Cruelties by Blanche Colton Williams

Blanche Colton Williams’s study of “Cruelties” examines Edwina Stanton Babcock’s construction of a small-town conflict around Miss Giddings, called Frenzy, the Tyarck and Capron women, and a troubled young girl. It traces two entangled plot interests, distinguishes the dramatic climax from the climax of action, and questions whether the motivation, forecast, and dénouement are convincing. The analysis considers characterization through physical detail, contrasting diction, acts, dress, and minor shifts to masculine viewpoints. It also addresses rural local color, the handling of elapsed months, realistic atmosphere, humor, symbolism surrounding insects and the cherry tree, and the effects of summary versus dramatization. Williams includes Babcock’s statements about drafts, descriptive beginnings, characterization, illusion, and artistic truth.

By Blanche Colton Williams · First published 1919 · Genre: Literary Criticism, Literary Analysis, Literary Essay · 1,157 words

First lines

STARTING POINT. Edwina Stanton Babcock says that "Cruelties" was written around the figure of the spinster, Frenzy, at whom she has had peeps for nearly eighteen years. Her formal and carefully elaborate English, -- her garden, and her worries over it -- all are drawn from what Miss Babcock considers story material "for any one. " Mrs. Tyarck and Mrs. Capron were painted in contrasts, and "little Johnny Tyarck and what went on inside of his wispy head at prayer meeting was put in because of my own ceaseless wonder as to what goes on inside the heads of the Johnny Tyarcks of this world."

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Genres

• Literary Criticism — Evaluates the story’s structure, motivations, characterization, and artistic effects.
• Literary Analysis — Breaks the narrative into incidents, climaxes, denouement, setting, viewpoint, and style.
• Literary Essay — Combines critical commentary, study prompts, and quoted reflections from the fiction’s author.

Tags

Blanche Colton Williams · Edwina Stanton Babcock · Cruelties · short-story criticism · plot construction · dramatic climax · dénouement · characterization · point of view · local color · rural community · symbolism

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Cruelties is listed on Textopian as an essay by Blanche Colton Williams, dated 1919 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Essay
• Author: Blanche Colton Williams
• Date: 1919 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Literary Criticism, Literary Analysis, Literary Essay
• Length: 1,157 words
• Structure: 1 section, 21 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

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• Work identity for Cruelties by Blanche Colton Williams
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
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More by Blanche Colton Williams

• A Certain Rich Man -- (1919)
• A Cup of Tea (1919)
• A Jury of her Peers (1919)
• A Simple Act of Piety (1919)
• At Isham's (1919)
• At the End of the Path (1919)
• At the End of the Road (1919)
• Blind Vision (1919)
• All works by Blanche Colton Williams