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The Beggar Maid

THE STORY | THE TEXT

Who Do You Think You Are? first editionCollection, first edition
By Alice Munro
Publication details ▽ Publication details △

First publication in book
1978 in Who Do You Think You Are?

Literature form
Story

Genres
Literary

Writing language
English

Author's country
Canada

Length
Approx. 12,000 words

Notable lines and passages

First lines

Patrick Blatchford was in love with Rose. This had become a fixed, even furious, idea with him. For her, a continual surprise.

Passages

For all her doubts about him, she never wanted him to fall out of love with her.

But he seldom joked with her; he didn’t think joking was suitable when you were in love.

Sometimes when Rose was talking to someone in front of the television cameras she could sense the desire in them to make a face.

Last lines

How could anybody hate Rose so much, at the very moment when she was ready to come forward with her good will, her smiling confession of exhaustion, her air of diffident faith in civilized overtures?

Oh, Patrick could. Patrick could.

 

THE STORY | THE TEXT