Petrified Man review
The Petrified Man is a story written by Eudora Welty reflecting modern civilization. The principal characters are Leota, a beautician and Mrs. Fletcher who is a customer in the beauty shop. The writer builds the theme of corruption of love using the two characters as the primary players. The dialogue between the two ladies at the beauty shop gives a different picture of ladies concerning love. The writer employs symbolism to change the perception of a beauty shop as a place for creating beauty and character to a place of revealing the real ugliness of ladies’ take on love. The two characters are portrayed as envious, jealous and obsessed with material possession and cannot ignore their constant exercise of self-love. The ladies seem to respect their looks more than the joy that would come with having a family to love. Every single line in the dialogue between the story’s principal characters has a part that represents a society that supports self-love at the expense of love for others.
The characters reveal the ugly sides of each other. Leota, for example, brings out the selfishness of Mrs. Fletcher by informing her of the falling hair. Leota learns that Mrs. Fletcher is pregnant and does not seem surprised when Mrs. Fletcher admits that she does not like children as such. Mrs. Fletcher even goes further to admit that she would procure an abortion for the sake of her looks. The two ladies go on to show a lack of love for others when a little boy makes some noise near them. As expected, ladies would like the company of children, but instead, Leota slaps the boy and instructs him to leave the beauty parlor: “Billy, little hon should not bother pretty ladies” (p. 24).
The other bit of character exposed in the story is egoism. Mrs. Fletcher respects external beauty, and the constant sitting symbolizes this in front of the mirror. Mrs. Fletcher only views childbearing as an unexplainable sacrifice, and her ego prevents her from taking this sacrifice frequently. Leota too has an emotional ugliness. Leota is envious and has a character of betraying her friends. The beauty parlor is a center of gossiping and revealing the ladies’ pride in matters of love for others. Even concerning the show in town, Leota shows a great bit of resentment and rejection of friends. The explanation she gives concerning the petrified man is full of jest and resentment. Mrs. Fletcher admits that she would not care about the dwarfs and this gives a further reflection concerning Mrs. Fletcher’s character. Leota also seems to despise her husband’s height and says that he should be taller. The image of petrified man by the write also creates ambition in revealing that omitting article in the title was deliberate in representing the explanation given by Leota and Mrs. Fletcher.
In a sum, Welty exposes a society that only appreciates appearances, callousness and material possessions. The conclusion of the book shows the end of dark comedy that shows adults living what would otherwise be their young life. There is corruption in the way love should be shown.