Analysis of “The Little Governess””The Little Governess” is a story about a na ” ive young lady who gets tricked by an old man in a foreign country. The young lady has traveled from England to Germany for a position as a governess for children. However it seems that she is not more than a child herself. She meets an old man on the train who offers to give her a tour of the city before she meets her employer. She accepts, so he treats her to everything a child would love. Then he took her back to his apartment and tried to take advantage of her.
The story is very realistic and yet rather pessimistic. It gives a darker view of life and people. During the story there were a few hints at it’s ending, such as when the hotel waiter sees through the old man to his true intentions. Also when people stare at them in the caf’e. Therefore the ending isn’t the big surprise it could have been.
The characters are expertly drawn. I especially liked the two-faced old man. The story has a very clear moral value, which could have been a little more subtle. However it is understandable considering the time it was written in. At the beginning of the 20 th century women were starting to become more liberal. And the Women’s movement was born of that age.
So, many of the literature of that time was about the consequences of too much liberty.
