When I read “Old Woman Magoun” I did not expect the turn the
ending would take until they crossed the bridge the first time. At first glance
I thought Magoun to be an average elderly woman who has, what seems to be
justifiable, resentment towards the men of her town. As we get more into the
story we see a woman who would do anything to protect her grandchild including
murder. For me Magoun is very similar to the character of Margaret White from
the Stephen King novel Carrie. Of course Magoun came long before White, but are
they not similar characters? Both tried to keep their children as children
hoping they would avoid any king of sexual encounters. Both women are terrified
when the sexuality of the child is approached. Lastly both women attempt to
take the lives of the child when that time comes. The difference between them
being the fact that White is painted as an insane religious fanatic who is
killed by her daughter in the attempt on her life and Magoun is seen as a
loving and merciful grandmother who successfully allows her grandchild to die.
Is this justifiable? Should we really say Magoun was right in taking the child’s
life or are we putting our own views onto these characters? In Lily’s time she
was practically a woman and even expressed an attractions towards the
supposedly “bad man” while his attraction and want for her may make us
uncomfortable we have to as if Lily really shared her grandmothers distaste for
the man. The problem is Lily is never asked, she is never given a choice except
for when her grandmother allows her to eat the berries. I am not in any way
condoning the possibility of a relationship between Lily and the man or the
fact that her father was about to trade her to pay off his debts, but shouldn’t
Lily have been allowed to make mistakes and be as human as the rest of us?
You make good points Alex. I don't think I can say whether or not Old Woman Magoun actually did make the correct decision but I do think it's important that she truly believed that what she allowed to happen was in Lily's best interest.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting connection. I would push back a bit and say that Magoun's fears and protection comes from a rational and loving place. We are not led to assume the same from Carrie's mother. And again--I'd push back a bit on the idea that Magoun is simply keeping Lilly from a growing-up in any normal sense. It's not a matter of being allowed "to make mistakes and be as human as the rest of us." Even if Old Woman Magoun hadn't sheltered Lilly from the beginning, it's hard to imagine how she would have had a life anything like the lives the "rest of us" have--not as long as she is Nelson Barry's kid and living in that worn-out town.
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