Alice Munroe (born in 1931 in Ontario):

Questions to “The Beggar Maid”

Canadian Literature
Christopher Koy, Ph.D ___Deverová Lenka____

1. What negative characteristics of Patrick Blatchford make him a bad match for Rose?

nervous, vulnerable, doesn’t know how to protect himself, clumsy, clingy

2. What are Patrick Blatchford’s good points?

rich, tall, thin, good-looking, high-minded

3. Describe the alienating effects of Dr. Henshawe’s home.

Chinese vases, bowls and landscapes, polished floors, jade animals

4. How can Rose’s cultural + literary interests be distinguished from Dr. Henshawe’s?

Rose is not interested in economy or politics. She doesn’t appreciate what Dr. Henshawe is
telling or reading to her. Rose is poor and Dr. Henshawe is middle class. Dr. Henshawe is
from China and she likes Frank Scott and Dorothy Livesay. Rose likes Tolstoy and Thomas
Mann. Rose doesn’t even care about college events.

5. Contrast Rose’s dreams and her preparation needed to achieve them.

She wants to perform in public. She wants to be known but she’s insecure. Dr. Henshawe
told her to pursue her dreams and that the future will be open for women and that she should
work in paper. But Rose hates the introductory economics.

6. What was necessary for poor girls to be attractive to boys?

sweet sluttishness, stupidity

7. What do these abbreviations mean?

b.t.m.= bottom? (if the skirt couldn’t be made tigher) d.p.= Division des Personnels
(Belgian worker)

8. How did Patrick and Rose first meet?

How was this encounter perfect for making Patrick fall in love with Rose?

Rose was working in the library of the college. A strange man touched her man and run away.
She needed to tell that to someone and so she met Patrick. He wanted to report that but Rose
didn’t.

9. Summarize the fairy tale “King Cophetna and the Beggar Maid”
King falls in love with a young beggar. He will either have her as his wife or commit suicide.
He scatters coins for the beggars to gather and when she comes forward, he tells her that she
is to be his wife. She agrees and soon loses all trace of her former poverty and low class.
10. Describe Patrick’s family estate and how the members of his family behaved.

Patrick’s family own a chain of department stores. His parents and sisters are spoiled, childish
and completely uninterested in anything they aren't familiar with.

Tudor-style mansion, the servants

11. How much better was the visit to Rose’s family?

Patrick was saying to Rose how poverty makes her lovely and charming. During the visit,
Rose was embarrased about her community and her accent. Patrick felt uncomfortable.

12. Why did Rose feel more loyalty to her community (which she called a “dump”)?

Patrick said that Rose must be glad to get away and that her real parents couldn’t have been
like this. She was sure of getting away but will carry her loyalty and protectiveness of her
memories, the store and the town.

13. What causes Rose to break up with Patrick? – and subsequently to go back to him?

Patrick enters his father’s business. Locals started treating Rose differently because of money.
She’s ashamed of herself so she tells Patrick she doesn’t love him. She says other hateful
things. Later on, she saw him in a library again and she felt remorse for the hateful things she
said and they get back together.

14. Describe the causes of similar incursions in their marriage.

Their marriage was full of moments from their first breakup. She was telling him mean things
and later begging for forgiveness. Sometimes he beat her.

15. Can the (irrational) explosions be explained by this story? How would you explain
them?

I think that their relationship was meant to fail from the start. Both of them are ambitious but
also from two different worlds. Rose couldn‘t turn Patrick down. It was not about his money
but about love he offered. She felt that she had to help him out. I think that their problems
were also caused by the Beggar Maid story. The story ends happily for the couple. But it
shaped Rose. Patrick compares Rose to The Beggar Maid. He sees himself as a generous man
who can provide for beautiful poor girl. I think that she felt that she must be with him forever
to get the happy ending.