Character Analysis of Faye from “a Secret Sorrow”
Literature & Composition
June 8, 2011
Character Analysis of Faye
From “A Secret Sorrow”
In the story “A Secret Sorrow”, a woman by the name of Faye is battling a traumatic accident. The reference of the car accident sets the reader up for the tone of the story. In the beginning of chapter 11, Faye is very fragile woman. Something is making her feel distraught. When reading the first sentence “feel the blood drain from her face” (Van Der Zee 28) and “thought she was going to faint” (28), its not clear what permanent internal injury Faye has, as stated in the preface. In the following few paragraphs the author wrote, “clutched at him for support, fighting for control” and “legs were shaking so badly”. These descriptive statements of Faye keeps the reader engaged to find out what’s wrong with her and why she feels this way.
Faye has always wanted to conceive children, but her hopes and dreams were shattered the day she received the horrible news. She was filled with emotions and was in tremendous grief, as if she had lost a loved one and was mourning. Faye did not want to accept the fact that she will never be able to give life to a child.
When Kai finds the number of the psychiatrist, Faye feared that Kai knew, “He knew, oh God, he knew. She closed her eyes, a helpless sense of inevitability engulfing her.” (29) She felt she couldn’t escape the truth now that he knows about the doctor. Faye’s mood changes from feelings bereavement to becoming defensive, “her whole body growing rigid with instinctive rebellion.” (30) Faye defended herself by trying to get away from Kai and his questions.
Faye was facing the crisis of her lifetime, where she thought she would not be able to satisfy Kai nor make him happy without giving him the gift of a child and knowing that Kai desperately wanted to have a child with her. For that reason, she feared marrying him. "I can't be what you want me to be. We can't have the kind of life you want...I'm so afraid...you'll be
June 8, 2011
Character Analysis of Faye
From “A Secret Sorrow”
In the story “A Secret Sorrow”, a woman by the name of Faye is battling a traumatic accident. The reference of the car accident sets the reader up for the tone of the story. In the beginning of chapter 11, Faye is very fragile woman. Something is making her feel distraught. When reading the first sentence “feel the blood drain from her face” (Van Der Zee 28) and “thought she was going to faint” (28), its not clear what permanent internal injury Faye has, as stated in the preface. In the following few paragraphs the author wrote, “clutched at him for support, fighting for control” and “legs were shaking so badly”. These descriptive statements of Faye keeps the reader engaged to find out what’s wrong with her and why she feels this way.
Faye has always wanted to conceive children, but her hopes and dreams were shattered the day she received the horrible news. She was filled with emotions and was in tremendous grief, as if she had lost a loved one and was mourning. Faye did not want to accept the fact that she will never be able to give life to a child.
When Kai finds the number of the psychiatrist, Faye feared that Kai knew, “He knew, oh God, he knew. She closed her eyes, a helpless sense of inevitability engulfing her.” (29) She felt she couldn’t escape the truth now that he knows about the doctor. Faye’s mood changes from feelings bereavement to becoming defensive, “her whole body growing rigid with instinctive rebellion.” (30) Faye defended herself by trying to get away from Kai and his questions.
Faye was facing the crisis of her lifetime, where she thought she would not be able to satisfy Kai nor make him happy without giving him the gift of a child and knowing that Kai desperately wanted to have a child with her. For that reason, she feared marrying him. "I can't be what you want me to be. We can't have the kind of life you want...I'm so afraid...you'll be