When I read "Two Friends" I assumed the two women were so close because they seemed to be all each other had. Sarah stated, "All of my folks had died before I was sixteen years old...I didn't have nobody in the world but Abby." It seems that the two girls would have grown up together in a sisterly relationship especially when Sarah also says that "Mis' Vane was gone, an' she'd been jest like a mother to me."
However, when we looked at certain lines in class it did seem to encourage a more homosexual relationship. During her confession to Mrs. Dunbar she tells her that "I couldn't have her likin' anybody else, an' gittin' married." Since I have sisters, I can't share the same sentiment. I don't care if my sister gets married or not.
I'm not really sure what to think of this piece. I think Freeman left out so much information that the reader will inevitably see what they want whether it is sisterly women, lesbians, or the irony of switched gender roles.
With literature comes the beauty of interpretation! As Dr. Hanrahan mentioned in class I think Freeman knew what she was doing by omitting so much information. She could not explicitly come out and state that Sarah and Abby were in a homosexual relationship (at least not with the piece being published under her name) without fear of retribution from the public. We talked about the people of Freeman's time having a lack of knowledge about lesbianism simply because it was not thought of as being possible in Freeman's time. I think it is our culture that allows us to read into what Freeman was ultimately hinting at or not hinting at and so you are not wrong in not knowing what to think of the piece at all.
ReplyDeleteDanielle & Nicky, I agree that Freeman's intentions are open to interpretation. One of the most intriguing aspects of the piece is the symbolic meaning of the two cherry trees, which Dr. Hanrahan mentioned in class today. I like her interpretation. What do we make of the blooming peach tree that Abby gazed upon prior to her death?
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that the ambiguous symbolism of the cherry tree was not lost to me, but I was more consumed in the idea that Sarah would go to great lengths just to make Abby happy before she died. She didn't partake in physical labor, so to go out there and saw off and replace the flowers onto the "Abby tree" just expressed the deep emotional attachment. That really spoke to me.
ReplyDeleteThis class was my first exposure to the piece, it was very interesting and probably one of my favorites. It's probably the few stories I've read that I know barely any information, but I'm still attached to the characters and even attached to their attachment to each other.
I see where you gather the sexual connotations; however, I also interpreted it as Sarah knew that if she allowed Abby to go off with this guy, she would be alone. Even if the couple moved in with her, she would feel like the third wheel. I think we, as readers, can take read this a million ways and still never know for sure what Freeman's intentions were. I feel that the ambiguity was her purpose though. She wants to keep her audience guessing. I like the ambiguity, however. I feel like if I knew, it wouldn't be the same, especially with our modernly designed minds. We would say either "OH! they are, ok, whatever." OR "OH! They're not, cool, whatever." and be done with the whole thing. I think the fact that Freeman has us second guessing ourselves is what makes her a great writer.
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