| Abstract: | The main purpose of this thesis is to analyze whether the way of living depicted by Jewett
was realistic or rather an idealization of life in rural areas and, also, which factors contribute
to it being sustainable. Moreover, I aim at clarifying the role of women and the community in
protecting and perpetuating this lifestyle, since a good, equitable relationship among the
members of the community seems to be key to its survival, for care, cooperation, and a fair
distribution of resources depend on it. In the first section –“The Author and her Time”– I introduce the writer and her work, focusing on the characteristic traits of the genre she cultivated, local color. The second section –“Communion with Nature”– starts the literary analysis of the work. It deals with the importance of communion with nature in Country, for the survival of this community seems to depend on its ability to adapt to the land. In the third section –“Women and Community in The Country of the Pointed Firs”– I
analyze the connection between women, nature, and community in Country. First, I delve on
the reasons why this small town is constituted predominantly by women and how these
characters challenge the dominant gender constructs. Then, I analyze the connection between women and the making of this community, as well as the importance with which community life is infused |
