Meneseteung by Alice Munro
"Meneseteung" is a short story by Alice Munro that explores the life of Almeda Joynt Roth, a poet living in Ontario, Canada, during the late 19th century. The narrative begins with Almeda reflecting on her past after losing her family and seeking solace in writing poetry. The story is set against the backdrop of a small, emerging community, where societal expectations regarding marriage and propriety weigh heavily on women. Almeda grapples with the notion of identity and self-fulfillment as she navigates her relationship with a neighbor, Jarvis Poulter, who represents both a potential partnership and a threat to her independence.
A pivotal moment occurs when Almeda witnesses a violent incident outside her home, illustrating her internal conflict between societal obligations and personal autonomy. Following the event, Almeda experiences a surge of creativity and resolves to write a poem titled "The Meneseteung." As the story unfolds, it juxtaposes Almeda's introspective musings with the realities of her life, ultimately leading to a poignant conclusion that reflects on her legacy. The story resonates with themes of isolation, the struggle for self-expression, and the choices faced by women in a restrictive society.
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Meneseteung by Alice Munro
First published: 1988
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: 1854-1903
Locale: A small town in rural Ontario, Canada
Principal Characters:
Almeda ("Meda") Joynt Roth , a young, unmarried womanJarvis Poulter , her neighbor, a widower
The Story
"Meneseteung" begins with a description of a book of poems, dated 1873, and of its author, Almeda Joynt Roth, as she appears in a photograph. In her preface to the book, Almeda explains that in 1854, when she was fourteen, her family moved to a part of Ontario, Canada, that was then just being settled. There her father's business prospered, and he built a comfortable home for his family. However, within the next six years, her sister, her brother, and her mother all died, leaving Almeda to keep house for her father until his death twelve years later. According to her preface, she wrote poetry to occupy her time and to help assuage her grief. The unidentified narrator concludes this section of the story with summaries of several poems and a brief comment on verse forms.
In the second section of the story, the narrator draws on the local newspaper, the Vidette, for details about daily life in 1879 in the small Ontario town where Almeda lived. It is then pointed out that Almeda's house faces on a respectable street, but that the back bedroom, where she sleeps, looks out on a section into which no decent woman would venture. The researcher also relates information in the Vidette concerning Almeda's neighbor, Jarvis Poulter, a prosperous widower.
The narrator notes that though Poulter often walks Almeda home from church, he has not yet made a declaration of his feelings. Almeda often wonders what marriage to him would be like. Then one hot Saturday night, she is awakened by noises in the street below. A woman is being beaten. Although Almeda feels she should do something to help, she cannot find the courage to venture into that back street. When the sounds stop, she fears that the woman may have been killed, but in the end, Almeda goes back to sleep. At daybreak, she looks out of the window again, and to her dismay, she sees a motionless figure on the ground just outside of her fence. Hastily putting on a robe over her nightclothes, Almeda goes down to investigate. The woman is not moving. Certain that she has been killed, Almeda runs next door to get Poulter. However, when he prods the woman, he discovers that she is not dead but just dead drunk. Contemptuously, he gets her up and sends her away.
The episode has an odd effect on Poulter. Seeing Almeda in her night clothes, her hair flowing free, for the first time, he can imagine her as his wife, and he takes a significant step in courtship by announcing that he will return later that morning to walk her to church. However, Almeda is both physically ill and emotionally disturbed. She leaves a note on the front door, informing Poulter that she is too unwell to go to church and then locks herself into the house. All day she sits motionless, while words and images flood into her mind. She concludes that she must write poems, or a poem, called "The Meneseteung." Finally she goes up to bed. She knows what her future holds.
The final section of the story begins with two death notices from the Vidette. One announces Almeda's death in 1903, the other, Poulter's, in 1904. "Meneseteung" ends with the narrator's uncovering Almeda's grass-covered tombstone, on which is carved only one word, "Meda," a name used in one of her poems.
Bibliography
Franzen, Jonathan. "Alice's Wonderland." The New York Times Book Review, November 14, 2004, 1, 14-16.
Howells, Coral Ann. Alice Munro. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press, 1998.
McCulloch, Jeanne, and Mona Simpson. "The Art of Fiction CXXXVII." Paris Review 131 (Summer, 1994): 226-264.
Moore, Lorrie. "Leave Them and Love Them." The Atlantic Monthly 294, no. 5 (December, 2004): 125.
Munro, Sheila. Lives of Mothers and Daughters: Growing Up with Alice Munro. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2001.
Ross, Catherine Sheldrick. Alice Munro: A Double Life. Toronto: ECW Press, 1992.
Simpson, Mona. "A Quiet Genius." The Atlantic Monthly 288, no. 5 (December, 2001): 126.