Circumstance (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Circumstance" is an allegorical
short story
written by American
author
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford
as a periodical
in The Atlantic Monthly
in 1860
. The story takes place in the woods of Maine
following an unnamed protagonist
who travels to return to home after caring for a sick neighbor. She ventures into the woods where she comes in contact with the Indian Devil
who assaults her throughout the story but in this life/death situation she realizes her reality and religion and comes to terms with her life, sexuality and fears. By the end of the story, her husband shoots the Devil with his shotgun in one hand and their baby in the other while the 'true Indian Devils
' destroy their home and town.
She begins thinking of her husband, her best friend. She then in an effort to call to her husband and save herself, she sings to the beast. As she does, the beast dances around and released its firm grip around her but it still keeps hold. Anytime she pictures her husband or her child, she ceases from singing and the beast returns to its ferious ways and tortures the woman.
As the beast continues to attack and subdue her, she begins to come to terms with her life and her religion. At first she questions God but eventually realizes that if He feels its her time to pass then she will accept that and accept that this is the way of nature.
Meanwhile, her husband, caring for their child, becomes exceedingly worried for her as she has been gone for much longer than expected. He soon decides to attempt an adventure into the woods, with his baby in one arm and his shotgun in the other.
Eventually, he finds his wife being assaulted by the panther and after much planning for the perfect shot at the monster, he hits it dead on and the two fall, with it under her. The three embrace one another and return to their home, finding their community in complete desolation and its people dead from the 'true Indian Devils
,' leaving the readers to the final line of the tale:
Spofford lived during a time in which women had few choices in a career and one year before her birth her father's business went bankrupt. In order to support herself she had no choice but to pursue a career in writing.
The period in which she began writing is a bridge between romanticism and realism and her writing, as illustrated in this story was both romantic and fantastic.
Her period also acted as a time in which women were seen mostly in the household and the writing of women, although one of the few options for women, was still frowned upon by most.
Throughout the story the stereotype of "a woman's place is in her home" is represented. First of all, while the protagonist is lost in the wilderness, the husband is at the house. Although, the husband is the character who finally ends the cat while the woman saves herself through seducing it. Also, the beast can be interpreted as the male and his unrestrainted lust for the body of women.
To protect her being she is forced to sing and please the beast to prevent her death. Later, her husband comes around to save her by murdering the beast. But as they're returning to their home, they come to find out that their whole village has been destroyed by Native Americans indicating that in fact the Indian Devil saves them from the true Indian Devils and death by holding the protagonist hostage forcing the husband to travel, with the child, to save his wife.
Another major theme to this story is that the beast causes the woman to analyze her own sexuality, religion, fears, and existence in her life through complete control. In this life/death situation she see that both her and the panther derive from God and that all his children have inherited his love and kindness. She turns to God and understands that Nature is pure and what is meant to happen, happens. She becomes one with Nature and thus becomes one with the beast.
This story also symbolizes the woman artist's oppression. Spofford was forced to write due to the women's stereotype and her family's poverty. And thus she trapped in the world of journalism similar to the protagonist who has no choice but to please the Devil in order to stay alive. Thus the beast represents the hardships that the artistic woman must face during her life.
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford was a notable American writer remembered for her novels, poems and detective stories.-Biography:...
as a periodical
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
in The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
in 1860
1860 in literature
The year 1860 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*January - First issue of the Cornhill Magazine*June 9 ****- Malaeska: The Indian Wife of the White Hunter becomes the first dime novel to be published....
. The story takes place in the woods of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
following an unnamed protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
who travels to return to home after caring for a sick neighbor. She ventures into the woods where she comes in contact with the Indian Devil
Black panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
who assaults her throughout the story but in this life/death situation she realizes her reality and religion and comes to terms with her life, sexuality and fears. By the end of the story, her husband shoots the Devil with his shotgun in one hand and their baby in the other while the 'true Indian Devils
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
' destroy their home and town.
Plot summary
An unnamed woman travels back to her home after caring for an ill neighbor in Maine and notices a white apparation floating in the air that sighed, "The Lord have mercy on the people!" She continues on until she reaches a point where a gap of fallen trees allows twilight to enter in the form of diffused light. Suddenly, a shadow raced past her and before she knew it she was taken captive by the Indian Devil, a savage, legendary black panther.She begins thinking of her husband, her best friend. She then in an effort to call to her husband and save herself, she sings to the beast. As she does, the beast dances around and released its firm grip around her but it still keeps hold. Anytime she pictures her husband or her child, she ceases from singing and the beast returns to its ferious ways and tortures the woman.
As the beast continues to attack and subdue her, she begins to come to terms with her life and her religion. At first she questions God but eventually realizes that if He feels its her time to pass then she will accept that and accept that this is the way of nature.
Meanwhile, her husband, caring for their child, becomes exceedingly worried for her as she has been gone for much longer than expected. He soon decides to attempt an adventure into the woods, with his baby in one arm and his shotgun in the other.
Eventually, he finds his wife being assaulted by the panther and after much planning for the perfect shot at the monster, he hits it dead on and the two fall, with it under her. The three embrace one another and return to their home, finding their community in complete desolation and its people dead from the 'true Indian Devils
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
,' leaving the readers to the final line of the tale:
For the rest,--the world was all before them, where to choose.
Background
This story's basic plot was based upon an actual occurrence that happened to the author, Harriet Spofford's great-grandmother who, one night, ran into a black panther and was brutally struck in the midst of the night.Spofford lived during a time in which women had few choices in a career and one year before her birth her father's business went bankrupt. In order to support herself she had no choice but to pursue a career in writing.
The period in which she began writing is a bridge between romanticism and realism and her writing, as illustrated in this story was both romantic and fantastic.
Her period also acted as a time in which women were seen mostly in the household and the writing of women, although one of the few options for women, was still frowned upon by most.
Analysis
This story takes place from sunset to the much later hours of the night, or liminal space, a term commonly seen in these forms of literature to represent the hour in which peculiar events are said to transpire.Throughout the story the stereotype of "a woman's place is in her home" is represented. First of all, while the protagonist is lost in the wilderness, the husband is at the house. Although, the husband is the character who finally ends the cat while the woman saves herself through seducing it. Also, the beast can be interpreted as the male and his unrestrainted lust for the body of women.
To protect her being she is forced to sing and please the beast to prevent her death. Later, her husband comes around to save her by murdering the beast. But as they're returning to their home, they come to find out that their whole village has been destroyed by Native Americans indicating that in fact the Indian Devil saves them from the true Indian Devils and death by holding the protagonist hostage forcing the husband to travel, with the child, to save his wife.
Another major theme to this story is that the beast causes the woman to analyze her own sexuality, religion, fears, and existence in her life through complete control. In this life/death situation she see that both her and the panther derive from God and that all his children have inherited his love and kindness. She turns to God and understands that Nature is pure and what is meant to happen, happens. She becomes one with Nature and thus becomes one with the beast.
This story also symbolizes the woman artist's oppression. Spofford was forced to write due to the women's stereotype and her family's poverty. And thus she trapped in the world of journalism similar to the protagonist who has no choice but to please the Devil in order to stay alive. Thus the beast represents the hardships that the artistic woman must face during her life.
See also
- Harriet Elizabeth Prescott SpoffordHarriet Elizabeth Prescott SpoffordHarriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford was a notable American writer remembered for her novels, poems and detective stories.-Biography:...
- AllegoryAllegoryAllegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
- Short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
- The Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
- 1860 in literature1860 in literatureThe year 1860 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*January - First issue of the Cornhill Magazine*June 9 ****- Malaeska: The Indian Wife of the White Hunter becomes the first dime novel to be published....