Journal 10# The Aha! Moment

The “Aha! Moment” is an element of narration that never fails to take me by surprise, as I find myself taken aback and awed by the sudden realization of information. Throughout Charles W. Chesnutt’s short story “The Wife of his Youth”, the build up was such that one expected Mr. Ryder to marry above his status and continue his progress in stepping up the hierarchy ladder of the social status. It seems only natural for him to do so, as he is presented to possess such refined manners, with characteristics and attitude befitting that of the aristocrats. By placing Mr. Ryder on the pedestal, it initially appears as if he was only showing sympathy and concerned towards the elderly woman who is clearly lower than him in terms of status. It is thus a jaw dropping fact to find out at the end of the story that not only is he the very man that she has been searching twenty-five years for, but rather, that he is willing to give up Mrs. Dixon and publicly acknowledge this elderly woman as “the wife of [his] youth” (61), despite clear awareness of the intellectual, social and monetary gap that currently exists between them. What Chesnutt offers in his portrayal of Mr Ryder, is thus a pleasant moment of surprise, as it further elevates my impression of him as someone who is not blindly swayed and consumed by his present day position in life.

In Frances EW Harper’s poem “Learning to Read” I find myself presented with the humble insight that the act of perseverance will always be rewarded.  Despite being restricted by their status and skin color, the speakers in the poem did not allow themselves to be at a disadvantage. They hold on to the belief that every Man creates his own destiny and it is only when one tries hard enough to “learn by hook or crook” (12) and “never stopped till [they] could read (39), that one actualizes their goal of achieving whatever they set their mind out to. This is a theme reiterated in “The Wife of his Youth”. Due to the fact that the elderly woman did not allow herself to lose hope despite the arduous duration of twenty-five years, she finally managed to attain the rewards of her devotion. Such perseverance is a take-away point that many readers can learn from.

It is thus these “Aha Moments” that provides a pleasant and refreshing element to the story as such little twist never fails to surprise and leave the reader wanting more.