Analysis of 'How the Widow Won the Deacon'

How the widow won the Deacon In the Victorian era women had extremely limited rights, once married, they would lose ownership of wages, property, and any other cash generated (“Women in the Victorian Era”). When Victorian women would marry, they became property of their husbands even if he were to pass away. During this time, it was unheard of for women to consider another man after losing their husband. In the short story, How the Widow won the Deacon, the author, William James Lampton, uses climax and man vs. society in order to show how a widowed Victorian woman won the heart of the deacon. Lampton uses the climax to depict how the widow did not have to try to when the deacon, it just happened. Deacon Hawkins’s, main ambition was to finally own a horse able to beat Squire Hopkins in a race (Lampton). Widow Stimson acknowledged his intense desire to win the race but realized she was the one holding him back. By jumping out of the carriage to lighten the load, the deacon was able to increase his speed and beat the squire (Lampton). Shortly after the race, the deacon had realized what the widow had selflessly done for him and now saw her in a new light. The women of the Sisters Sewing Society gossiped about what appeared to be a flirtatious relationship between Widow Stimson and Deacon Hawkins. In the Victorian age, it was uncommon for women to remarry after losing her husband. Sister Susan Spicer, wife of the Methodist minister, remarked “… I can’t see why Deacon Hawkins and Kate Stimson don’t see the error of their ways and depart from them” (Lampton). The way the Sister’s talk about Widow Stimson’s relationship shows the Man vs. Society role. Women at in this time were expected to only have one husband and not remarry he were to pass away. William James Lampton used the effect of climax by creating suspense to the reader. The story was leading up to the moment Widow Stimson jumped off the horse, which would in fact be considered the climax of the