Old Woman Magoun

The third story we read was Old Woman Magoun by Mary Wilkens Freeman. I was unfamiliar with both the story and the author, and was amazed to learn that Wilkens-Freeman lived in Brattleboro for six years in her high school years. The story is about an older woman who is entrusted with the care of a little girl, Lily, whom she keeps safe at home until one day she has to send her to the store, and on that trip to the store, Lily meets a man who is a smooth talker with evil designs on her. When Old WOman Magoun learns of this encounter, and the resultant consequences of it which make it highly likely that Lily will be entrapped in a kind of sexual slavery, she allows Lily to satisfy her curiosity in eating some berries which are poisonous and which she knows will kill her, thus (in her mind) saving her from a fate worse than death. The story has many resonances with live issues today, and I saw one which was not discussed in the class session - it's significance for the abortion debate today. Old Woman Magoun's justifications for allowing Lily to die are not dissimilar to arguments offered in favor of abortion - saving an unwanted child from what could be a miserable life. This story has been widely discussed in the academic world. Wilkens-Freeman has been considered a proto-feminist, and her work compared to folk and fairy-tales. Old Woman Magoun has been compared, e.g., to Little Red Riding Hood. Wilkens-Freeman was prolific, publishing scores of stories in magazines of the time and writing 14 novels. Why have we not heard more about her?

Mary Wilkens Freeman(1852-1930) *********************************************************** Our teacher is Peter Schmidt. Thursday, we will be studying stories by Eudora Welty and James Baldwin.

Peter Schmidt