Regret by Kate Chopin vs My Oedipus Complex by Frank OConnor
Everyone has a family or at least knows a family, so everyone can relate to a story about family. "Regret, by Kate Chopin, and "My Oedipus Complex," by Frank O'Connor, are two very different stories about the same thing - family. "Regret," a tale about an older woman, who, never having married or had children, gets her first experience with them by taking care of her neighbor's children for a short while, and "My Oedipus Complex," a short story about a young boy who decides he is better suited to the affections of his mother than is his father, are two very different approaches to show the need for a complete family.The similarities between the two stories are easily appreciated. First, as I stated earlier, both of the stories are about families, and how the lack of, what most people consider, a "normal" and "complete" family causes problems. In "Regret," Mamzelle Aurelie completely lacks a family; she has never married, has never had children, and has only had one marriage proposal, which was promptly rejected. Mamzelle Aurelie is not even properly a woman without a family; she much more resembles a man with her determination, man's hat, army overcoat, and boots. Additionally, owning a farm, managing and employing peop
Both "Regret" and "My Oedipus Complex" offer the same opinion, which is having a complete family is the ultimate, best goal of every man and woman. Not having a family, or having an incomplete one, is not a fulfilling alternative. You may very well disagree with the stories' message, but the message is very clear. There are other similarities between the two stories. One is what happens when children are introduced into the family, i.e. the neighbor's children are introduced into Mamzelle Aurelie's "family" and the new baby is introduced into Larry's family. The introduction of children makes the shortcomings of either lacking a family, or having an incomplete family, obvious, but it also makes a complete family. In "Regret", Mamzelle Aurelie comes close to having a complete family when she is given her neighbor's children to watch. Mamzelle Aurelie soon learns she lacks the experience to properly care for the children because "they require and demand attentions which were wholly unexpected by Mamzelle Aurelie, and which she was ill prepared to give." (462) However, she soon learns to care for them, and even to enjoy them. Mamzelle Aurelie never knew the lack of children until she had children, and she never knew what it was to care for them until she had to do that. Similarly, in "My Oedipus Complex" the family becomes complete (again) when the father returns from war.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Oedipus Complex, Mamzelle Aurelie, Mamzelle Aurelie's, Frank O'Connor, mamzelle aurelie, oedipus complex, complete family, , neighbor's children, Regret Mamzelle, regret mamzelle aurelie, family regret, regret mamzelle, family incomplete, similarities stories, father war, son larry, children mamzelle aurelie,
Approximate Word count = 937
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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