Question
A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin
Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected possessor of $15. It seems to her a very large amount of money, and the way in which it stuffed and the bulged her worn old porte-monnaie gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed it for years.
The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly. For a day or two, she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterward regret. But it was during the still hours of the night when she lay awake revolving plans in her mind that she seemed to see her way clearly toward a proper and judicious use of the money.
A dollar or two should be added to the price usually paid for Jamies shoes, which would unsure their lasting an appreciable time longer than they usually did. She would buy so and so mony yards of percale for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag. She had intended to make the old ones do by skillful patching. Mag should have another gown. She had seen some beautiful patterns, veritable bargained in the shop windows. And still there would be left enough for new stockings - two pairs apiece - and what darning that would save for a while! She would get caps for the boys and sailor-hats for the girls. The vision of her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their loves excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.
The neighbors sometimes talked of certain 'better days' that little Mrs. Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Mrs. Sommers. She herself indulged in no such morbid retrospection. She had no time - no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. A vision of the future like some dim, gaunt monster sometimes appalled her, but luckily to-morrow never comes.
Use the passage from "A Pari of Silk Stockings" to answer the question.
In 3-5 sentences, Identify one or more themes in the passage. Cite details from the passage to support your answer.
Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected possessor of $15. It seems to her a very large amount of money, and the way in which it stuffed and the bulged her worn old porte-monnaie gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed it for years.
The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly. For a day or two, she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterward regret. But it was during the still hours of the night when she lay awake revolving plans in her mind that she seemed to see her way clearly toward a proper and judicious use of the money.
A dollar or two should be added to the price usually paid for Jamies shoes, which would unsure their lasting an appreciable time longer than they usually did. She would buy so and so mony yards of percale for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag. She had intended to make the old ones do by skillful patching. Mag should have another gown. She had seen some beautiful patterns, veritable bargained in the shop windows. And still there would be left enough for new stockings - two pairs apiece - and what darning that would save for a while! She would get caps for the boys and sailor-hats for the girls. The vision of her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their loves excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.
The neighbors sometimes talked of certain 'better days' that little Mrs. Sommers had known before she had ever thought of being Mrs. Sommers. She herself indulged in no such morbid retrospection. She had no time - no second of time to devote to the past. The needs of the present absorbed her every faculty. A vision of the future like some dim, gaunt monster sometimes appalled her, but luckily to-morrow never comes.
Use the passage from "A Pari of Silk Stockings" to answer the question.
In 3-5 sentences, Identify one or more themes in the passage. Cite details from the passage to support your answer.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
One prominent theme in the passage from "A Pair of Silk Stockings" is the conflict between aspiration and financial limitations. Mrs. Sommers' fleeting possession of $15 evokes a sense of importance and possibility, as seen when she fantasizes about how to "proper and judicious use" of the money, planning to buy new clothes and shoes for her children. Despite her dreams of providing for her family, the reality of her financial struggles looms over her thoughts, reflected in her restless anticipation and the notion that "the needs of the present absorbed her every faculty." This tension between hope and reality underscores the challenges faced by those living in poverty, illustrating the emotional toll of limited means amid aspirations for a better life.