New England Nun

Louisa Ellis, a woman who has lived alone for many years is somewhat of an eccentric. She keeps her house meticulously clean, wears multiple aprons, and eats from her nicest china every day. She has an old dog named Caesar who she keeps chained up because he bit a neighbor fourteen years ago. (Freeman, 1891)

Louisa promised Joe Dagget fifteen years ago that she would marry him when he returned from his fortune-hunting adventures in Australia, and now that he has returned it is time for her to fulfill her promise.

During their time apart Louisa had changed and she became set in her own ways. She developed a routines that comforted her. She never thought of marrying anyone other than Joe, though she never missed him in his absence. She felt at peace with her life. Joe also changed. He saw in Louisa the same beautiful girl he left, but the love he had felt before was felt now for another. (Freeman, 1891)

That night Louisa overheard Joe confessing his love for another. Louisa had witnessed Joe's true feelings, giving her the courage to break their engagement.

She felt like a queen" the next morning after regaining control of her domain and the rest of her life. The end of the story describes Louisa as perfectly satisfied and thankful. While she sits at her window doing needlework, she joyfully listens to the sounds of life outside. (Freeman, 1891)

Louisa is compared to an uncloistered nun because she is "prayerfully numbering her days." She looks forward to the predictability of her days alone.

The phrase "an uncloistered nun," helps the reader create an image of Louisa as celibate, solitary, and very disciplined by choice. The image works well. (Literary summaries, n.d.)

Bibliography

Freeman, M.E. (1891). A New England nun and other stories. New York: Harper and Bros.

Literary summaries. (n.d.). A New England nun summary. Retrieved February 22, 2009, from Literarysummaries.com: http://litsum.com/new-england-nun