Hetty Dorval Character Analysis

An epiphany can radically change our views on a complex idea, a person that is considered close, or about our own self. A coming of age journey is an experience that allows us to discover the moral growth of an individual as they face a difficult internal dilemma or a situation with another human being. In Hetty Dorval written by Ethel Wilson, a young girl by the name of Frankie Burnaby is faced with multiple crossroads in her life that mould her into an independent women. Frankie's integrity and moral fortitude against wrong prevails as she goes through her coming of age story. Frankie grows up in a small close-nit community in British Columbia’s interior, she learns to appreciate the small everyday tasks and not to get caught up with the

Love is a complex phenomenon between two people, it is an unbreakable bond that lasts a lifetime. Frankie’s parents have a bond that is described as, “the perfection of human love” by Sister Marie-Cécile when Mrs. Burnaby was standing over the late Mr. Burnaby in the “immortal attitude of love” (73). This bond is as strong as two people could have, always standing behind one another and making sure they have the best life possible. However, Hetty Dorval does not love anyone, even her own mother who endures a large amount of suffering as her maid in order to keep her satisfied. Even when Mrs. Broom admits to Hetty that she is her biological mother, Hetty has no sudden realization of love; Hetty continues what she has done to countless people before and simply walks out of her mother’s life with no emotion. Frankie has grown up with her parents love surrounding her and understands that love sometimes needs to be sacrificed in order to provide the person they love with a better

Wito is an eight year old girl living in the Philippines with her mother, once a famous pianist, and her father, a farm owner. In the beginning, Wito is concerned with the fact that she is unable to play the piano as well as her mother, this is a concern that consumes her everyday life. Wito’s mother is the victim of oppression due to her husband; this instance causes Wito to have an epiphany that helps her in completing her coming of age journey. Towards the end of the story Wito realizes that there are more complicated matters in her life than her being unable to play the piano. This relates to Hetty Dorval in that both Wito and Frankie come to term with the idea that growing up is a natural part of life. Life is always moving forward, “like a river, the way it [flows] and [twists] about but [is] always rushing,” constantly changing (Villaneuva 139). Both girls started out naive but over time had to accept the world for all its