The Sentimentality of William Tavener

Last updated
"The Sentimentality of William Tavener"
Short story by Willa Cather
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s) Short story
Publication
Published in Library
Publication typeLiterary magazine
Publication dateMay 1900

"The Sentimentality of William Tavener" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Library in May 1900. [1]

Contents

Plot summary

William and Hester, live in McPherson County. William is wealthy because he is a successful farmer and Hester is well respected and manages the farm. William is very stingy to everyone but his wife buying whatever she wanted. Hester buys items that a frivolous for her kids because she knows William won't. Hester stands up against William which creates a difficult dynamic about spending money. One day, Hester manages to talk her husband into letting their children go to the circus after he remembers going to one; they realize they were both there but only found out just now, supposedly. This leads them to reminisce about their past in Virginia, which they haven't done for years, they were too concerned with budgeting their money and getting their work done using their children. William then goes to bed and when the children come home she gives them the money that he gave her for them to go to the circus and tells them to be careful on their way and not to wake their father going to bed. The children feel like they have lost an ally because Hester won't stand up to William anymore so they won't be able to get frivolous items anymore.

Characters

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willa Cather</span> American writer (1873–1947)

Willa Sibert Cather was an American writer known for her novels of life on the Great Plains, including O Pioneers!, The Song of the Lark, and My Ántonia. In 1923, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours, a novel set during World War I.

<i>Alexanders Bridge</i> 1912 novel by Willa Cather

Alexander's Bridge is the first novel by American author Willa Cather. First published in 1912, it was re-released with an author's preface in 1922. It also ran as a serial in McClure's, giving Cather some free time from her work for that magazine.

<i>My Ántonia</i> 1918 novel by Willa Cather

My Ántonia is a novel published in 1918 by American writer Willa Cather, which is considered one of her best works.

<i>O Pioneers!</i> 1913 novel by Willa Cather

O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by American author Willa Cather, written while she was living in New York. It was her second published novel. The title is a reference to a poem by Walt Whitman entitled "Pioneers! O Pioneers!" from Leaves of Grass (1855).

"Paul's Case" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in McClure's Magazine in 1905 under the title "Paul's Case: A Study in Temperament", which was later shortened. It also appeared in a collection of Cather's stories, The Troll Garden (1905). For many years "Paul's Case" was the only one of her stories that Cather allowed to be anthologized.

<i>Lucy Gayheart</i> Novel by Willa Cather

Lucy Gayheart is Willa Cather's eleventh novel. It was published in 1935. The novel revolves round the eponymous character, Lucy Gayheart, a young girl from the fictional town of Haverford, Nebraska, located near the Platte River.

"Lou, the Prophet" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in The Hesperian in 1892.

"El Dorado: A Kansas Recessional" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in New England Magazine in June 1901.

"Uncle Valentine" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Woman's Home Companion in February 1925.

"The Bookkeeper's Wife" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Century in May 1916.

"Ardessa" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Century in May 1918.

"The Bohemian Girl" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was written when Cather was living in Cherry Valley, New York, with Isabelle McClung whilst Alexander's Bridge was being serialised in McClure's. It was first published in McClure's in August 1912.

"On the Gulls' Road" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in McClure's in December 1908.

"On the Divide" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Overland Monthly in January 1896.

"The Count of Crow's Nest" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in Home Monthly in October 1896.

"Eleanor's House" is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in McClure's in October 1907.

"Flavia and Her Artists" is a short story by American writer Willa Cather. It was first published in The Troll Garden in 1905.

<i>My Mortal Enemy</i> 1926 novel by Willa Cather

My Mortal Enemy is the eighth novel by American author Willa Cather. It was first published in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighbour Rosicky</span> 1930 short story by Willa Cather

"Neighbour Rosicky" is a short story by Willa Cather. It appeared in the Woman's Home Companion in 1930, under the title "Neighbor Rosicky". In 1932, it was published in the collection Obscure Destinies.

Library was a literary magazine founded in the United States in 1900.

References

  1. Willa Cather's Collected Short Fiction, University of Nebraska Press; Rev Ed edition, 1 Nov 1970, page 586