The Healthiest Girl in Town (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Jean Stafford
- First Published: 1951
- Type of Work: Short story
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: Self-discovery, Class conflict, 1920’s, West, U.S., Sick persons, Health, Tuberculosis
- Locales: West (U.S.)
“The Healthiest Girl in Town” is one of the stories based on Stafford's years in Colorado. It is set in 1924 in a Western town whose principal industry is “tuberculars,” that is, people who have come there hoping for a cure for tuberculosis or, at least, for an extension of their lives. Naturally, the town is dominated by anecdotes of sickness and death. In this atmosphere, Jessie, the eight-year-old narrator, feels like an outsider. Blessed with a strong constitution and sensibly raised by her widowed mother, a practical nurse, Jessie cannot manage to get interestingly...
[The entire page is 588 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
