Rebecca Harding Davis -- Discussion Topics

First Set:

1.) The narrator, the narrative frame and structure, and the narrator’s intrusions into the story.

2.) The "assumed audience" for the narrator.

3.) The actual story, the plot.

4.) The setting of the iron-mill (an inferno, a hell) -- see p. 1155

Second Set:

5.) The introduction of Deborah -- pp. 1153-1154, 1156-1157

6.) Deborah and Janey -- see pp. 1154-1155

7.) Hugh Wolfe, his character, his artistic side, as an artist -- see pp. 1157-1158

8.) The visit of the upper-class men to the iron-mill -- see pp. 1158-1165

9.) The figure of the Korl woman -- see pp. 1161-1162

10.) The social class discussion of the men -- see pp. 1162-1165

11.) Hugh and Deborah’s discussion -- see pp. 1165-1167

12.) Hugh’s wandering that night -- see pp. 1167-1170

13.) The church scene -- pp. 1169-1170

14.) Dr. May’s reaction to Hugh’s prison sentence -- see p. 1170

15.) The prison scene -- see pp. 1171-1176

16.) Deborah’s ending -- see pp. 1176-1177

Third Set:

17.) The romanticism vs. the realism in the story.

18.) The symbolism of the setting, the figure, the prison, etc.

19.) Social criticism commentary throughout the story.

20.) Connections to Melville.

21.) Connections to Douglass.

Other Questions?