Question

Discuss with reference to the story An Angel in Disguise how love has the power to transform.

Answer 1

An Angel in Disguise recounts one of the more troubling times in America; set in a small village, where life is made difficult. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, who are the “heroes” in the short story, rescue a young child by the name of Maggie, who is ill, bedridden, and unable bodied. Because no one else takes the initiative to help this young child, Mr. Thompson takes it upon himself to. Mr. Thompson is revered as an older quiet, kind soul, who resides with his wife, who is introduced as one who holds a temper, and a bitter attitude. Maggie is the “angel in disguise”, and is an ailing, innocent, young girl, who yearns for love, and acceptance. The root problem that drives the story is the absence of love in both Maggie, and Mr. and Mrs. Thompson’s life. In Maggie’s case, it is the absence of love from a parental figure, and in the Thompson’s situation, it is the absence of love from a child that has plagued their relationship, and their lives; with the passing of Maggie’s mother, also comes the scattering of her siblings into other families, and her foreboding loneliness, the Thompson’s in turn, are unable to bear children, which stimulates the bitter and tempered demeanor of Mrs. Thompson. The gray town is overcome with pity for the children, despite their scorn towards the children’s now deceased mother, they pay their respects and some decide to care for the fending children. However, no one decided to care for Maggie, the bed ridden ill-borne; whispers of pity and charitable words were often uttered, but none were taken into action. That is until, the heart of Mr. Thompson went out to the young ailing girl, who grabbed hold of it in her paling grip, frightened of loneliness. Mr. Thompson returned home with Maggie, and laid her to sleep, at first, his sullen wife did not approve of the harboring of such a child, but after some time spent with her, and the sudden, unexpected rise of resistance from her husband, she grew to care for the child, and the hole in heart which propelled all the waves of bitter anger, and pain of being infertile was filled with what their family so longed for, a child. And in sequence, the child had what she had always so longed for, someone to stay by her bedside. Maggie was their “angel in disguise”. This story was one that held promise of a sombre tale, but it delivered that sombre, sincere quality in a way that was bursting with tender affection. The saying that love binds all things, has never been more legitimate, after reading T.S. Arthur’s An Angel in Disguise. The absence of such love truly did plague the lives of the Thompson’s, and Maggie. Notwithstanding the negative comments against Arthur’s writing, this story was pieced together with articulate brilliance, and honest morale; a realistic depiction of the deprivation of love, in the hearts of both the young, Maggie, and old, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson. A tale to remind us of the importance of love in everyone’s lives.