A New England Nun

Freeman makes use of external details to indicate Louisa’s internal state. Louisa surrounds herself with beautiful, calm, maidenly objects, such as her sewing kit, lace, fine china, fruits, and flowers. Her clothing is simple but impeccable, and she wears three aprons on top of one another, each with a special purpose. Even the landscape and soft evening light represent Louisa’s calm state of mind.

The story’s plot is relatively simple: Louisa happily engages in her quiet hobbies; she endures Joe’s visits, always cleaning and tidying her home after he departs; she overhears Joe and Lily discuss their feelings for one another; she breaks off her engagement to Joe; and she returns to her comfortable, closed-off way of life. The plot is circular, ending exactly where it began, and Freeman maintains a serene tone throughout the story.

The narrative arcs of fiction are based on character change. It would seem, however, that Louisa experiences no character change in the story. The apparent lack of change is part of Freeman’s narrative technique. Louisa does, in fact change, in that she is even more committed to protecting her virginal, orderly life than she was before Joe’s arrival. Freeman subtly uses imagery to reflect the change. There are no religious overtones in the story until the very end, when Louisa recommits herself to her way of life. Using the image of “future days strung together like pearls in a rosary” and referring to Louisa as “an uncloistered nun,” Freeman conveys the depth of Louisa’s devotion (18).

Freeman frequently uses details that are opposites: large and small, masculine and feminine, hard and soft, and so forth, to raise tension. Louisa lives in a rural New England town and finds life outside of her home and yard uncomfortable and jarring. She only goes for a walk at night when few people are out. Every detail about Louisa contrasts with those around her, revealing how different she is, not just from Joe, but from the rest of her community.