Precis

Nagel, Gwen L. Critical Essays on Sarah Orne Jewett. Massachusetts: G.K. Hall & Co, 1984.
Pryse, Marjorie. “Women ‘at sea’: Feminist Realism in Sarah Orne Jewett’s “The Foreigner”’” Nagel 89 – 98.

According to Marjorie Pryse Sarah Orne Jewett is an author of the feminist’s world. She argues that Sarah Jewett’s pieces have often been overlooked in the literary world and it is not until today that her works are seen in the anthologies of American Literature. Pryse argues that this is not enough because even today one of Jewett’s best pieces, “The Foreigner” is often neglected. As Pryse makes her way through her argument she switches to a close analysis of the piece itself, citing major parts that she believes represent the greatness and realism of Sarah Jewett. In fact she claims that Jewett interpreted and translated the lives of her characters through her settings and subtle details, and occasionally through conversation. Because Jewett developed her stories this way Pryse makes the claim that she uses the “realist’s intention” (92). Pryse suggests that Jewett uses nature to not only create setting, which is a major part of this argument, but also uses nature to represent emotions. On page 91 Pryse claims, “the storm evokes fear which may appear initially unrelated to her actual story…” which relates not only to the nature of a storm but also the nature of a person fighting the storm. Towards the end of this essay, Pryse transitions to the idea of joining worlds, “and live in one but for the other” which is also a quote from “The Foreigner” (94). Pryse is arguing further, that a woman’s emotions run deep and until that woman can understand herself they cannot understand the world around them. She is also arguing that Jewett wrote this in an intentional fashion, understanding the ins-and-outs of each scene, character and idea, and this is why she is not only a feminist but also an author to be studied not singularly but as a whole. Pryse is trying to argue that critics who have disregarded Jewett and her works are overlooking a great contributor of the American literary world. To prove her point on a larger scale she has done a close analysis of “The Foreigner” assuming that critics and editors who decide what to study and what to put into anthologies have not given the proper attention to this piece.
Overall, Pryse’s argument was strong. She backed up her opinion that Sarah Orne Jewett deserves to have more of her works studied through giving a close analysis and comparing her writing to other famous writer’s like Emily Dickinson. Starting the essay with a disagreement about not studying Sarah Jewett in the literary world and then taking a piece that she believes to be overshadowed by “Country of Pointed Firs” and analyzing it, while comparing it to the great traits of other writers of the time is the strongest part of her argument. However, it would have been beneficial to have a stronger, organized line of thought. There is a loss of understanding between the author disagreeing with scholars not studying Sarah Jewett and between analyzing a piece she believes needs more attention. It would also be helpful to add in the beginning of her argument or in her thesis her belief that the title “The Foreigner” meant more to the story than just simply a title. With that in mind, Marjorie Pryse was able to bring together a piece that could be used in a larger sense, not only because it argues a position that Sarah Jewett should be studied more but it also gives a close reading of one of Sarah Orne Jewett’s pieces. That close reading could be used for multiple purposes as well, which makes the essay a significant piece of criticism. Furthermore, the analysis of the piece gives the reader of the essay an understanding of “The Foreigner” without being forced to read it which helps to seal the argument because the reader can follow the author’s reasoning.