The Way It Felt to Be Falling | Gaining Emotional Maturity
In the following essay,
Trudell analyzes the feminism and ironic style in
Edwards’s short story.
The thematic argument of ‘‘The Way It Felt to Be Falling’’ is best understood as a formula for gaining emotional maturity. And, in its simplest reading, the story seems to achieve this goal in a straightforward manner. Kate escapes potential violence, avoids becoming ‘‘crazy,’’ and regains a bond with her mother by emerging from a sense of falling. The story seems to reinforce the basic assumption that the crisis of descent is resolved into a stable and safe space within the home.
Before accepting that shiftless complacency is the goal of the story’s subtext, it...
[The entire page is 1651 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about The Way It Felt to Be Falling at eNotes.
