Old Woman Magoun and the Men of Barry's Ford

I think a lot about this story. Old Woman Magoun kind of reminds me of the character of  Joe Dagget: "He seemed to fill up the whole room" (Freeman 357). Does Old Woman Magoun dominate the men of Barry's Ford? I realize patriarchy is a theme in this story, but I believe Old Woman Magoun is more than just a “man eater.” She is an independent woman who seems to control the characters around her. From the beginning of the piece, Mary Wilkins Freeman displays Magoun’s strong or masculine role: “Old Woman Magoun was largely instrumental in building the bridge to pass. She haunted the miserable grocery, wherein whiskey and hands of tobacco were the most salient features of the stock in trade, and she talked much. She would elbow herself into the midst of the idlers and talk. ‘That bridge out to be built this summer,’ said Old Woman Magoun. She spread her strong arms like wings, and sent the loafers, half laughing, half angry, flying in every direction” (Freeman 418). This quotation depicts Old Woman Magoun’s influence over the men in town.  The bridge does get completed and it is suggested that her house is the headquarters for the construction workers. Do they mock her more than they respect her? I believe that most of the men respect her, because they do not drink during dinner at her house. This shows that the workers listen to her.

            On the same page, Freeman again demonstrates Magoun’s confident character: “‘You can cuss all you want to Nelson Barry,’ said she; ‘I ain’t afraid of you. I don’t expect you to lay ary log of the bridge, but I am goin’ to have it built this very summer.’ She did. The weakness of masculine element in Barry’s Ford was laid low before such strenuous feminine assertion” (Freeman 418). In this quotation, Freeman displays Old Woman Magoun’s aggressive personality. She is not scared of Barry’s negative reaction to project proposal. This quotation also makes it clear that Magoun holds power over Nelson Barry or maybe the men of Barry’s Ford in general. Which do you think is more likely? Although Magoun does not persuade Barry to work on the bridge, she is able to band together enough men to complete the project. I think that this is pretty impressive, because the text suggests that she is the head of the project.

            Okay, I know what you are thinking, “Uh, but Old Woman Magoun kills Lily to keep her out of the clutches of sketchy men like Jim Willis.” I have been thinking about this as well. I believe that Old Woman Magoun still demonstrates dominance over men when she kills Lily. As we all know, Old Woman Magoun saves Lily by killing her. Therefore, Jim Willis never has a chance to corrupt Lily. Ultimately, (and gravely) Old Woman Magoun outsmarts the men of Barry’s Ford, but at a price? Obviously, I am still toying with this last thought. So much to think about and uncover in this piece!