Critical Appreciation of the Story An Angel in Disguise
Introduction :
An Angel in Disguise is a Victorian Era short story, written by T.S. Arthur in 1851. This period consisted of many historic happenings including:
- Failure of the Wilmot Provisio to pass in the US Senate, which could have prohibited slavery in all territories acquired from Mexico in the Mexican-American war.
- The prohibition era of the United States, in which many Americans protested to ban alcohol completely.
- Children’s labour laws begin to be established. For example, they were forbidden to work for more than ten hours per day and many national institutions, such as the New England Association of Farmers, begin to condemn child labour.
The story is extremely moving and thrilling. It describes the destiny of a little Maggie who is hopelessly diseased. After her mother’s death some neighbours take the eldest twelve years old boy and the girl of ten to elven years old, but no one shows interest in adopting the invalid girl, Maggie. The reason is clear—her inability to go and even to leave her bed. But the writer proves to us that there are still some good people in the world. Joe Thompson, the wheelwright, takes Maggie to his house while he cannot even predict his wife’s reaction. She is irritated and displeased at the arrival of the girl. But then the writer describes how a person can be improved under the influence of love, kindness and glistened eyes of little innocent girl.
Plot of The Story
Exposition : A poor woman who was hated during her life by nearly everyone in her village, dies while intoxicated and leaves two daughters and a son behind to fend for themselves. The villagers pitied these children and the two oldest were taken in by new families, but the youngest Maggie who was crippled, was left alone because nobody wanted to deal with her disability.
Rising Action : Everyone felt awful for Maggie and the best idea anyone had, was to send her to the poorhouse. One brave and generous man named Joe Thompson decided to take her to his own home. When Joe brought Maggie home in his arms, his wife Mrs. Thompson was enraged that he brought that ‘sick brat’ into her house. She did not agree with her husband’s act of kindness and told him to talk to the owners of the poorhouse by the end of the night. Instead arguing with his wife, Joe told her that he was just letting her stay at their house for the night. Although he was never going to, Joe said that he would talk to the guardians of the poorhouse the next day. Joe went to his shop and when he came back, he was surprised to find that Mrs. Thompson had been talking to Maggie while he was gone. With high hopes, Joe waited until they were done talking. He wanted to find out whether Mrs. Thompson had a change in heart.
Climax: Mr. Joe Thompson did not see the Guardians of the Poorhouse on that day, on the next day, or on the day following. In fact, he never saw them at all on Maggie’s account, for in less than a week Mrs. Joe Thompson would as soon leave thought of taking up her own abode in the almhouse as sending Maggie there.
Falling Action : When Jane offered the child a soup, Jane asked Maggie about the soup, the child paused with the cup in her hand and answered with a look of gratitude that awoke to new life old human feelings which had been slumbering in her heart for half a score of years.
Resolution : Gradually, Jane Thompson developed affection and love for Maggie. She began to feel motherly affection for her as she had no children of her own. Days passed and Jane did not utter a word about sending Maggie to the poorhouse. Finally, Joe and Jane decided to keep Maggie with them as their child. With the arrival of Maggie, the whole house was filled with joy and happiness and the subject of sending Maggie to the poorhouse was never taken up in the house anymore. Maggie was like an angel to the household.
Moral of the Story
This story seems to target both an audience of alcoholics and those who discriminate against handicapped or disabled people. It targets alcoholics because it displays tragedy that alcohol can inflict on a family. It also targets those who discriminate because the story illustrates the joy and love that disabled people can bring to one’s life and how valuable their life truly is.
Setting and Atmosphere
The events of the story happen in the village, where every man or woman knows each other. The setting of the events is presented in a general way. The setting of the events is realistic. The writer does not describe the place, but we can imagine this place from the context. This village is dark and gloomy, because all descriptions in the story are in dark colours. But at the end of the story this description changes and the writer uses in description words with positive sematic.
Appropriateness of the Title
The title of the story An Angel in Disguise’ is symbolic. Maggie is an angel in disguise. She has some problem with her health but she makes the life of other people more interesting, happier and fills of sense. She gives a speck of happiness for Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. She is a honey to Mrs. Thompson’s soul. She is a little girl with a pure, clear and light soul.
Characterization
There are a few characters in this story. First of all there are three children and Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. The protogonist of this story is a little girl Maggie. The writer characterises her direct. She is the youngest child and is hopelessly diseased. But she is open-hearted with sincere soul. Her character can be felt through her speech and action. John is the oldest son. He is boy of twelve. Kate is a girl of ten to eleven. She is a bright and active girl. The writer characterises them direct. Mr. Thomspon is a wheelwright, a man with a big heart. He likes children and he brings Maggie to his house when all people say to take her to the poorhouse. The writer describes him more indirect than direct.
But we, also can see, direct characteristic such as ‘strong, rough man’, ‘strong arms’, ‘kind voice’ etc. Mrs. Jane Thompson is a wife of Mr. Thompson. The writer describes her through the speech characteristics. At first she is thought a strong woman who does not have feelings to the invalid or crippled girl, but it is wrong. She is a kind woman who loves the little girl with her whole heart. The other people have been described indirect. They look like vultures because they discuss leaving children in a bad way and no one wants to help them except of a farmer Jones who takes John and Mrs. Ellis who takes Kate to her home.
Narration Technique
The story has been narrated in the third person by an omniscient narrator. The writer presents to us some characters by direct characterization. For instance, he comments on the drunken woman directly. ‘This woman had been disliked, scoffed at and angrily denounced by nearly every man, woman and child in the village’. The narrator has a bias towards the children, especially Maggie, due to her predicament of being an orphan whom everyone is reluctant to take in. The narrator demonstrates this bias when he describes Maggie as having ‘sad eyes and a patient face.’
Ironical Element
Maggie is neglected by everyone knowing her a useless and a burden. As she is a frail and crippled child, no one shows interest to adopt her. At this stage, the irony of the situation makes us wonder at the human behaviour and makes us understand that we should be kind, sympathetic and generous. We should hear the voice of our heart as Joe Thompson does to get the light of joy in our lives. By adopting the poor, crippled and innocent child who is an angel in disguise, Mr. Thompson enlightens ours hearts to have soft corner for the suffering and invalid humanity.
The Use of Allusion
Biblical truth is found in the story. Just as Jesus carried His cross with our burdens so did Joe in the story by carrying Maggie, who everyone else seemed as a burden. Mrs. Joe’s heart is softened when touched by Maggie’s love and in the Bible Saul experienced God’s love and was turned into a believer. Maggie was honey to Mrs. Joe’s soul just like the word of God is honey to our souls.
The Tone of the Story
In the beginning, the tone of the story is melancholy. A poor woman who is hated by nearly everyone in her village dies of intoxication right in front of her three children: John, Kate and Maggie. On hearing the news of the death of the pauper woman, the village people gather at his old tumble down hut and begin to act as if they are highly sad at her death. This tone continues as the narrator reveals that the children are orphans and especially when none of the villagers is willing to adopt bedridden Maggie. The tone shifts from melancholy to hopeful when a kind of hearted man named Joe Thompson takes pity on the crippled child and takes her his house; although Mrs. Thompson wants to send Maggie to the poorhouse, her kindness towards the child foreshadows a possible change in mind. Ultimately, once Mrs. Thompson realises that Maggie is bringing happiness to the couple, the tone of the story shifts to loving and optimistic for the future.
The Use of Figures of Speech
The writer has used the figure of speech metaphor in the following :
- ‘Though rough in exterior, Joe Thompson.’
(The writer uses it to make the description of Joe brighter, to show that he has a kind heart). - ‘White face’
(The writer uses it to show Maggie’s inner condition, to show her paleness). - ‘Pity took the place of anger’
(The writer has used it to show the feelings of people to these children more vividly). - ‘he wrapped her with the gentleness almost of a woman.’
(It is used to describe a real feeling of Mr. Thompson, with which love and tender he refers to this girl, as a woman is). - ‘Her voice struck a chord that quivered in a low strain of music.’
(It is used to show how a little girl was afraid).
The writer has used the figure of speech Oxymoron. There are examples of Oxymoron :
- ‘death touches the spring’
(In more cases the spring means the revival and life, but in this case it means death). - ‘She carried her in her heart as well as in her arms, a precious burden.’ (In the beginning,
Maggie is considered as a burden because of being an
invalid girl but later on Mrs. Thompson grows fond of her and thus the burden becomes a blessing and precious for her).
The writer has used the figure of speech personification in the following.
- ‘ love was springing into life’.
- ‘a few words came.’
- ‘a soft feeling crept into the heart.’
- ‘a weight lifted itself from his heart.’
The writer has used onomatopeic phrases such as ‘…………. beginning to bustle ………….’
The Use of Repetition
There are some examples of repetition, as apiphora, because the end of the sentence is repeated:
‘Now, it is a small thing for us to keep this poor motherless littleone for a single night.’
‘to be kind to her for a single night.’
‘to make her life comfortable for a single night.’
Repetition is used to make the story more interesting and pay our attention to the last words.
The Use of Elliptical Sentences
The writer has used some elliptical sentences to avoid unnecessary words and draw our attention to more necessary words such as :
‘Right soon’.
Yes, sir.’
‘But not lately ?’
‘Take her to the poorhouse.’
The Use of Rhetoric and Exclamatory Sentences:
The writer has used rhetoric sentence to draw the attention and touch the soul of every reader. There is an example of rhetoric sentence :
‘Who wanted a bed-ridden child
The writer has used exclamatory sentences to put a great importance to these sentences and draw our attention to these sentences. There are examples of exclamatory sentences :
‘She was alone!’
‘Women’s hearts are not half so hard as man’s !’
‘How his heart swelled in his bosom!’
‘With what a quicker motion came the heart-beats!’
‘What a sweet patience was in her tone!’
‘Poor thing!’
The Use of Polysyndeton and Inversion
The writer has used polysyndeton. It is a stylistic device in which coordinate conjunctions are used in succession even at places where they might have been omitted. It is used to enhance the artistic effect and to lay emphasis and bring rhythm to the text. There are some examples :
- ‘After considering the matter, and talking it over with his wife, farmer Jones said that he would take John, and do well by him, now that his mother was out of the way; and Mrs. Ellis, who had been looking out for a bound girl ‘
- ‘How the Savior rebuked the disciples who would not receive them; how he took them up in his arms, and blessed them; and how he said that ‘Whosoever gave them even a cup of cold water should not go unrewarded.’
The writer has used inversion to point out the most prominent part of a sentence. There are following examples of inversion :
- ‘On entering, Joe did not go immediately to the little chamber.’
- ‘After washing from his hands and face the dust and soil of work, Joe left the kitchen and went to the little bedroom.
The Use of Neutral Vocabulary
The writer has used neutral vocabulary but there are emotionally positive words {love, tender, sunshine of love etc.) and negative words (idles, vice, burial and others), high-flown words (farewell, chord, garments) and low word (brat). All these words make the story bright and interesting for reading. These are some dialectal words : ‘tis, ‘ere, sha’n’t. They help us to get to know about the character’s social status and occupation.
Treasure Trove Poems and Short Stories Workbook Answers