Moving out to the plains, helping give birth to a baby, and cutting off a man’s finger is part of “Plainswoman” by Williams Forrest. In this story, Nora moves to the plains with her husband, Rolf. At the plains, Nora is forced to do things that cause her discomfort. The people around Nora make her change to help them and herself. In this story, the theme is sometimes you have to adapt to help the people around you.
Nora has to change for her husband, Rolf. Nora thought Rolf was a gentleman, but was disgusted at his behavior later. She didn’t understand how a life in the plains would be. “I told you how it would be, didn’t I?” “I didn’t know,” she said.”I didn’t know how awful it would be.”(12). This quote shows Nora thought …show more content…
Pleny had gangrene, a disease that is caused by lack of blood flow. Pleny asked her to cut his finger off. Nora was horrified and alarmed and didn’t acknowledge his plea. “And her emotion rejected it and any part of it.”(9). She wanted to ignore it. Nora was terrified and wanted her old life back. However, in order to save Pleny’s life, Nora realized she would have to change. She was beginning to understand she needed a new point of view in these surroundings.
The last person Nora would have to change for was her unborn child. At the beginning Nora was worried to have a child because she was concerned it was going to be a harsh winter. When a woman on the train to the plains gave birth, all the men came and congratulated her. The woman said the child would be a cattleman. This made Nora a little nervous about the children she would have. However, at the end of the story Nora laughs and thinks she will have a child of the plains. She changed into a happier mother for her child.
The theme of changing to help the people around you is important and a good life lesson. When Nora gives birth to the child, the child will live in a happier home because both parents accept their surroundings and have found some happiness. Because Nora has done some drastic things like cutting off a man’s finger and helping give birth to a baby, she changed. The story has a theme of trying to change and accept what is happening to help others around