Lilian Hernandez
Mr. Frey
AP Literature
25 May 2016
The Dreamer and the Doer Success is a concept that is more often than not viewed in a fashion that encourages individuals to pursue a quality profession to prevent one from settling for less. Since this generalization triumphs in the workings of society, people tend to misinterpret occupational titles and in many instances overlook the other critical factors that contribute to personal success. In the short story “Astronomer’s Wife” written by Kay Boyle, Mrs. Katherine Ames finds herself fixed in what appears to be an everlasting realm of her husband’s rejection and suffocating silence. It is not until she meets the plumber that she rediscovers the emotional state of excitement that she …show more content…
The irony that unravels as the story develops disagrees with this common notion. One critic argues, “People with lofty ambitions, like the astronomer, do not regard the common people as necessary for the world to run smoothly, and would rather obliterate them” (Kay Boyle’s The Astronomer’s Wife: Analysis). The plumber takes on an occupation that is often discredited for the work he performs because of the generalizations that assume a lack in his educational background; His career choice is viewed as a “dirty” job while an astronomer, as the one in the story, is often praised for its rigorous coursework which evidently leads to the formulations of higher expectations. He is referred to by his wife as “the professor” and given an immediate classification in terms of his social ranking. A college degree might have given the astronomer an upper hand in terms of his reputation, but his perception and psychological tendencies do not cultivate an emergence of knowledge that can be applied to the manner in which he deals with the world he lives in and not of that composed of stars and space. The author never indicates whether or not the plumber ever received any amount of formal education, but his actions describe that of a successful individual though he may not meet those specific standards in society’s eyes. Though …show more content…
Boyle lived a rather tumultuous life that was characterized by her modernist literature, political activism, and entangled love affairs. The New York Times repudiates that her literary pieces are a reflection of her own personal experiences. Professor Joan Mellen asserts, “She never hesitated to follow the dictates of impulse...Something similarly headlong may be observed in her literary productions... ‘her fiction to tell the truth about her life, to rationalize it, to mirror it’” (Pritchard 1). Boyle’s life was dedicated to living to no such boundaries as she willingly accepted new love and voiced her opinions in political issues she felt strongly about. The actions that she took are manifestations of her life and ultimately were vital components to the underpinnings of her being. Boyle’s tendency to reconfigure the failures of her marriage and that of society’s is evident through Mrs. Ame’s decision to let herself explore what she has for a very long time yearned after. The writer’s personal reflections are addressed in the novel’s closing scene that states, “‘Oh,’ said the astronomer's wife in wonder as she stepped into the heart of the earth. She took his arm, knowing that what he said was true” (Boyle 65). In choosing to follow the plumber, Mrs. Ames makes an important decision where she allows herself to feel