Tears, Idle Tears

1) The author in the story, “Tears, Idle Tears” Elizabeth Bowen, Uses an in-direct method of presentation for Mrs. Dickinson, Her personality is mainly implicated through her speech throughout the story. Mrs. Dickinson is a very cruel, self centred lady; her main motivation in the story is to look good to all her friends or basically look good anywhere in general. She is the type of person that couldn’t handle shame brought upon somebody else, so her idea of assessing the situation would be to distance herself from it. In the story “Tears, Idle Tears”, Elizabeth Bowen created the character Mrs. Dickinson. Mrs. Dickinson, I believe – is the “Strong widow that can’t break down” In this story. It’s what she wants everyone to see her as mainly. As for a parent, Elizabeth Bowen wants the readers to believe that Mrs. Dickinson is misunderstood and somewhat of a heartless parent when is comes to emotions. For example, she is too embarrassed to be around her child when he is upset. Fredrick needed the comfort and sympathy moms can provide but Mrs. Dickinson could not see such a thing. Instead, she resorts to telling her son Fredrick, “You stay here and look at that duck until you’ve stopped that noise”

2) “Tears, Idle Tears” by Elizabeth Bowen, Shows many differences between Fredrick and Mrs. Dickinson. Fredrick is a very sensitive boy who can’t handle the fact that his father has passed. It’s traumatizing for any young boy. Mrs. Dickinson on the other hand see’s the situation a little differently and doesn’t see why Fredrick is so upset. Her husband passing did not phase her what so ever. The story proves that there were really no signs of grief in public. It almost seems as if she see’s sensitivity as a form of embarrassment.

Fredrick and the lady on the bench from “Tears, Idle Tears” were completely opposite from Fredrick and his mothers relation. I’ll elaborate, Mrs. Dickinson does not understand Fredrick nor see eye-to-eye with him. Where as the lady on the bench could relate to Fredrick. She has seen this type of frail sensitivity before. It reminded her of one of her students in the past so she knew to be sympathetic and what to do in a situation like Fredricks.