In the stories A Pair of Silk Stockings by Kate Chopin and A Wagner Matinee by Willa Cather, the main characters go through life experiences that completely change the way they perceive themselves and the world around them. The main character in A Pair of Silk Stockings is a lady named Mrs. Sommers who became the unexpected possessor of fifteen dollars. Originally she had no intention of spending the money on herself until she was lured into buying the luxurious silk stockings. Mrs. Sommers indulged herself the rest of the day which really boosted her self confidence. The main character in A Wagner Matinee is a lady called Aunt Georgiana who used to be a young, music teacher. She is now old and worn from years on the farm. After a short visit with her nephew and a trip to the opera, she opened up and remembered her passion for music. The two ladies have experiences in the stories that are very similar but are different enough to make them their own.
Both of the main characters had past experiences that faded and were left behind as they married and aged. In the beginning of A Pair of Silk Stockings, it said that the neighbors sometimes talked of certain better days before she became Mrs. Sommers. This hints that Mrs. Sommers was once a pretty wealthy young lady but after marriage and kids that was left in the past. Aunt Georgiana also had those so-called better days in her past, when she used to be a music teacher at the Boston Conservatory. She left that behind when she decided to get married to Howard Carpenter and live on a farm.
Mrs. Sommers and Aunt Georgianas experiences are also similar because both experiences recollected the past and left a major impact on the two characters. Mrs. Sommers had the opportunity to indulge herself for the day, probably like she was used to in her childhood. After being a mother and living for her children for so long she was not used to spending money on herself, and she was not used to fitting in with
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