Freeman and Chesnutt

I find it amazing what a person is a capable to doing in the name of love. The story of Chestnut’s “The Wife of His Youth,” was very heartfelt and inspiring. Although “A New England Nun” had an unexpected outcome it was still a love story nonetheless. I will dwell on Freeman’s reading more in this blog because Louisa reminded me much of the main character from one of the movies I saw this weekend, the “Ugly Truth.” The plot of the story is humorously criticizing men and women’s perception of relationships and ideas of courtship. The main similarity however was not in the plot, but in the character of Louisa and Abby, a television producer in the “Ugly Truth.” Both characters are very clean and neat women with type A personalities that lead their lives in total control of their environment. Somehow they embody the pure and proper women with pious ideals. Both characters have made a life for themselves by their own hard work and independence. When Louisa finds that she made a promise to Joe that she would marry him upon his return from Australia she plans do so even though the reader get the impression she does not love him. In the Ugly Truth, Abby detests working with Mike, a man she disagrees with for his unforgiving perception of women and relationships, but does so since the ratings of her show have increased since his segment has aired. Both women find themselves tied to a situation they cannot control- a test to their integrity as characters. In the end of the story we discover love to be the great mediator and healer as Louisa realizes the love between Joe and Lily and makes the decision to break her promise and live as a nun. The last line of the story captures very well this catholic allusion. "Louisa sat, prayerfully numbering her days, like an uncloistered nun.” Since nuns are celibate, solitary, and very disciplined by their own will this embodies Louisa very well. As for Abby, she discovers she is in love with Mike, which is strong enough to break down the barriers both characters have built regarding how men and women really are. Lets face it in modern relationships and today's world no one would make the decision to become a nun! Try watching the film yourself and see if you can pick up on any of these similarities. Perhaps it is something I just constructed by direct association since I had just watched the film!