Polarity In Willa Cather's 'Coming, Aphrodite'
Willa Cather’s “Coming, Aphrodite!” showcases the short affair between Don Hedger and the actress-to-be, Eden Bower. The affair begins with a rough start and ends in a lovers’ quarrel with bad timing. Cather investigates the relationship through their distinct characterisation of not only the couple in question but also through her supporting characters. Cather’s relatable yet out of reach writing style makes use of the universally elements of different emotions. However this essay will be examining the characters and the relationship of Don Hedger and Eden Bower. It will examine how both characters uphold the ideals of individualism and how their polarity affects their relationship dynamics. The essay will also eventually evince that Bower is a stronger character than Hedger, making Cather’s “Coming, Aphrodite!” a feminist and female-empowering story.
Bower’s character is depicted to be charismatic upon her introduction in “Coming, Aphrodite!”. Her “young, fresh, unguarded, confident” (64) voice, in Hedger’s point of view, is considered to be “different” (64) when he compares it to the nurse’s “lady-like intonation” (64). The comparison between the two implies that Bower’s carefree attitude was not something common. “Fresh” further adds effect to the statement as it suggests that for a woman to be “unguarded” and confident” is new and rare in both the house and in the society that Hedger is used to.
Bower is a much more extroverted character in contrast to Hedger, who
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