The Queens Twins by Sarah Orne Jewett - Literature review Example

THE QUEEN’S TWIN It has been rear to find narrations on the physical figure generally of the ‘double’ concentrating on women’s inner side. “The Queens Twins” (1899), by Sarah Orne Jewwet is a women ‘double’ that involves the Victoria Queen. The character Abby argues to be the queen’s twin sister. This is after the queen’s death back in the year 1901. The story is much about Abby in her life of obsession to the fact that she is the queen’s sister, something that makes forget everything else in her life. The narrator explains how this obsession has affected her life. The narrator, accompanied by Mrs. Todd pays a visit to Mrs. Martin at the rural Maine. Mrs. Toddy is observant on Abby. Her room’s wall is covered and the room is always shut up. She has a quite a collection that interests Mrs. Todd. Mrs. Todd terms it as the “Jubilee memorabilia” (Jewett 502), a quote that explores her inner psyche as well as examines her actions. The trip to visit Abby consumes the story’s considerable part wile Mrs. Todd explains the location of Abby’s house and that they would take long to get there. The path is a symbol of the relationship between Abby’s life length and the stretch of the past. Abby has long life which is rich. The path is a symbol of her life’s end. The trail is a symbol of Mrs. Martin’s life since it is long, rough and dark. Despite the fact that her life seems fulfilling, it now looks like it is withering away with regard to her aging. This connection is furthered with the story’s release time period. In 1899 is when the story was published, exactly two years before the death of the queen in 1901. I this story, an interpretation of the queen honoring of her long life is created by Abby Martin. This was the story’s guiding factor due to the fact that the story appeared a short time before the diamond jubilee that was in 1897 and right before the death of the queen. The best room of Abby Martin has pictures of the highlights of different instants throughout the periods of Queen Victoria’s sixty four year rule. As suggested by the text, the shrine serves as Victoria’s homage, the homage to the British Monarch that reigned the longest period of time. The room of Abby “shut up as a meeting house” does represent Mrs. Martin’s isolation, which she experiences because of her location in the rural as well as her fantasy’s dedication. As they travel to visit Abby Martin, Mrs. Todd explains that she never thought that the queen had ever experienced a lonely trail like the one they were travelling on. Most of the houses nearby have been deserted over time the same way the queen’s family deserted the queen in loneliness. ”The queens own character and deposition have won friends for her so far away; it is possible to tell (498). The hard working life of Martin is represented by the woods leading to her house, or rather the conclusion of her life. The hint is given by both Mrs. Todd and the narrator’s promise that they would visit another time, however, the implication is that none of them will be visiting again soon. Towards her life’s end, she gets isolated from all other people hence she finds even more freedom and time to live in the world of fantasy. Mrs. Todd explains the fact that Mrs. Martin has a tendency of living within her principles. It is not clear that this she does as a side effect of having been left by her family, or if it is intentional, or even a combination of both. She is not the king that rejects visitors and looks happy and welcoming when people pay her a visit, however, she speaks of the queen mainly. The calm temper and manners of Abby portrays the fact that she is not a recluse person but welcoming. Nevertheless, she has been secluded from others during her lifetime. Mrs. Martin is obstinate that she is the twin of the queen. She has an obsession over the queen Victoria. She is a collector of magazines from sailors in English ports. She has a collection of events of her twin’s reign life all over her room walls. This may not only be an obsession but also they may be taking the position of her twin in her life. Her artwork of large collage of pictures enables her in some conservative manner to live with her sister. Abby’s best room is a diversion in some way since she lives within her fantasy world. Her daughter in-low explains that Abby would rather spend best of her time with her twin sister than her family. “I heard her one o’ her sons’ wives say once she’d much rather have the queen to spend the day if she could choose between the two,” (Jewwet, 499). This fact portrays Abby’s marked favorite fantasy over the ordinary realism that the local color of the short story suggests. The life of Abby is completely tangled with her fantasy, even down to her family member’s names. Abby’s obsession runs deep through her life’s aspects. Even her stances appear to be evocative to the queen, in spite of her more needy background. The fact that she has a best room in her house is clear that she takes the other rooms as inferior ones. She does not have much concern with the other belongings that she has compared to what she feels towards her wall, which she has devoted to the queen. The best room takes the chance of the sister who was never present, being the reason for prizing the wall above the rest of her properties. Tabby’s best room also represents as queen Victoria’s shrine. Abby keeps it from most people and may to someone she feels worthy. This room happens to be a very isolated space within her home. A very intimate space, access is only allowed to very few. Abby’s best room is a good example Freud’s ‘Heimlich’ concept. The Heimlich concept designates homely as well as private space for domestic life (Freud, 220). The concept as well explains the surrounding and natural concepts of the room. The story has multiple spiritual or ritual features in it. Religion introduction shows the significance degree that Abbey has for the ‘best rooms,’ walls which is covered with worshipful signs. The idea refers to the fact of Abbey’s religious following of the idea that she is the twin of the queen. On the way to Abby’s place, the narrator refers to herself as Mrs. Todd’s humble follower as they travel across the woods. For spiritual destination, the term ‘follower,’ refers to devotion or obedience to faith traveling through life towards the final mystical destination. Mrs. Todd led the narrator to Mrs. Martin who preached about Queen Victoria as well as the fact that they were twins. Abby preaches this story to her visitors and feels that they are potentially worthy to enter the best room which is the spiritual house. The narrator has left out some part about what they did in the ‘best room.’ May the narrator have a good reason for that? This leaves the reader confused, or rather interested to know more. It is like vital information has been left out. It looks suspicious how the narrator enters and leaves the best room within a short time. The room is very important for Abby as well as the whole story hence no one can comprehend why the narrator cannot spent some longer time in the room. Could be the narrator saw the value Abby holds for the room and respected that hence kept silent about it. She may have respected that to talk about it may be she to do it through authorization by Abby. The story shows Abby martin living in two different life’s at the same time. She is revealed in the story living as a twin sister of the queen. This is the kind of life she prefers. On the other hand, she has a poor back ground throughout her entire life. Her best room is very important to her and symbolizes her sister’s existence. Only worthy people can access it and that is her way of life. References Jewett, Sarah Orne. “The Queen’s Twin,” Novels and Stories, New York: Library of America, 1994. 493-511. Print Freud, Sigmund. “The Uncanny,” The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, XVII (ed. And trans) James Strachey et al. London: The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis, 1955, 218-252. Print. Read More