Eleanor's House

Eleanor's House is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published in McClure's in October 1907.[1]

Plot summary

Harold Forscythe and his new wife Ethel are visiting the Westfields, who live in Arques-la-Bataille. Harold admits to Harriet that he is still in mourning over his late wife. Later, he goes away as he does customarily. Ethel decides to join him at Fortuney near Pontoise, where he used to live with his late wife. Harriet will go with her. When they get there, the couple have a fight. Later however, Harriet tells her husband she is buying Harold's house in Fortuney - he is leaving for America with his wife, who is pregnant.

Characters
  • Mrs Harriet Westfield. She went to a convent in Paris with Eleanor in her youth.
  • Mr Robert Westfield
  • Harold Forscythe
  • Ethel, Harold's new wife.
  • Eleanor Sanford, Harold's late wife.

References to other works

Literary significance and criticism

Eleanor's House has been deemed to be clumsily Jamesian.[2]

References
  1. Willa Cather's Collected Short Fiction, University of Nebraska Press; Rev Ed edition, 1 Nov 1970, page 111
  2. Willa Cather's Collected Short Fiction, University of Nebraska Press; Rev Ed edition, 1 Nov 1970, 'Introduction' by Mildred R. Bennett, page xxxvii
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