Respectability

THEMES: appearance vs. reality

IMAGERY: hands, nature, darkness vs. light, railroads/trains, streets/pathways, seasons, eyes

CONNECTION TO THEME: Men represent innocence while women represent evil and maliciousness in Wash Williams’ comparison of men vs. women in the Respectability.

TEST: Whenever a man is brought into the story, he is brought in to show the maliciousness and evil of a woman. The first time this is shown is on page 121, when describing people’s reaction to the monkey, “…men turn away with an air of disgust, and women linger for a moment, trying perhaps to remember which one of their male acquaintances the thing in some faint way resembles.” This quote is used to show the maliciousness in women, while the men will just let it go. A quote on page 122 further illustrates Wash’s bias towards men over women, “First of all, he hated women. ‘Bitches,’ he called them. His feeling toward men was somewhat different. He pitied them. ‘Does not every man let his life be managed for him by some bitch or another?’ he asked.” This quote shows that Wash is basing his hate for men off men’s innocence and unknowingness of women. In other words, women are the reason men don’t succeed. Backing this up is a quote on page 124, “They (women) are sent to prevent men making the world worth wile.” Wash believes that all men, except him, are foolish when it comes to women. This is shown on page 127, when Wash visits his ex-wife’s home, who had cheated on him, “I thought that if she came in and just touched me with her hand I would perhaps faint away. I ached to forgive and forget.” This quote from before Wash’s hatred towards women and pity for men shows the innocence and foolishness a man displays after the malicious and evil acts of a woman.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The railroad represents the characters understanding of each other.

TEST: When the railroads are brought up in the story, it is always during times when characters are getting a better understanding of one another. The first time they are brought up is when George and Wash go to talk on page 123, “Down the railroad they went and sat on a pile of decaying railroad ties beside the tracks. It was then that the operator told the young reporter his story of hate.” This quote shows how the railroad represent the times of understanding and connection between the characters, as the night before, George and Belle Carpenter had walked by the railroad tracks as well.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The monkey in the story represents Wash, and the way he is seen in the town.

TEST: When the monkey is first brought up on page 121, he is described as “a huge, grotesque kind of monkey, a creature with ugly, sagging, hairless skin below his eyes and a bright purple underbody. This monkey is a true monster.” Further down the page on 121, Wash Williams is described as, “the ugliest thing in town. His girth was immense, his neck thin, his legs feeble. He was dirty.” The physical appearances are just one way that the monkey represents Wash. Back at the top of page 121, they talk about the townspeople’s reaction to the monkey, “Children stopping before the cage are fascinated, men turn away with an air of disgust, and women linger for a moment…” This represents how the town views Wash Williams. The first quote that shows this is on page 124, when Wash and George are talking, “Half frightened and yet fascinated by the light burning in the eyes of the hideous old man, George Willard listened, afire with curiosity.” This quote showing George’s, not yet a man, reaction to Wash is similar to the reaction of children to the monkey.