April Showers By Edith Wharton

1. April ShowersBy Edith Wharton Alex Allison Taylor Schow Arlene Catalan

2. Thesis or Claim • The Story April Showers by Edith Wharton shows the struggles of a young woman during the 1900’s trying to get her story published and become a famous writer. • “She laid her pen aside and read the words over, letting her voice linger on the fall of the sentence; then, drawing a deep breath, she wrote across the foot of the page the name by which she had decided to become known in literature-Gladys Glyn.”

3. Tone or Attitude • Towards the beginning of the story, Theodora is very confident and proud of her story. • “Her contrition was softened by the thought that literary success would enable her to make up for all the little negligences of which she was guilty.” • Her optimism towards her writing skills is one attitude that is seen in the story.

4. Purpose • The purpose of this story is to give writers hope and to show that nothing is impossible. • You should never give up on your dreams. • The story shows that success for an author’s first novel decides their fate and how famous they are going to be; it is a make-or-break opportunity for an author.

5. Audience and Occasion • This story is for people aspiring to be writers. • As well as being written for women who felt oppressed in the changing American society. • The occasion of the story was to question the rights of women during the early 1900’s.

6. Evidence or Data “The paper dropped from her hands. What name had she read beneath the title? Had her emotion blinded her? "April Showers, by Kathleen Kyd.“ Kathleen Kyd! Oh, cruel misprint! Oh, dastardly typographer!” • The quote demonstrates how much Theodora was counting on the success and popularity of her novel and how much it hurt her when she realized that it was a different story written by a different person.

7. Appeals: Logos, Ethos, Pathos "Why, yes. Didn't I ever tell you? I wrote a novel once. I was just out of college, and I didn't want to be a doctor. No; I wanted to be a genius. So I wrote a novel. The doctor paused, and Theodora clung to him in a mute passion of commiseration. It was as if a drowning creature caught a live hand through the murderous fury of the waves. "Father -- O father” "It took me a year -- a whole year's hard work; and when I'd finished it the publishers wouldn't have it, either; not at any price. And that's why I came down to meet you, because I remembered my walk home."

8. Appeals: Logos, Ethos, Pathos • Logos: Theodora uses her mind and logic to create the intriguing story, April Showers. • Ethos: The story has many morals, but the main one which is that you can get past many obstacles in your way if you try. • Pathos: In April Showers Theodora demonstrates many kinds of emotions. She goes from optimistic to pessimistic, showing her high interventions and the fall of tem at the end of the story.

9. Assumptions or Warrents • The author of the Story, Edith Wharton, might assume that it is not healthy for people to think so highly of themselves because when they find out that they might be the only one who thinks that, they will be greatly disappointed. • Theodora’s assumption in the story is the assumption that her novel will be accepted by the Home Circle. • She understands that it is hard to become a good and famous writer especially for women in the 1900’s.

10. Style: rhetorical modes, device,diction and syntax • This story shows the struggles one woman goes through in order to get a little attention in a male-driven society. • It is written as a short story that has a moral at the end that will teach others from Theodora’s mistakes. • It gives the example of a young writer trying to overcome obstacles to get her story published.