“On the Gulls Road” by Willa Cather

 

Summary

“On the Gulls Road” is an emotional tale of a young man who falls in love with a married woman called Alexandra Ebbling on his way to the ship. She becomes sick and discontented with her marriage. Their love is not fake but it is not sustainable. At the end of the journey, she comes home and she ends up dying later leaving behind to the narrator a small box of souvenirs that will forever remind him of her.

 

Characters:

•         The Narrator- This is a youthful artist who falls in love with Mrs. Ebbling.

•         Mrs. Alexandra Ebbling- A beautiful, kind and sick woman caught in an unhappy marriage.

•         Lars Ebbling- Her husband, an engineer on the ship.

•         Carin- Young daughter of the Ebblings.

 

Plot Elements:

•         Exposition: The narrator comes across Mrs. Ebbling in a sea voyage and is struck by her mysterious beauty and melancholy.

•         Rising Action: The two have time together to talk and establish a strong emotional bond. He gets to know that she is sick and unhappy with her husband.

•         Climax: On one evening, they confess to one another that they are in love with each other but they come to understand that they will never be with each other.

•         Conclusion: Mrs. Ebbling goes home and meets death. The narrator is sent the letter and box with a curl of her hair and a flower and seashells, as one of the symbols of their short and significant love.

 

Analysis

It is an emotional poetic story. I also enjoyed the fact that Willa Cather painted pictures of the sea and the ship to reflect the emotions of the characters. The sea waves, shifting light and long days were equal to the sadness and beauty of their love. It is depicted in the story that even a short relationship may transform some people permanently.

I was moved and sad at the character of Mrs. Ebbling. She was kind and emotional, however, she had no way out in her life due to her sickness and marriage. Her love to the narrator was unselfish he did not make any effort to steal her but he just wanted to remember her.

The finale was very strong as it demonstrated how memories could remain with us even after people are dead. The lesson of the On the Gulls Road is that not every love story is happy at the end, yet it can be a good one. It is a very beautiful silent tale of memory, love and loss.