affection, laureland, in her memory, becky and clintonemerge as lonely figures, each thrown back on his or her waning strength when disaster strikes. Read about writers from around the world with an atoz listings, profiles, biographies and more. The optimists daughter, pulitzer prizewinning short novel by eudora welty, published in 1972. As the optimists daugh ter opens, laurel mckelva hand leaves chicago and goes to new orleans, where her father, judge mckelva, is seeing an eye specialist to find out why his sight is failing. O that is in every short story anthology known to man. Marries to fay to fill the void of beckys death and laurels abandonment. The optimists daughter, first published in the new yorker, did command a wide readership. Judge clinton mckelva and his much younger second wife fay have come from. The book begins with the main character, laurel hand, who travels to new orleans from her home in chicago to. The first version of eudora weltys bestselling, pulitzer prizewinning novel, the optimists daugh ter, appeared as a short story in 1969 in the new yorker. Laurel is judge mckelvas daughter, who is an only child. As the optimists daughter opens, laurel mckelva hand leaves chicago and goes to new orleans, where her father.
The optimists daughter is the story of laurel mckelva h. The story line is simple, but welty takes a difficult and complex situation and resolves it with incredible depth and meaning. Youve reached the hub for any and all dramatica analysis of the optimists daughter. The optimists daughter study guide contains a biography of eudora welty, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The optimists daugh ter vintage international kindle edition by welty, eudora. The optimists daughter 1972 eudora welty 19092001 if the early work is classic, this might be medievalin its fullness of vision, depth of field, range of ear. Hall 14 november 2017 a life lived in fear of death. Also find summaries and analysis of famous poems, novels, short stories, plays, and other works. These notes were contributed by members of the gradesaver community. Her book the optimist s daughter won the pulitzer prize in 1973 and she was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, among numerous awards. How does the optimists daugh ter reflect the social issues of the late 60s. The first version of eudora weltys bestselling, pulitzer prizewinning novel, the optimist s daughter.
E udora weltys novel, the optimists daughter, which first appeared in the new yorker of march 15, 1969, is. Find all available study guides and summaries for the optimists daughter by eudora welty. Essay the optimist s daughter analysis eudora welty, author of famous novel the optimists daughter, is know for her exquisite literary works. Thus laurel returns home, after the death of her mother, after her father has remarried the common wanda fay, as he lies in a. The optimists daughter is a pulitzer prize for fictionwinning short novel by eudora welty. Eudora alice welty was an awardwinning american author who wrote short stories and novels about the american south. Her father is accompanied by his silly and trite second wife, who is the same age as laurel. Summary the optimists daughter wikipedia gradesaver. And perhaps it didnt matter to them, not always, what they read aloud. The novel begins with judge mckelva, fay, and laurel in an examining room, with dr. The optimists daugh ter is a compact and inwardlooking little novel, a pulitzer prize winner thats slight of page yet big of heart. The optimists daughter by eudora welty is an emotional story about laurel mckelva hand who travels to new orleans to be with her father for an eye surgery.
The optimists daughter vintage international kindle. After his death, she and her silly young stepmother go back still farther, to the small mississippi town where she grew up. She is a widow who had been married to a man named phil hand. Find sample tests, essay help, and translations of shakespeare. Laurel hand, the main character of the novel, lives in chicago, but is now traveling in new orleans. The focus is on the characters, particularly laurel the optimists daugh ter and her struggle to reflect and process love and loss, move ahead in a healthy way to the present from the past. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the optimists daugh ter vintage international. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. An outside voice tells the story but always from the stance of. The question and answer section for the optimist s daughter is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The optimists daughter is one of the books that i am assigned to read for a workshop im taking in february. The cataract in beckys eye, which is an image of the water torrent suggested by the poem the cataract of lodore, is equally juxtaposed with the cataract in mckelvas eye. This study guide consists of approximately 65 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the optimist s daughter.
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