The Portrayal of The Portrayal of Women in Women in Three Three O’Clock DinnerO’Clock Dinner

Emily CooneyEmily Cooney

31 January 200831 January 2008

Charleston in the 1930s and Charleston in the 1930s and 1940s1940s

•Women struggled between the Women struggled between the old ways and the new waysold ways and the new ways

•The “Modern woman” is not a The “Modern woman” is not a “Southern Woman”“Southern Woman”

•Conflict between a woman’s Conflict between a woman’s autonomy and her resistance to itautonomy and her resistance to it

•Anne Goodwyn Jones’ “southern Anne Goodwyn Jones’ “southern myth of womanhood”myth of womanhood”

““Southern Myth of Southern Myth of Womanhood”Womanhood”

•Women are inferiorWomen are inferior

•Women should be obedientWomen should be obedient

•White women should: be household White women should: be household caretakers, be polished in the arts, caretakers, be polished in the arts, shun sexualityshun sexuality

•Women can easily turn on each Women can easily turn on each other with these influences in placeother with these influences in place

Josephine PinckneyJosephine Pinckney•Her Emigrant female characters keep up a kind of anachronistic aristocracy

•Her Immigrant female characters try not to be held back by such things

•All of her women are proud

•All of her women are flawed

•“Pinckney moves women to the center stage, probing their hidden strengths and their fierce competitiveness”-Bellows

Etta RedcliffEtta Redcliff

• Puts on a show of gentility and aristocracyPuts on a show of gentility and aristocracy• Can be aloofCan be aloof• Loves and is loved by her familyLoves and is loved by her family• Men see her as: manipulative (Wick), Men see her as: manipulative (Wick),

troublesome, tiring, needing to be coddledtroublesome, tiring, needing to be coddled• She never has a full chapter devoted to her She never has a full chapter devoted to her

thoughtsthoughts• ““People of that class treat their pets badly”-People of that class treat their pets badly”-

page 85page 85• ““Still, being a good wife, an adaptable Still, being a good wife, an adaptable

companion, was her pride and satisfaction”-companion, was her pride and satisfaction”-page 106page 106

• ““We’ll have dinner at three because that is We’ll have dinner at three because that is when we have dinner”-page 133when we have dinner”-page 133

Vinny HessenwinkleVinny Hessenwinkle

• Considered loud and overbearingConsidered loud and overbearing• Her large size indicates a certain lack of gentilityHer large size indicates a certain lack of gentility• She feels a sense of entitlementShe feels a sense of entitlement• She is a proud womanShe is a proud woman• She is superstitiousShe is superstitious• Vinny does not have a full chapter devoted to Vinny does not have a full chapter devoted to

her thoughtsher thoughts• “…“…her language could unquestionably take the her language could unquestionably take the

skin off your ear if she really cut loose…”-page skin off your ear if she really cut loose…”-page 144144

• ““I don’t know if you noticed, Mis’ Redcliff…It’s I don’t know if you noticed, Mis’ Redcliff…It’s thirteen at the table”-page 208thirteen at the table”-page 208

• ““Vinny gave him a sharp look. You talk to much, Vinny gave him a sharp look. You talk to much, she thought. For a smart man you haven’t done she thought. For a smart man you haven’t done so well…the Redcliffs weren’t somehow as so well…the Redcliffs weren’t somehow as stylish as she’d expected”-page 211 stylish as she’d expected”-page 211

Aunt QuinceAunt Quince

• Most likely the most overtly snobbish of all the Most likely the most overtly snobbish of all the female charactersfemale characters

• The oldest in the family; the matriarchThe oldest in the family; the matriarch• The most obviously old-worldThe most obviously old-world• Has a way of being all-seeing and all-knowingHas a way of being all-seeing and all-knowing• But it’s a hard thing, to go back on your blood. If But it’s a hard thing, to go back on your blood. If

Tat chooses to do so, he’s a man and can make Tat chooses to do so, he’s a man and can make his own life. But he’s lost to our kind and we his own life. But he’s lost to our kind and we might as well accept it.”-page 167might as well accept it.”-page 167

• ““Oh. Is that what you call liberalism? We used to Oh. Is that what you call liberalism? We used to call it dog in the manger.”-page 210call it dog in the manger.”-page 210

• “‘“‘Dictionaries!’ said Aunt Quince. ‘They’re full of Dictionaries!’ said Aunt Quince. ‘They’re full of twaddle. I don’t see why you should give up your twaddle. I don’t see why you should give up your own pronunciation for a dictionary.”-page 223own pronunciation for a dictionary.”-page 223

Lorena HessenwinkleLorena Hessenwinkle• She’s a “modern” woman She’s a “modern” woman • Has a sense of entitlement that could come from her motherHas a sense of entitlement that could come from her mother• She’s very proud and has many secretsShe’s very proud and has many secrets• Women seem to hate her, and men seem to be drawn to herWomen seem to hate her, and men seem to be drawn to her• In addition to all of these negative aspects, Lorena is also very In addition to all of these negative aspects, Lorena is also very

naïve in many waysnaïve in many ways• “‘“‘See here,’ she said, ‘there’s no need for you to come here See here,’ she said, ‘there’s no need for you to come here

tellin’ me ‘bout the Redcliffs. I know the boys all right; they tellin’ me ‘bout the Redcliffs. I know the boys all right; they been frien’s of mine since I was knee-high.’ Long before they been frien’s of mine since I was knee-high.’ Long before they ever heard of you, the words implied.”-page 35ever heard of you, the words implied.”-page 35

• ““Well marriage ain’t no monastery-you can’t shut a man up in Well marriage ain’t no monastery-you can’t shut a man up in it for keeps.”-page 243it for keeps.”-page 243

• ““Vinny fostered the illusion that the baby had been an Vinny fostered the illusion that the baby had been an accident, the result of mysterious conjunctions in the accident, the result of mysterious conjunctions in the untouchable heavens, and that her, Lorena’s, responsibility untouchable heavens, and that her, Lorena’s, responsibility was therefore negligible.”-page 265was therefore negligible.”-page 265

Judith RedcliffJudith Redcliff• Caught between the traditions of the Redcliffs Caught between the traditions of the Redcliffs

and wanting to be more modernand wanting to be more modern• Full of self-doubt but gives the outward Full of self-doubt but gives the outward

appearance of being proud and haughtyappearance of being proud and haughty• Loyal Loyal • Compassionate and judgmental at the same timeCompassionate and judgmental at the same time• ““By now she should be used to grief as a By now she should be used to grief as a

bedfellow, she thought heavily, to that visceral bedfellow, she thought heavily, to that visceral sensation of impending ill that preceded her daily sensation of impending ill that preceded her daily return to the half-living of widowhood.”-page 1return to the half-living of widowhood.”-page 1

• ““Judith was too humble-minded to be Judith was too humble-minded to be censorious…but sin in your own family is censorious…but sin in your own family is different, she thought.”-page 22different, she thought.”-page 22

• ““Judith fell back; any illusion to her childlessness Judith fell back; any illusion to her childlessness was apt to carry, in her mind, a hint of was apt to carry, in her mind, a hint of reproach.”-page 264reproach.”-page 264

• ““What does she mean-I’ve got everything? When What does she mean-I’ve got everything? When she took it from me!”-page 283she took it from me!”-page 283

The Other WomenThe Other Women

• Janie-oblivious, tries to please the Redcliffs, Janie-oblivious, tries to please the Redcliffs, somewhat spineless, not taken seriouslysomewhat spineless, not taken seriously

• Manya-too “liberal,” nosey, self-assured, Manya-too “liberal,” nosey, self-assured, possibly a new kind of southernerpossibly a new kind of southerner

• Mrs. MacNab-intimidating, bold, needs to Mrs. MacNab-intimidating, bold, needs to be in controlbe in control

• Mrs. Maguire-uneducated, seen as unfit, Mrs. Maguire-uneducated, seen as unfit, loving, ignorantloving, ignorant

• Bekah-good cook, loyal, quiet, Bekah-good cook, loyal, quiet, understanding of her place and her understanding of her place and her employersemployers

What The Men Have to What The Men Have to SaySay

• ““You ‘modern’ women amuse me. You You ‘modern’ women amuse me. You think because you have a job that you’re think because you have a job that you’re emancipated, but when you come down emancipated, but when you come down on Broad Street and beard the male in on Broad Street and beard the male in his last stronghold, you’re as bashful as his last stronghold, you’re as bashful as if you still wore chemises.”-Wick to Judith if you still wore chemises.”-Wick to Judith page 57page 57

• ““[Etta] had a complementary gift for [Etta] had a complementary gift for finding things, indeed her character finding things, indeed her character complemented his in many little ways. complemented his in many little ways. Wick could never make up his mind Wick could never make up his mind whether this was accident or whether this was accident or contrivance.”-page 95 contrivance.”-page 95

What The Men Have to What The Men Have to SaySay

• In his own opinion of his mother, her In his own opinion of his mother, her dignity and authority loomed large, and dignity and authority loomed large, and her naivete was a device for getting her her naivete was a device for getting her own way.”-Lucian about Aunt Quince own way.”-Lucian about Aunt Quince page 118page 118

• ““With her female instinct satisfied, for a With her female instinct satisfied, for a man, a home, security, she had seemed a man, a home, security, she had seemed a little complacent-and we seldom go out, little complacent-and we seldom go out, he thought, to satisfied people.”-Lucian he thought, to satisfied people.”-Lucian about Judith page 128about Judith page 128

What The Men Have to What The Men Have to SaySay

• ““the Hessenwinkles, a crashing accident the Hessenwinkles, a crashing accident here on his piazza, so jolted the myopia of here on his piazza, so jolted the myopia of marriage that he saw his wife with marriage that he saw his wife with unseemly clarity, saw her as she moved unseemly clarity, saw her as she moved from day to day among intense and limited from day to day among intense and limited interests”-Wick about Etta page 199interests”-Wick about Etta page 199

• ““Lorena was so swell, herself…get her out Lorena was so swell, herself…get her out of that smothering atmosphere and she’d of that smothering atmosphere and she’d see lots of things differently”-Tat page see lots of things differently”-Tat page 231231

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

• Who do you sympathize/empathize with?Who do you sympathize/empathize with?• Are these characters realistic?Are these characters realistic?• Are some more realistic than others?Are some more realistic than others?• What does it mean that only Judith got What does it mean that only Judith got

full chapters devoted to her?full chapters devoted to her?• Do you feel that our perceptions of Do you feel that our perceptions of

these women are derived from those of these women are derived from those of Wick, Tat, and Lucian?Wick, Tat, and Lucian?

• What do you think of the perceptions What do you think of the perceptions the men in this novel have of the the men in this novel have of the women?women?

BibliographyBibliography

• Bellows, Barbara. Bellows, Barbara. A Talent for Living:A Talent for Living:Josephine Pinckney and the Charleston Josephine Pinckney and the Charleston Literary TraditionLiterary Tradition. Baton Rouge: Louisiana . Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2006.State UP, 2006.

• Jones, Anne Goodwyn. “Women Writers andJones, Anne Goodwyn. “Women Writers and the Myths of Southern Womanhood.” the Myths of Southern Womanhood.” The The History of Southern Women’s LiteratureHistory of Southern Women’s Literature. Ed . Ed Carolyn Perry and Mary Louise Weaks. Baton Carolyn Perry and Mary Louise Weaks. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2002.Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2002.

• Perry, Carolyn. “Introduction to Part III.”Perry, Carolyn. “Introduction to Part III.” The History of Southern Women’s LiteratureThe History of Southern Women’s Literature. . Ed Carolyn Perry and Mary Louise Weaks. Ed Carolyn Perry and Mary Louise Weaks. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2002.Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 2002.