B. Eva’s Reaction: Eva as “Angels” and “Monsters”
Eva and David are married for forty seven years long. Being a housewife and a mother, Eva has endured hardships for a long time while raising her kids on
her own. Now that the kids are all grown up, they have their own family and Eva is used to being alone in the house already. From being a busy mother and a
housewife, she becomes a less active woman. Eva spends much of her time simply sitting around, resting in the house. All she wants now is solitude and silence.
Different with the previous part, researcher highlights
Eva’s side as a woman of her own in this subchapter. She is bound to the roles of being
David’s wife and the mother of her children. However, the way she handles problems and
the way she reacts as a woman, without the influence of the society, becomes the main point.
This part also analyzes Eva as a woman according to the theory of Angels and Monsters by Gilbert and Gubar.
Later, Eva’s character development throughout the story can be seen through this theory.
1. Eva as a Woman
As their latest conflict is on how to spend their retirement days, David asks Eva to move to a place called Haven. It is a Florida retirement community
managed by his lodge. From the beginning, Eva refuses by saying that she feels more comfortable being in the house rather than anywhere else. She spends her
days as a mother of the children in house, it is natural that the house becomes her comfort zone and she wants to rest there in her old days.
Eva has to be a selfless person in order to be a “good” housewife and a
“good” mother. As explained in the previous chapter, the standard of a “good” woman during this era is inspired by Queen Victoria who prioritizes her family
above all else. In this case, Eva is no exception. She gives in and puts her husband and children before herself. Ironically, her children are aware of the fact that their
mother suffers. Yet, they cannot do anything about it as if women are meant to suffer more compared to men at that time. The proof can be seen as the following.
“You lived all your life for people,” Vivi cried
.
“Not with
.
” Suffering doubly for the unhappiness on her children’s faces
.
“You have to find some compromise,” Sammy insisted
.
“Maybe sell the house and buy a trailer
.
After forty- seven years there’s surely some way
you can find to live in peace
.
” “There is no help, my children
.
Different things we need
.
” Olsen, 1976: 85
As a woman, Eva herself then admits that she has different needs compared to David who is a man. David wants to move to Haven and reunite with
his friends. That is why David keeps asking Eva to move to Haven. On the other hand, Eva just wants a simple life without people telling her what to do. She has
done it in the past, and she does not want to repeat it all over. In her past days as a mother, she is shown to hold all her emotions in and play along with the
stereotypes casted on her as a woman. She still gives her best in fulfilling the duty. However, she ends up hurting herself. Due to that, all she wants in her old days is
solitude and silence in her days as an old woman. “Being able at last to live within, and not move to the rhythms of others, as
life had helped her to: Denying; removing; isolating; taking the children one by one; then deafening, half blinding
– and at last presenting her solitude.”
Olsen, 1976: 77
Eva’s children are all grown up and Eva wants to fight for her own freedom. She has enough of taking care of the children in her past days. She now
wants to be free in her solitude. As a woman, Eva is shown to be an independent person to begin with. Her character eventually grows to be better and stonger due
to her experience of being a housewife. She becomes an independent woman and she does not want to trouble the others as she feels that she can do things by
herself. Over the dishes, coaxingly: For once in your life, to be free, to have
everything done for you, like a queen.”
“I never liked queens.” “No dishes, no garbage, no towels, no towel to sop, no worry what to buy,
what to eat.” “And what else would I do with my empty hands?”
Olsen, 1976: 74
Eva is an independent woman because she is able to take care of her own needs without bothering others. Eva also feels empty if she has nothing to do with
her own hands. It also indicates that Eva has her own definition of being free. Freedom is not having things done or decided for her. Researcher notices that
according to Eva, having things done for her is not a form of freedom because she cannot set things based on her preference. It is the same as being told what to do
and Eva has had enough of being told what to do and having limitations in making choices. The freedom that she wants as a woman includes being able to make her
own decision. Better to eat at my own table whenever I want, and to cook and eat how I
want.” Olsen,1976:75
In the story, Eva also has to run errands and take care of the children all by herself in the past
. Her husband, David, gets to go out to go to lodge meetings and card games
. This condition leads her to become an independent woman in the sense that she could manage and do everything alone
. No matter how hard it is and how much she suffers, s
he does not need anyone else’s help in the house. When David keeps asking for Eva’s permission to sell the house, Eva is tired and
mad because David does whatever he wa nts without considering Eva’s opinion or
the reality that they barely have enough money to live . The proof can be seen
from the part below .
“Let me alone about money. Was there ever enough? Seven little ones – for every penny I had to ask
– and sometimes, remember, there was nothing. But always I had to manage.
” Olsen, 1976: 76
Eventually, Eva cannot take David’s nag anymore. She then recalls her
past hardships of raising the children even without the proper financial support from David. He is always out playing with the lodge, and yet he never gives
enough money for the family. Such act shows irresponsibility and points to sexual objectification towards Eva
. It is related to women’s purpose during the era, for men’s pleasure. In the process, the researcher takes note that Eva’s act of being
independent leads her to become the only parent figure in the family, even filling in for David’s absence. She does the house chores, and even manages to find
enough money to live.
As the time goes, Eva also gets more confident in terms of fighting David’s expectation on herself. Technically, she is now a very old grandmother.
She no longer feels obligated to do her duty as a housewife and a mother. However, she still yearns for freedom.
Enough . Now they have no children. Let him wrack his head for how they
would live . She would not exchange her solitude for anything. Never again
to be forced to move to the rhythms of others .
For in this solitude she had won a reconciled peace .
Olsen, 1976: 77 Eva tries to take the advantage of her current situation and have the time of
her life as a woman . She yearns for freedom and she never stops fighting for it.
Especially, now that she has no duty as a mother . She fights for her freedom and
she finally wins . She is not giving up on her solitude nor is she going to let herself
being told what to do . As she is shown to have sacrificed her free spirited self in
the past to be the woman expected by the society, she does not want to that person anymore
. However, researcher notices that Eva develops anxiety issue when she is faced with her old tasks
. A new baby
. How many warm seductive babies. She holds him stiffly, away from her, so that he wails
. And a long shudder begins, and the sweat beads on her forehead
. “Hush, shush,” croons the grandfather, lifting him back. You should
forgive your Grandmamma, little prince, she has never held a baby before, only seen the in glass cases
. Hush, shush. ”
“You’re tired, Ma?” says Vivi. “The travel and the noisy dinner. I’ll take you to lie down
. ”
A long travel from, to, what the feel of a baby evokes .
Olsen, 1976: 91
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