Anna’s life is the story out of subservient matchmaking, off „taking care of the fresh sloppy,“ in which it is mainly Anna who would new caring , and you can she can it towards complete spectral range of definition out of official provider so you can charity so you can romance

You to definitely Anna’s mental engagement try an error try in the near future produced away by the sour information this lady has already foreseen: their unique most useful relationships is actually deceived so you’re able to a person, „another doctor you to Mrs. Lehntman understood“ (56).

Shonjen’s domestic was threatened because of the a lady just who he intentions to wed. Unfortunately but resolutely, Anna quits the home today ruled by usurper of their unique home-based electricity.

Anna today takes up the career having Skip Mathilda, handling another type of lackadaisical spinster: „Thus Anna began another type of lives taking good care of [. ] careless Miss Mathilda.“ (61) These represent the happiest numerous years of the good Anna’s lifetime. She will be able to signal and you may scold whenever you are meanwhile respecting and appreciating their particular rich and you may very knowledgeable domme:

Sure, looking after Miss Mathilda have been the new happiest days of all of the the great Anna’s solid hardworking lives. (63)

Anna’s emotional relationship to Skip Mathilda nevertheless remains unsymmetrical – eclipsed of the performing relationships, pushed less than and not openly conveyed – though it really does manage their unique regarding cruel disappointment regarding their romance that have Mrs. Lehntman. The definition of „romance“ was superceded because of the „delighted family members.“ The story now settles for the fairy-tale residential idyll revealed at the the start, which have Miss Mathilda, Anna and also the stray animals lower than their charges, their particular „children“: „Sally and you will old Baby and you may younger Peter plus the jolly little Towels.“(68)

Skip Mathilda wasn’t a romance about a good Anna’s existence, but Anna offered their particular a great deal solid passion that it almost filled their particular lifetime while the full. (64) [. ] It was a highly delighted friends there overall throughout the kitchen [. ]. (68)

There can just only proceed with the anticlimax out-of Anna’s contentment, initiated when Miss Mathilda resumes their unique nomadic way of life – „Skip Mathilda got so you can much wandering and sometimes altered their home“ (75) – , a scenario said from the their interviews five years prior to but next stifled and you may missing within the Anna’s quotidian pleasure.

The third region wants the ending in term: „The newest Loss of An excellent Anna“ (77). Anna’s history age is known as an excellent suicidal detachment from lifestyle. Being remaining accountable for Miss Mathilda’s household and you may vaguely dreaming about their get back, Anna briefly rents the latest newly vacated room to lodgers which she is scold and you may order on in the normal styles. Nevertheless higher void in her emotional life leads to actual signs and symptoms of business-weariness and you will dejection. Once more Anna gets unwell and ought to enjoys a process. Someone, at the very least, is by using their own whenever she passes away: Mrs. Drehten, a friend with just who she had usually shared Weltschmerz away from each other a general and you may sort of type and you can who was simply today herself suffering out-of a tumor. Mrs. Drehten’s letter to overlook Mathilda shuts with Anna’s past content in order to life – and also to Miss Mathilda.

Anna’s acceptance to overlook Mathilda turns the new meanings of your own spoken cover-up „care“ clearly on whatever stays unexpressed and unfulfilled, but nonetheless their ultimate longing: „like,“ actually Anna’s latest utterance ahead of their particular dying and you can before the last word-of the words – „FINIS

„Looking after the fresh careless“ appears to be the new uninsidious character development that renders the brand new our website forbidden homosexual thinking anywhere between feminine you’ll, or in other words far more suggestively than simply clearly portrayable.sixteen The fact Anna’s facts ends in sadness and dying, in the event she read to be flexible when you look at the to try out their own role, renders the person unsatisfied. The new breakup stays mysteriously inexplicable, particularly while the Mathilda’s penchant having „wandering“ is created obvious within very start. The fresh new fairytale home-based idyll, an ideally happier state in their mind each other, however you should never cause Skip Mathilda to settle down, and you may Anna is not the one just who finds out they inexplicable. This course out of occurrences ways the top matter: Who is so it mysticized, blissfully husbandless, nameless, „high and you will idle,“ „large and you can careless mistress“ „Skip Mathilda“ (21 f.), „[who] was given to help you much wandering“ (75)? For the moment let’s hop out issue discover, given that really does the language.