Who Is Wearing the Pants?

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Who is Wearing the Pants? ENG 125—Introduction to Literature April 11, 2011 Who is Wearing the Pants? There is always a dominant figure in the home. One person, whether it be the man or the woman, takes care to lead the other to wherever it is they are going. Even when both parties are not aware of this dominance, it still exists. This observation is evident within real life, and in literature. The idea that there usually is a predominant caretaker (aka one who “wears the pants”) within each marriage is evident in each of these stories: Nadine Gordimer’s short story Country Lovers; Guy de Maupassant’s short story The Necklace; and Tristan Bernard’s play script I’m Going! A Comedy in One Act. Country Lovers: Let us begin with the short story by Nadine Gordimer, entitled Country Lovers. Njabulo, the husband of Thebedi, the protagonist, is the obvious provider in this relationship—the one who wears the pants. Although his wife ends up pregnant with another man’s child, Njabulo steps up and does what is right, taking care of his wife and the child, as if he were his own. Njabulo really works hard to provide for the child. He hides the situation and covers for his wife when he shouldn’t be required to. He supports her when she is downtrodden for the loss of her infant. He loves her and takes care of the situation, providing her with more children of his own and loving her even when she has obviously made mistakes. (Gordimer, as cited in Clugston, 2010, section 3.1) Literary elements Gordimer uses several of the literary techniques we have studied throughout her story. Tone, persona, plot, flashbacks, and culture are some of these. The tone of the story at the beginning is very happy and nostalgic and uplifting; as the story continues, the tone changes to one much more somber and saddened. “She cried hysterically in the witness box…”
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