A Critique of a Patriarchal Society in "Old Woman Magoun"

I can thoroughly admit that my favorite and most exciting story we read this semester has been “Old Woman Magoun.” I can appreciate Freeman’s critique of the patriarchal society as she shows that women can overcome it, though, not easily. Freeman’s radical example of women overcoming the patriarchy (by tragedy), I believe, shows how important the need to fight a patriarchal society was to the women of her time period. I find it interesting that Freeman does not only offer a patriarchal critique, but also allows her readers to critique the male characters of the story. Men in “Old Woman Magoun” are depicted as evil and untrustworthy. When Nelson Barry suddenly shows up to take his daughter from Magoun, the reader should be suspicious of his motive. We then realize that Barry is a drunk and has gambled and lost his daughter to Jim Willis. Both Willis and Barry perceive Lily as a commodity, not a woman with fundamental rights.