oes need them for help occasionally. Elinore also needs her neighbors for companionship. On many occasions she and her neighbors visit one another and have dinners. Without this interaction her life would be lonely and she probably would not be happy homesteading. When Elinore marries Mr. Stewart, her family dynamics change to include him in her life. Elinore’s stories are all of the people around her proving that her neighbors are an integral part of her daily life. Elinore’s family is a large one with everyone leaning on each other for support.Marie Roger’s view of her family is opposite of Elinore’s. While Elinore sees her family as a support system, Marie sees hers as something that holds her down. Elinore is surrounded by love, and Marie hates the very idea of love. “Love…I did not know what love was.” Marie sees her family members as people she is obligated to care for, but resents her obligation. She longs to be free and to live her life as she wishes. While she does venture out on her own and gets an education, she is constantly overcome with guilt for not being able to care for all her siblings. She is angry with her parents for giving birth to her, and is resentful that they did not have the money to care for all their children. While neither of her parents forced her to care for her siblings, she still feels obligated to do so since her Aunt cared for her. Marie views her family as something she didn’t ask to be a part of, and she resents the feelings of obligation that she has to them. Mrs. Spring Fragrance sees her life with her husband as happy. She loves him and is content with him. While Marie could never learn how to love anyone, Mrs. Spring Fragrance has love to spare. She showers her love on her neighbor’s daughter, since she herself never had children. Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance are in love and happy with their family. Even during their misu...
