Revolt of Mother

The Revolt of “Mother”
The short story “The Revolt of ‘Mother’” by Mary E. Wilkins is considered regional literature due to the use of specific setting which influences the characters, regional dialect, and a educated narrator who intervenes to translate between country dialogue and a more urban, educated dialogue. The setting of this story shows that it is in the country on a farm in the 19th century in which there is a barn, and an old farm house. The dialect in which the characters speak was common at this time in small rural towns. This regional language that developed is a typical trait of local color literature. Throughout this story an observer narrates the story from a third person point of view. This view shows that the narrator is clearly educated via the use of scholarly and descriptive vocabulary and by using proper or formal grammar. This story revolves around a family, the Penn’s, and the mother, Sarah, who decides to take control over her own situation. At this time women held a quite power over the family, this story shows just how much power a determined steadfast woman can have even at such a time when women were not considered equal to men. Stories that are considered regional or local color literature use specific influential setting, regional dialect, and are narrated through a knowledgeable trusted observer, such as in “The Revolt of ‘Mother’”.
This regionalism story shows that setting effects the characters actions by influencing their lives and motivations.The physical setting shows the time period, the 1890s, and place which is on a farm in New England during the summer. Sarah Penn, the revolting “Mother” in the story interacts with the remoteness of their location by asserting her control when Mr. Penn leaves. In such a rural area she has more power than she might have in a city where society would be watching her more closely and expecting more of a submissive woman. Since the whole family is expected to work to take care of the farm,...