Short story “The White Bedspread” review
In this Short story “The White Bedspread” by Elena Casdedo, lady Audolina works as the housemaid at Anglo’s Family. She gets her off on Weekends, where she spends time with her other maids who work for wealthy families. Maria is a name used for all Maids in Anglo’s family. They have no time to remember names other names like Autoline, Filomena, or Mirella.
Miss Jenny is the daughter of La Senora, the owner of the house who spends most of her time with Maria. She enjoys Maria’s company, and so is her stories, which she feels are all lies. Jenny tries to convince Maria to stay for the weekend since her parents are always busy, and her dad lives far away, somehow separated from her mother. She tries bribing Maria to stay, but that doesn’t work, so she brings Maria her father Jewel box to convince her to stay, but Maria’s mind is made up.
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Maria has plans to spend her weekend with Dona Rosa and Corina, also working for other affluent families. As a routine, she packs stuff from the house like salt, dish soap, cooking oil, vinegar, laundry soap, butter soda, whiskey, and hand cream, which she is planning to go and share it with her friends. The only thing she doesn’t carry is perfume because she thinks rich people’s perfume smells funny.
The symbolism of the name.
Audolina’s name and her nicknames show how low-class people are looked down upon by the rich. That name refers to maids. It indicates that workers are low people in society, and their wellbeing doesn’t matter. Maria and Audolina are two different people. Maria is seen with a beautiful clean white Apron, looking like so dignified in the room, like a saint with the landscape behind them. The hair is pushed down and tied neatly with a pin. Audolina, on the other hand, is the poor older woman with grey hair who is but a maid. These two comparisons with one-person show the two strange worlds Audolina lives in. The haves and the have not’s in society as Miss Jenny refers to her.
The symbol of purity in Widespread is depicted by the neatly well spread white bed. Maria looks at the white bed as a dove with her bedspread without wrinkles and feels good about herself. It is exceptionally pure with no blemish. White is a symbol of purity and innocence. She looks at herself and sees the lines of the chest rump flat, her hair dark and gloomy, and the way her body has seen better days. It is as a result of the red rose given to her by the delivery boy. Red rose is a symbol of true love and beauty, but she is no longer young or in love. Unlike Miss Jenny, who still young and a sacred Virgin, who is slowly turning to womanhood.
Symbol of territory.
The territory is a defined area. In the Short story, perfume represents ownership. The only thing Audolina doesn’t carry from her master’s house is perfume. Fragrances are known to be used only used in Diplomats house, and the easiest way to identify a person is through the smell of the bouquet.
Miss Jenny’s attitude also shows a symbol of territory. She knows that she is the daughter of La senora, so whatever Jenny does, knows Maria cannot do anything because she is just but a maid. She tells Maria she dislikes her story yet forces her to remain for the weekend and tell her stories, which she thinks are lies. Forces Maria to stay with her and tell her stories, yet Miss Jshe knows Maria must take a weekend off. Miss Jenny also goes to the bedspread, leaving a big wrinkle Jenny yet she knows the “bedspread” is very important for her. “Miss Jenny, please, the bedspread is perfect, perfect bedspread, you know I paid the money for a new, white bedspread, is not for play.”
The Way Miss Jenny talks to Maria, calls her names and talks to her as if she is her agemate shows she has total control over her.
Maria is scared every time she hears footsteps coming upstairs. It makes her nervous, even her face flushed from the scare. Bedroom doors and steps on the stairs. Someone’s coming up the stairs! Maria drops the bag and looks in the mirror to take a hairpin from her chignon, then puts the pin back. Even her face all flushed from the scare,
Steps come up the stairs again. enAudolina drops the bag nervously. The bag she had staffed things taken from the house. She observes herself in the mirror to check if she is okay. She looks at the elegant bedspread and feels good about herself.
