A Wagner Matinee

""A Wagner Matinee"" is a short story written by Willa Cather, first published in 1904. The story follows the character of Clark, a young man living in Boston, who receives a letter from his uncle, Howard Carpenter, inviting him to attend a Wagner concert in Boston. Clark is surprised by the invitation, as his uncle had previously abandoned his family to move to Nebraska, and they had not seen each other in over twenty years. Clark travels to Boston and meets his aunt, Georgiana, who has aged considerably since he last saw her. She is dressed in a shabby dress and is visibly exhausted. The story then flashes back to Clark's childhood in Nebraska, where Georgiana had been a cultured and educated woman who had once loved music. However, after moving to the harsh and isolated Nebraska prairie, she had become worn down by the daily hardships of farm life and had lost touch with her former self. The story then returns to the present, where Clark takes his aunt to the concert. Georgiana is initially unimpressed by the music, but as the performance goes on, she becomes increasingly emotional and moved. Clark realizes that the music has reawakened something in his aunt and that she is experiencing a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for her former life. After the concert, Georgiana tells Clark that she had once been engaged to a man who had loved Wagner's music, and that the concert had brought back memories of that time. She also reveals that she had been deeply unhappy living on the farm and had always longed to return to Boston and the cultured life she had once known. The story ends with Clark realizing how much his aunt has sacrificed for her family and feeling guilty for not appreciating her more. He also realizes that the concert has given Georgiana a brief respite from her difficult life and that he may never see her again. Overall, ""A Wagner Matinee"" is a poignant and powerful story about the importance of music and the sacrifices we make for our families. It explores themes of nostalgia, regret, and the complex emotions that arise when we confront our past selves.THIS 18 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Youth and the Bright Medusa, by Willa Cather. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417917318.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.