Family Furnishings

It seems as though human behavior can change once you are placed in a new setting. Over time you meet new people and experience things which can change your personality either better or for the worse. The path to finding your true identity can often be difficult and involve many changes which may change your personality into something you never thought it would be. In “Family Furnishings” we see how the narrator goes from a simple country girl, warm and sweet hearted, to a cold hearted being. Ultimately the changes she encounters turn her into selfish, insensitive person whom is quite content living this way. The subtle changes that the narrator goes though are characterized by the way she talks about her family and the way she acts around Alfrida after moving to the city. It is strange to see how the narrator can come from a positive upbringing, in our eyes, and than end up turning into a snob. Yet, from my perspective, the narrator is like a caterpillar using a leaf for nourishment as her family provided for her. As she gets older her family basically places her into a cocoon trapped, unable to express herself as a young girl. The emergence of the butterfly is that of the narrator capable of breaking free and becoming independent. It shows us the contrast between her as a young girl and as a woman, while we get to see the steps she takes backwards along the way.

The gradual changes that we see in the narrator’s personality, way of thinking, and actions can be attributed to her life at home. As a young girl growing up in rural Ontario the biggest factor in your life would be family. Everything that the narrator knew she learned from her family which didn’t give her a broad base of knowledge outside the family home. This is why Alfrida was so important in the narrator’s life as she was the only family member who did not live at home, she lived in the city. Whenever Alfrida would visit she would always share stories with the narrator of how wonderful life was like in the city and this struck a cord with the narrator. Life at home wasn’t very exciting for the narrator except for the family dinner’s which took place on Christmas and Thanksgiving which, in fact, were uneventful and not mentally stimulating to say the least. The way the house rules were set up took away from the narrator’s ability to express herself, have her own personality. “The word вЂ?smart’ when it was used about me, in the family, might mean intelligent, and then it was used rather grudgingly---вЂ?oh, she’s smart enough in some ways’--- or it may be used to mean pushy, attention-seeking, obnoxious.” (293). Unable to express herself freely and being criticized for her intelligence at home the narrator gravitated towards Alfrida and her lifestyle. The thought of being independent, having freedom of expression, and your own personality inspired the narrator to change things in her life.

There was no bigger change then the narrator leaving for college, in the city. This simple country girl now faced the challenge of living on her own, making new friends, and experience things that would ultimately mould her own personality. The perception of social class was very important to the narrator and because of this she made friends that had distinct backgrounds(higher class, rich) and began to attend opera’s and listen to Mozart. These small changes