"Precious Bane"

Paper Summary:

The following paper reviews Mary Webb's "Precious Bane," focusing specifically on the development of Prue Sarn's character and the characters who affect and influence her in her life.

From the Paper:

"Prue is the narrator of the book, a young girl growing up in Shropshire in the 19th century. She has a harelip, and as the story progresses, many of the townspeople of Sarn distrust her; they believe she has a curse, and is the cause of all the troubles that befall the Sarns. A simple girl, she sees beauty in nature, and does not feel sorry for herself and her affliction until her brother tells her she will never get married.At the beginning of the story, she is a young, naive girl, who follows her brother's wishes without ever questioning him, and watches life go on around her almost as if she is a spectator, simply telling the story, but not taking part. By the end of the story, she is much older, not only in years, but in her heart. She has seen all her hard work go up in smoke, she has lost her entire family, and then her brother's lover accuses her of being a witch and a murderer. She is not the young, na've girl anymore, she is a grown woman, and we have watched her grow and learn from the things that happened around her."

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