The Cinderella Waltz (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Ann Beattie
- First Published: 1979
- Type of Plot: Character study, psychological
- Time of Work: The late 1970's
- Setting: Connecticut suburb and New York City
- Principal Characters: The narrator, Milo, Louise, Bradley
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: Freedom, 1970’s, Husbands, New York, North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Wives, Mothers, Parents and children, Homosexuality or homosexuals, Love or romance, Twentieth century, New York City, Pain, Fathers, Single parents or single-parent families, Divorce, Connecticut, Abandonment
- Locales: New York, NY, Connecticut
The Story
“The Cinderella Waltz” consists of the memories, reflections, and insights of a divorced woman living with her nine-year-old daughter, Louise. The narration begins as she is waiting for her former husband Milo and his lover, Bradley, to pick up their daughter for her usual weekend visit. As she helps Louise pack her usual shopping bag of trinkets and toys, which give her security outside her mother's home, she thinks back to the final years of her marriage to Milo. She is trying to make the transition go smoothly for Louise, who has somewhat disconcertingly...
[The entire page is 1468 words long]
