Although
Turned doesn't flow in the traditional way - as a chronological series of events - it isn't wholly unconventional as a narrative. The 'flashback' concept, and further detail of the characters contained within, piqued my interest, and sustained my initially waning curiosity. From the very first passage I was certain I knew where
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (the author) was going; through the oft repeated complexities of an unfaithful marriage. Ultimately,
Turned takes that genre and flips it on its head. Leaving the reader to discover what retribution is in store for Mr Marroner; knowing that this
"was something else".
To be honest, I was not looking forward to the conclusion of the story; I believed it would simply continue in the same vein as others before it. I assumed Turned would fit in with the tradition of conventional 'master and servant' romances - another tale of unrequited love in which the mistress is removed from the home as the wife designates all blame to the highly sexualised, or, conversely, blatantly naive, servant girl. From passage 1 and 2, it appeared obvious that Gerta and Mrs Marroner were heartbroken, and only two options were available;
- Mr Marroner would desert his wife, live happily ever after with the servant girl who stole his heart, and 'baby makes three'
or, the direction of the binary opposition; - Mr Marroner would abandon his illegitimate child, which would in turn be raised by his unfortunate, but obviously wholly accountable, mistress.
Initially, this appeared to be true, as particular indications (a distressed wife, an uneducated girl working for a childless couple, and a husband away for work) seemed to provide the necessary ingredients for the standard 'heart-wrenching' blueprint I had previously encounted in my discursive history. These expectations appeared to be the same for the majority of the class.
Admittedly, for me at least, the conclusion was anti-climatic. By leaving the story open-ended, the author appears to have allowed room for different readers to imagine an ending for their own satisfaction, congruent to their own personal ideologies and life experiences.
I would have preferred a much more idealistically 'feminist' revenge - some sort of punishment and justice that would publicly acknowledge Mr Marroner's treachery.
After talking in small groups, many of us felt more of a connection to Mrs Marroner, knowing that, if were were in the same situation, we would choose a similar 'against the grain' path. This was unsurprising given that the discussion was through the point of view of white, middle class females coming from third-wave feminist experiences of history. That is to say, the majority of the class were of similar - young - ages and had had somewhat similar, and privileged, experiences of living in social, cultural and political equality with men. Upon completion of the 'touch of class' activity - and role play - I came to realise that the initial unease I felt with the treatment of Gerta, was justified. By using language designed to construct her as inferior, Gerta is represented, by Mrs Marroner herself, as a docile child. The fact that both woman were treated differently by the male character, and the way one became resilient and the other required rescuing, didn't initially fit my expectations. This inconsistency in treatment is important, as the text appears to suggest that only the educated may be liberated, and those that are have a moral obligation to those who aren't.
then seems to present a very limited, and still altogether class related, view of feminism.
Thinking about my reading, the division of the story into distinct chapters actually assisted my reflection and response to the text. It allowed me to think specifically of the previous passage and not become overwhelmed with it's entirety. The role-playing activity also forced me to think critically of my evaluation of Mrs Marroner and the extra voice I could add in her place. My original response to the character came into question and I was able to see the influences my life had had on my reading. When experimenting with the ending question - a textual gap the reader is asked to predict - I felt that I could take the story in any number of directions; a sense of creative license whilst holding 'the power' to add an additional twist to the story. I don't often engage well with creative pieces, but this little activity was a good springboard. So, in turn, I believe these sorts of creative extension activities - ones that I would usually scoff at - would be beneficial to expanding my future students' awareness of characters within a narrative, and, ultimately, their capacity to delve deeper into the intentions and psyche of the author - things we, as English teachers, should encourage.
Interesting links for further details about Turned and the author:
