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Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

Created: 09/26/12

Replies: 7

Posted Sep. 26, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
rebeccar

Join Date: 03/13/12

Posts: 548

Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

Shortly before his mother's death, Will is surprised to learn that his mother's name is not Mary Anne but Mary Ann. What does he learn about his mother as an individual from this? Have any readers experienced a last minute revelation about their mothers?


Posted Sep. 26, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
gracew

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 24

RE: Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

Oops, I just posted about the spelling of Will's mother's name in another comment. I think it is difficult for a child of any age to view their parent in another light than that of a parent. I was so glad in the months before my mother's sudden death to get to know more about her childhood dreams and insights. The confusion about the spelling of Will's mother's name fits about her life view to care about others and their feelings. Why correct someone over the addition of an "e". So often in crowded waiting rooms or standing in line at the pharmacy, Mary Ann would engage fellow patients very supportively.


Posted Sep. 27, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jacquelynh

Join Date: 06/14/11

Posts: 34

RE: Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name? A rose by any other name will smell as sweet." Mary Ann was considerate and loving, not vain.


Posted Sep. 28, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
cynthiaa

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 112

RE: Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

When my daughter was born, we named her after her my husband mother who died years ago. Her middle name is Anne after his mother. Years later we found her death certificate and her name was not Mary Anne. It was Mary Geraldine. It had an effect on my daughter thinking she was named after her grandmother. But she was also glad that she was not given the name Geraldine for a middle name.
So yes, learning something like this does have an effect on one.


Posted Sep. 29, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lisag

Join Date: 01/12/12

Posts: 298

RE: Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

I don't see it as a big deal, personally. I can see if something like cynthiaa told us about happened, if the name was totally wrong, but one letter more or less wouldn't mean anything to me. Or so I think, never having been in that situation.


Posted Oct. 02, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorothyt

Join Date: 04/10/11

Posts: 102

RE: Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

I think that Will was more embarrassed than anything; the correct spelling of your parent's name should be something you learn a a young age.

(What I keep thinking of is Anne of Green Gables, who insisted that if she must be called Anne, instead of Cordelia, could it at least be spelled with an 'e'. Ann without an 'e' is just dreadful, she says.)


Posted Oct. 02, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
EmsBooks

Join Date: 02/16/12

Posts: 11

RE: Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

I think Will includes this tidbit to show that no matter how well we think we know someone, there are always things, sometimes basic things, that we don't know or about which we have misconceptions. I think this is especially important in this parent-child relationship because much of the book is about Will learning, as an adult, who is mother is or was.


Posted Oct. 04, 2012 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorothym

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 37

RE: Mary Ann's Spelling Lesson for Will

I think all the comments are interesting but it seems to me that Mary Ann was perhaps trying to keep something for herself as an individual. So often - women especially I think - become identified as someone's wife or mother and their self seems to disappear.


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