Tears, Idle Tears

by Elizabeth Bowen

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Tears, Idle Tears

Mrs. Dickinson is characterized as a stoic, emotionally detached woman, shaped by her husband's death. She values propriety and maintains a facade of strength, repressing her emotions and expecting...

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Tears, Idle Tears

Mrs. Dickinson's feelings towards her son are complex; she loves him but struggles with emotional expression and detachment. Her inability to empathize with his tears stems from her own emotional...

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Tears, Idle Tears

In "Tears, Idle Tears," the theme revolves around handling grief and emotions, highlighted through the characters of Mrs. Dickerson and Frederick. An epiphany occurs when Frederick learns from a...

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Tears, Idle Tears

In "Tears, Idle, Tears," Frederick's mother attempts to cure his crying by withdrawing privileges, like zoo visits, as punishment. However, Frederick seems indifferent to these consequences,...

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Tears, Idle Tears

Frederick's conversation with the girl in the park profoundly impacts him by providing a contrast to his mother's harshness. Unlike his mother, who reprimands him for crying, the girl shows genuine...

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Tears, Idle Tears

Lord Alfred Tennyson describes tears as "idle" in the poem "Tears, Idle Tears" to convey their sense of futility and uselessness. The tears reflect deep sadness and regret for the past, which cannot...

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