POVERTY THEME ANYLISIS ON 3 SHORT STORIES

I.                   Introduction

Theme is one of intrinsic element in a literary work. This paper is focus on poverty theme that writers took. There are three short stories; “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant, “The Gift of Magi” by O. Henry and “A Pair of Silk Stocking” by Kate Chopin. The three short stories write about poor people from lower class and how they deal with their poverty.

The first short story is “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant that writes about a poor woman named Mathilde who was invited to a party but she had no dress to wear. She was given 400 francs by her husband and she bought a dress. She was still upset because she was got no jewelry, which can give the illusion of being wealthier than she actually is. Her husband didn’t have more money so he told her to borrow from Mrs. Forrester, a rich woman. After the party, she lost the necklace she borrowed. She and her husband would have to replace it with dealing and getting indebted with a lot of people to get 40.000 franc. They bought the necklace and returned it to Mrs. Forrester. 10 years later Mathilde met Mrs. Forrester accidently and she told her what happened to her necklace and how she and her husband had to pay the replacement necklace that they gave her. Mrs. Forrester was so shock that they bought the real diamond necklace because they borrowed an imitation necklace which only costs 500 franc.

The second one is “The Gift of Magi” by O. Henry that writes about a young married couple from the lower class and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. Della Young (wife) sells her beautiful hair to buy Jim (husband) a platinum watch chain, and Jim sells his heirloom watch to buy Della some tortoise-shell hair combs. These gifts are useless because Della cannot wear her combs without her hair, and Jim, without his watch, cannot use his watch chain.

And the last short story is “A pair of Silk Stocking” by Kate Chopin that writes about a poor woman named Mrs. Sommers who found a huge number of money (fifteen dollars). It is a very large of money for her, so she thinks hard how to use the money wisely, and finally she set up a good plan to use the money; she will use the money to buy the new dress and hat for her kids, a new stocking for herself and the rest will be saved. But, at the day she goes to the shopping center she breaks up her own plan. Instead of buying clothes for the children she buys a pair of silk stocking and a new boot for herself, eats in a luxury restaurant, buys high-prized magazines and goes to the theater. She acts like a high-class woman a whole day, that is not herself at all.

  

II.                Poverty Theme Analysis

1.1.    The Necklace

“The Necklace” takes place in Paris, France, in around 19^th century when castes and social classes were strongly existed. The specific location that we could found in the text are in the residence of Mathilde, the home of Mrs. Forrester, the Place of Ministry of Education and Champs-Elysees. The characters of this short story are Mathilde Loisel who has a beautiful appearance such a high class woman, daydreamed, charming, envy, selfish, has strong willingness to look wealthier and want to be admired and also has a high self-deception and disillusion. Another character is Mr. Loisel who is Mathilde’s husband. He is a good man, patient and loves his wife so much. The other character is Mrs. Forrestier who is kind, generous, rich, young & beautiful woman, in addition she is Mathilde’s friend.

       As focus on poverty theme, the conflict of this short story is when Mrs. Loisel does not have any dress and jewels to use in the party because they were poor. The climax is when Mrs. Loisel lost the diamond necklace she borrowed from her friend.  She and her husband try to find the necklace for several days with no result. The Falling action is when with their hardworking to get loan from some people they buy the replacement necklace which costs 37.000 francs. And the Resolution is when Mrs. Loisel sees Mrs. Forestier and finally she knows that the necklace she borrowed was an imitation. She realizes that she and her husband do their hard work just for a fake.       

       Style of The Necklace is depressing. From the beginning the writer tells about Mrs. Loisel life that is not like what she hopes express depressing. She feels that her life must not be there, she feels that see should be in a luxury place and surrounded by all luxurious things. In the raising action, conflict, climax, falling action even the resolution are full of depressing expression. This short story is told from the 3rd person limited point of view.  The author focuses on Mathilde’s thoughts and feelings.

       Poverty leads disillusion and self-deception is the theme of this story. We can see what happened to Mathilde and his husband because of their poverty that leads Mathilde’s disillusion and self-deception, and finally made them suffer more than before because they have to replace the diamond necklace that they borrowed to be used in the party.

1.2.    The Gift of Magi

The setting of time of “The Gift of Magi” is the day before Christmas when people usually prepare the gift for their love one. Setting of place of The Gift of Magi is in Mr. James Dillingham’s flat; an expensive flat for the young married couple who only earn $20 a week. There are 3 characters in this short story. The first one is Della Mrs. Dillingham Young), a beautiful woman that has a wonderful hair, love her husband so much, generous, unselfish and wise. The second one is Jim (Mr. Dillingham Young) a young man, generous, wise, love his wife and unselfish, patient. And the last character is Madame Sofronie, the owner or the shop who buy Della’s hair. The conflict of this short story is Della decides to sells her beautiful hair to get the money to buy a gift for Jim (a watch chain) because she does not have enough money to buy it. The climax happened when Jim gives beautiful combs to Della as gift, and he tells her that he got it by selling his watch. They realize that both of their gifts are useless.

The dominant style of “The Gift of Magi” irony (Being wise, their gifts no doubt wise ones… two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other), and the story itself is ironically, they sacrifice their greatest thing to buy a gift for the other that finally both of their gift are useless. The story itself is from third person point of view (omniscient) that means a story-teller with total, God like knowledge of the characters and their actions.

Poverty leads sacrifice is the theme of this short story. The characters in this short story (Della and Jim) are a poor person that suffer al the time. They do not have to buy the gift for the other, and finally they sacrifice their most valuable things to buy the gift that is actually useless.

1.3.    A Pair of Silk Stocking

“A Pair of Silk Stocking” takes place in a shopping center where Mrs. Sommers can find the stocking and shoe store, book store and restaurant. And also it is the place where many high-class people go and enjoy their day. Seeing many high-class people gives Mrs. Sommers a strong desire to be one of them even just a while. There are only two characters in this short story; they are Mrs. Sommers who is a poor, weak and easily swayed woman and the shop girl.

The conflict of this short story is that Mrs. Sommers starts “loosing” her mind and her plan after used the silk stocking. She breaks up her plan. In a simple word, she starts feel that she is a rich woman after took the luxury silk stocking. The climax happened when Mrs. Summers is not only buys a pair of silk stockings, she also buys a pair of pointed-tipped boots, then she buys two high-priced magazines, and she eats in an expensive restaurant. And the other places she enters the theatre. She is not thinking at all those pleasant things, it just to get what she desires and her satisfactions.

The style of this short story is satire and irony. It satirizing poor people who have not had a large number of money, but when one day they have the chance to get it they forget their priority, they prefer to buy luxurious things instead of buying their primary needed. This story written in third person (limited omniscience) point of view, the narrator limited to only one character that is Mrs. Sommers. The readers only knows the thoughts and feelings of Mrs. Sommers and see the rest of the character externally only.

Poverty makes people become unrealistic. The character in this short story become unrealistic and forgets her priority of using the money after she buy the silk stocking and feels it luxury. What in her mind is what to do next to seems as a rich woman.

           

III.             Conclusion

After analyzed the three short stories, we can find that all the stories’ theme are poverty effect to our life. It were written by the different author, so beside have the similarities in theme it also have differences.

The differences are the way the written present the story, how the writer gives a sense of the story and how the writers satirize. In “The Necklace” the writer shows us how poverty lead disillusion, in “The Gift of Magi” the writer shows us how poverty leads sacrifice and in the “A Pair of Silk Stocking” the writer shows us how poverty makes people become unrealistic.

Short Dramas Analysis

1. Analysis of Style

As know before Style is the way the writer or playwright presents the drama. In this paper there three short dramas that will be discussed from the style element: Pregnant Pause by G. L. Horton, The Man who Turns into a Dog Osvaldo Dragun  and Waiting on Train by D.M. Larson. The three dramas have the same style in some ways; the dramas are in satire style, contain social critics and do not have plot or plot less because the dramas made by a dialogue development. Despite those similarities, the dramas also have a difference; the object of social critics.

Pregnant Pause drama presents social critics to the upper class from the middle class views. They criticism the way upper class do with their job and their life. They also criticism the discrimination that upper class might say as a “professionalism” when they meet pregnancy case. The upper class live as though as they are robots and do not have humanity sense anymore, the most important thing in their mind is job at all. In addition the drama also criticism about the upper class’ indulgences of luxury thing. They do not think about the use of the thing, once they see there are some luxurious value they took it, even though the things are not useful.

The Man who Turned into a Dog presents social critics as well, A dog is a symbol of satire which telling about how hard lower class get a job. There is small chance for lower class to get a job which a job is the most important thing to keep alive. Lower class will do anything to earn money even though they have to sacrifice their humanization while the higher class doesn’t care with lower class.

And the last drama, Waiting on Train also presents social critics, but the critics come from the middle class to the lower class. Middle class see lower class as impolite people, have a bad attitude both on personality and professionalism and also live backward.

2. Synopsis

Ø  Pregnant Pause

The drama presents a story about the owner of a branch maternity wear shop named Gloria Clark who is her shop being rated by the Regional Manager of the chain (Tad Kramer & Phyllis Dixon). Her store rate is not enough to keep the shop runs (minus 1 point) and it become more difficult when the manager sees her heavily pregnant sales clerk (Megan Jackson). The manager assumes that Megan should be fired because she looks bad as a Ghost of Pregnancy and he certain that Megan makes the rate of the store is falling. Gloria defends her by saying that she work well and the customer like her as well, in addition she says that it is a kind of discrimination to fire her just because she is pregnant. Until the end of play, both of the women and the men are still holding their own opinion.

Ø  The Man who Tuned into a Dog

“The Man Who Turn into a Dog” is story about a man who suffer his life with being a dog to keep survive. He is a poor husband who has a high willingness to work. He has responsibility in his family so he will do anything to earn money. He asked whether there is a vacancy for him but there is no vacancy unless someone died, retired or fired. As it happened, the watchman’s dog died, and he applied to be a dog. He refused to bark and stand on fours but finally he did it to get the job. His wife felt that life didn’t go right bus he kept asking her understand. At the end of the story, he acted like a dog and didn’t care what others said.

Ø  Waiting on Train

Waiting on Trains present about a ticket window woman, called Verna who didn’t respect with her customers, Kirk and Sue, the business people who are waiting for the train. The play begins when Kirk waiting for the train and he works at his laptop computer, Verna sang a song, badly. Kirk feels disturbed by her and got angry, he came to ask her to turn down the radio and stop singing. After that, Sue (a business woman) came immediately to Verna and asks the schedule of the train. While Sue’s mobile phone rang, Rut (a gentleman called a bum) try to annoy her with his annoyance. He thinks that Sue is God, and Sue very disturbed by him. Sue thinks that was a very noisy while she has an important call. Then Sue met Kirk which they are both having known each other. While they started talking about their business, Verna comes to follow their conversation, but they ignored her. In a few minutes to New Year, they share about their plans and ambitions for New Year. At the end of this story is when the midnight train to Seattle has arrived. Kirk and Sue grab their bag and rush out to the train. While they are running frantically, Verna remembered that Kirk forgot his computer that has been charging in Verna’s area. Then, she tries to turn it on but failed.

3. Intrinsic Elements Analysis

             I.      Pregnant Pause

a.       Setting

The setting of place of Pregnant Pause is in the Gloria’s shop. The place that is being rated by the regional manager of Eleganza Momma. The setting of time is in the operating hours of the shop.

b.      Characters

Ø  Gloria Clark is early 30’s. Her small business is part of Eleganza Momma’s chain. She is a god boss of her sales clerk, and she is smart. As her sales clerk, she is pregnant too.

Ø  Phyllis Dixon is late 30’s. He is Tad Kramer’s assistant. He is an ambitious and workaholic business man (all of his life and his time are use for his job and career).

Ø  Tad Kramer is the regional manager of Eleganza Momma (30 – 55 years old). He is the person who will decide whether Gloria’s shop can keep running or will be closed. Like Phyllis, he is a workaholic as well.

Ø  Megan Jackson age is around 20’s. She is Gloria’s heavily pregnant sales clerk. She is friendly to the customer and pay much attention to the customer as well.

c.       Plot

This drama does not have plot or plot less, because it is a one act drama and only has one event or happening that is the rating process of Gloria’s shop. The drama is made up by dialogue development each character.

d.      Theme

Too much ambitions and desire to be success make people do not enjoy their life and lost their humanity sense. Their whole life is for work and business. There is no time to enjoy their life even they less in sleep and less in rest. In addition, they seem that they do not care about family anymore, they never think about marriage and having children, they always think of how to improve their career and how to survive in business life.

e.       Style

The style of Pregnant Pause is satire. It contains social critics to the upper class from the middle class views. They criticism the way upper class do with their job and their life. They also criticism the discrimination that upper class might say as a “professionalism” when they meet pregnancy case. The upper class live as though as they are robots and do not have humanity sense anymore, the most important thing in their mind is job at all that represented by Tad and Phyllis characters. In addition, the drama also criticism about the upper class’ indulgences of luxury things. They do not think about the use of the thing, once they see there are some luxurious values they took it, even though the things are not useful.

This drama also uses sarcastic style; there are many sarcastic words that could be found in the drama such as: ugly, monster, disgusting bag of garbage, gross, gorilla, ghost of pregnancy future etc.

f.       Point of view

The playwright used omniscient or third person point of view in this drama. The perspective is from the middle class that criticism the upper class attitude and the way they think.

2. The Man who  Turned into a Dog

a.       Setting

A watchman works at night makes the setting of the man who turned into a dog is at night. The place setting is at factory where a watchman dog is needed to protect the factory.

b.      Characters

The main character of the man who turned into a dog is a protagonist. He will do anything to get money even his wife doesn’t support him. He is asking for his wife understanding that this is the only way to keep survives.

The other characters, who support the main character to be a dog, are antagonist. They pushed the main character to walk with four, barking and sleeping in a dog house. The wife of the main character who tells that she doesn’t want to have a dog as a father of her baby is also antagonist.

c.       Plot

The Man who Turned into a Dog does not have a plot as well. It is a dialogue development only.

d.      Theme

Poverty leads dehumanization is the theme of the drama. The drama shows us that people especially lower class will do everything in order to earn money and to keep survive.

e.       Style

The man who turned into a dog is a social critic. It is about the survival of a lower class man. A man, who supposed to have a normal work as a human being, sacrifices his humanization to earn money. At first, he tried to look for a normal job but no job open unless he wants to work as a watchman's dog. He has to earn money to pay the bills, to give his wife food, to keep alive, but no other choice than working as a dog, a watchman dog.

A dog is a symbol of satire which telling about how hard lower class get a job. There is small chance for lower class to get a job which a job is the most important thing to keep alive. Lower class will do anything to earn money while the higher class doesn’t care with lower class.

f.      Point of View

3. Waiting on Train

a.       Setting

The drama takes place at a train station in a overgrown hick town. The setting of time refers to the text, as Kirk said “2000…” (Page 10, line 7), and Sue said “Happy New Year” (Page 13, line 7). So that was December 31, 1999. It’s about 11.00 p.m. to 12.01 a.m.

b.      Characters

There are four characters in this story

Ø  Verna is a ticket window woman; she is rude, crude and unacceptable. She gives bad services and little information to her customers; Sue and Kick two business people who are waiting on trains. She also annoys Sue and Kirk when they have conversation. She always wants to know what they are talking about and also tries to follow their conversation. She is also included to people who have no knowledge about technology (she can’t use the laptop computer)

Ø  Kirk is a business man who wants to be a president of the company he works; he is a diligent man and friendly. He has divorced with her wife but has no plan to have a new wife and kids anymore; at the time being a successful businessman is all he wants. He does not appreciate Verna’s attitude because she gives a bad service when he was waiting on trains.  

Ø  Sue is a business woman who was waiting on trains. She is arrogant; the important thing in her life is business. She never rest in holiday and waste her time for unimportant things. She is an ambitious woman who wants to be a rich woman that all people in the world know her in order to make her father proud. She also try to never be optimistic about anything because she does not want to be disappointed. She doesn’t think to be a house wife likes her mother because it’s so futile for her and she thinks she cans life without love.

Ø  Rut is a gentleman who is known bum by some. In the beginning when he meets with Sue he thinks that Sue is God that make Sue was disturb and got angry. He doesn’t have family and house.

c.       Plot

There is no plot in this drama (plot less drama), it is only a dialogue development where two business people are waiting on trains and sharing about their life and goals for New Year. They get annoyances and jokes from a ticket woman and a bum while waiting a trains until the new year come.

d.      Theme

Life is like waiting on trains, if you do not want to left by the train you have come early or on time, in life if you want to be a successful person, you have to improve your knowledge, so you will not be backward. In contrast, if you came late you will leave by train. In life if you don’t prepare yourself with your future you will be a backward person, like Verna in this story.                     

e.       Style

Style of this story is satire. The Playwright criticism the lower class attitude from middle class views. The example of this story is Verna. She is rude, crude, unacceptable and does not respect her customers, that is why there are many people who disappointed by her services. “KIRK: Look here Miss Verna...we pay you good money to work here...” (Page 4, line 24), “SUE: If you valued your job, you would show us a little more respect.” (Page 5, line 5).. She also always wants to know what Kirk and Sue are talking about, and always follows their conversation even though she does not know what they are talking about. The playwright also wants to show that low class people can’t respect their job. Verna didn’t value her job while Kirk and Sue are still work at holiday.

VERNA:    Chill out, honey. It's the holidays. Give it a rest.

SUE:         I never rest. That's how I got where I am. Any and every minute of the day is open game and I take advantage of it.

Besides satire, style of this story is also a representation on common people at hick town. The playwright wants to show that almost people at hick town are not up to date with everything. The example of this story is also Verna. When Kirk’s computer left at her area, she tries to turn the computer on, but she didn’t know how to use it. It means that Verna is very low education in technology.

RUT          :           What's that?

VERNA     :           That business guy's computer.

RUT          :           How'd they get it so small?

VERNA     :           Beats me.

RUT          :           Turn it on. I wanna see it work.

VERNA     :           I'm not sure how.

RUT          :           Push that. She turns it on.

RUT (CONT.)       Look at that sucker light up.

VERNA     :           Amazing what they can do now days.

RUT          :           What are you doing?

VERNA     :           I don't know really but it's fun.

RUT          :           What's that mean?

VERNA     :           I'm not sure.(Pushes a button) Ooops.

RUT          :           How come that disappeared?

VERNA     :           Ooops.

RUT          :           There goes another one.

VERNA     :           Where'd they go? I sure hope they wasn't important.

VERNA (CONT.   (As lights fade) Ooops.

RUT is laughing and clapping. VERNA (CONT. Ooops. (Black out)

f.       Point of View

D.M Larson present “Waiting on Trains” from third person point of view (omniscient) that represented by lower class people point of view.  It doesn’t only describe the character of the people itself, but also their activities.

Short Stories Analysis

THE NECKLACE

1.      Synopsys

Mathilde, a poor woman was invited to a party but she had no dress to wear. She was given 400 francs by her husband and she bought a dress. She was still upset because she was got no jewelry, which can give the illusion of being wealthier than she actually is. Her husband didn’t have more money so he told her to borrow from Mrs. Forrester, a rich woman. After the party, she lost the necklace she borrowed. She and her husband would have to replace it with dealing and getting indebted with a lot of people to get 40.000 franc. They bought the necklace and returned it to Mrs. Forrester. 10 years later Mathilde met Mrs. Forrester accidently and she told her what happened to her necklace and how she and her husband had to pay the replacement necklace that they gave her. Mrs. Forrester was so shock that they bought the real diamond necklace because they borrowed an imitation necklace which only costs 500 franc.

2.      Setting

The Necklace takes place in Paris, France, in around 19^th century when castes and social classes were strongly existed. The specific location that we could found in the text are in the residence of Mathilde, the home of Mrs. Forrester, the Place of Ministry of Education and Champs-Elysees.

3.      Character

1.      Mathilde: a poor woman that has a beautiful appearance such a high class woman, daydreamed, charming, jealous, selfish, has strong willingness to look wealthier and want to be admired.

2.      Mrs. Forestier: kind, generous, rich, young & beautiful.

3.      Mr. Loisel : a clerk of the Ministry of Education, patient, loves his wife so much, generous, unselfish, wimpy, hardworking.

4.      Plot

Ø  Exposition

Telling the background of Mr. Loisel & Mrs. Loisel’s life.

Ø  Raising Action

They receive a party invitation from the Ministry of Education.

Ø  Conflict

Mrs. Loisel does not have any dress and jewels to use in the party.

Ø  Climax

Mrs. Loisel lost the diamond necklace she borrowed from her  friend.  She and her husband try to find the necklace for several days with no result.

Ø  Falling action

With their hardworking to get loan from some people they buy the replacement necklace which costs 37.000 francs.

Ø  Resolution

Mrs. Loisel sees Mrs. Forestier and finally she knows that the necklace she borrowed was an imitation. She realizes that she and her husband do their hard work just for a fake.

5.      Point of View

This short story is told from the 3rd person limited point of view.  The author focuses on Mathilde’s thoughts and feelings.

6.      Style

Style of The Necklace is depressing. From the beginning the writer tells about Mrs. Loisel life that is not like what she hopes express depressing. She feels that her life must not be there, she feels that see should be in a luxury place and surrounded by all luxurious things. In the raising action, conflict, climax, falling action even the resolution are full of depressing expression.

In The Necklace the writer also uses metaphor (She danced madly, ecstatically, drunk with pleasure, with no thought for anything, in the triumph of her beauty, in the pride of her success, in a cloud of happiness made up of this universal homage and admiration), personification (mean walls, worn chairs, and ugly curtains) and imagery (Her hair was badly done, her skirts were awry, her hands were red. She spoke in a shrill voice, and the water slopped all over the floor when she scrubbed it).

7.      Theme

The theme of The Necklace is desire to be looked like as a rich person gives a big trouble if people take the wrong way to release it. The trouble happen because of Mrs. Loisel’s desire to looks pretty and rich in the party. If she just act like what she really is and did not borrow Mrs. Foriester, she and her husband would not have to pass such a really hard time to pay the loan of 37.000 francs.

THE GIFT OF MAGI

1.      Synopsys

The gift of the Magi is a short story about a young married couple from the lower class and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. Della Young (wife) sells her beautiful hair to buy Jim (husband) a platinum watch chain, and Jim sells his heirloom watch to buy Della some tortoise-shell hair combs. These gifts are useless because Della cannot wear her combs without her hair, and Jim, without his watch, cannot use his watch chain.

2.      Setting

Setting of time of The Gift of Magi is the day before Christmas when people usually prepare the gift for their love one. Setting of place of The Gift of Magi is in Mr. James Dillingham’s flat; an expensive flat for the young married couple who only earn $20 a week.

3.      Character

1.      Della (Mrs. Dillingham Young): a beautiful woman that has a wonderful hair, love her husband so much, generous, unselfish and wise.

2.      Jim (Mr. Dillingham Young): young man, generous, wise, love his wife and unselfish, patient.

3.      Madame Sofronie : the owner or the shop who buy Della’s hair.

4.      Plot

Ø  Exposition

Telling about Della and Jim’s financial condition and how they are look like.

Ø  Raising Action

The next day is Christmas, and Della feels really upset and sad because she does not have enough money to buy a gift for Jim.

Ø  Conflict

Della decides to sells her beautiful hair to get the money to buy a gift for Jim (a watch chain).

Ø  Climax

Jim gives beautiful combs to Della as gift, and he tells her that he got it by selling his watch. They realize that both of their gifts are useless.

Ø  Falling action

Even the gifts are useless at present but Jim realize that they love each other so much, and the will sacrifice what they have to make the other happy.

Ø  Resolution

5.      Point of View

This short story use third person (Omniscient) point of view means a story-teller with total, God like knowledge of the characters and their actions.

6.      Style

The dominant style of The Gift of Magi irony (Being wise, their gifts no doubt wise ones… two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other), and the story itself is ironically, they sacrifice their greatest thing to buy a gift for the other that finally both of their gift are useless.

Beside irony, the writer also use Imagery (She turned white for just a moment), Comparison (Her eyes were shining brilliantly, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds) & Simile (Della’s beautiful hair fell like a cascade of brown water).

7.      Theme

Spending a lot of money is not always the way to make others happy. Especially in poor condition, we could share hapiness with simplicity.

A PAIR OF SILK STOCKINGS

1.      Synopsys

The story writes about a poor woman named Mrs. Sommers who found a huge number of money (fifteen dollars). It is a very large of money for her, so she thinks hard how to use the money wisely, and finally she set up a good plan to use the money; she will use the money to buy the new dress and hat for her kids, a new stocking for herself and the rest will be saved. But, at the day she goes to the shopping center she breaks up her own plan. Instead of buying clothes for the children she buys a pair of silk stocking and a new boot for herself, eats in a luxury restaurant, buys high-prized magazines and goes to the theater. She acts like a high-class woman a whole day, that is not herself at all.

2.      Setting

The setting of place of A Pair of Silk Stocking is in a shopping center where Mrs. Sommers can find the stocking and shoe store, book store and restaurant. And also it is the place where many high-class people go and enjoy their day. Seeing many high-class people gives Mrs. Sommers a strong desire to be one of them even just a while.

3.      Character

1.      Mrs. Sommers: a poor woman, weak and easily swayed.

2.      The Shop girl:

4.      Plot

Ø  Exposition

Mrs. Sommers found herself the unexpected possessor of fifteen dollars.

Ø  Raising Action

Mrs. Sommers buys a black pair silk stocking without any reasons with herself and afterward she replaced her cotton stockings with new silk stockings to show her action.

Ø  Conflict

Mrs. Sommers starts “loosing” her mind and her plan after used the silk stocking. She breaks up her plan.

Ø  Climax

Mrs. Summers is not only buys a pair of silk stockings, she also buys a pair of pointed-tipped boots, then she buys two high-priced magazines, and she eats in an expensive restaurant. And the other places she enters the theatre. She is not thinking at all those pleasant things, it just to get what she desires and her satisfactions.

Ø  Falling action

The play in the theatre was over. Mrs. Sommers realize that her dream will be ended. She returns home with cable car, and it is implied that she is returning to her role as mother.

Ø  Resolution

Mrs. Sommers hopes that her beautiful life would never stop anywhere, but go on and with her forever.

5.      Point of View

This story written in third person (limited omniscience) point of view, the narrator limited to only one character that is Mrs. Sommers. The readers only knows the thoughts and feelings of Mrs. Sommers and see the rest of the character externally only.

6.      Style

The style of the story is tragedy and loss. The story shows how tragic Mrs. Sommers spends her money. At first she set up a good plan for the children and herself, but then she lost her mind because of her desire to be looked like a high-class woman.  

7.      Theme

The theme of the A pair of Silk is Luxury makes poor people dream to be one of the rich person.

THEME CONCLUSION

Being poor is not always the reason to be unhappy. The Necklace is about being someone who we really are. The Gift of Magi is about giving what we have with simplicity. And A Pair of Silk Stockings is about dreaming to be richer than we are is not always a good thing.