The Women in Strickland’s Life

Nina Roslyakova UE-4

There are three women in Strickland’s life

Charles Strickland

Mrs. Strickland Blanche Stroeve Ata

Every woman is connected witha certain city (or place)

Mrs. Strickland London

Blanche Stroeve Paris

Ata Tahiti

Mrs. Strickland • Mrs. Strickland is the first wife of

Charles Strickland.

• “She was a woman of thirty-seven, rather tall and plump, without being fat; she was not pretty, but her face was pleasing, chiefly, perhaps, on account of her kind brown eyes. Her skin was rather sallow. Her dark hair was elaborately dressed”.

• She is a daughter of an Indian civilian.

Mrs. Strickland • She was twenty, when she met Charles Strickland;

he was twenty three.

• When they married, they lived in London, first in Hampstead, and then in town.

• Two children, boy and girl, were born to them.

• Mrs. Strickland loved her husband, and everyone thought that they had warm feelings for each other.

• Rose Waterford said, "They adore one another“.

Mrs. Strickland • When Strickland lived with his wife in London, he was

a typical broker, and a perfect philistine.

• He was considered a commonplace person.

• Nobody knew that he painted and wanted became an artist.

• Rose Waterford said, “He's very quiet. He's not in the least interested in literature or the arts”.

• It was surprise to Mrs. Strickland that her husband left her because of the passion for painting.

• She didn’t want her husband back, because he left her foran idea.

• They had been married seventeen years.

Blanche Stroeve

• Blanche Stroeve is a wife of the painter Dirk Stroeve.

• “She was pleasant and simple, but she remained always rather silent, and I knew not why, gave me the impression that she was concealing something. But I thought that was perhaps no more than a natural reserve accentuated by the verbose frankness of her husband”.

• When Strickland was very ill, Dirk wanted to bring him to his flat to take care about him.

• Blanche said, that she hates him, and “If he comes here, I shall go”.

Blanche Stroeve• Eventually she agreed to become a nurse for

Charles Strickland.

• Blanche stayed with him all night when it was necessary.She did not speak to him much.

• She fell in love with Strickland.

• When he became healthy, she decided to live with him.

• Charles Strickland was a man without money, who made pictures.

• Strickland didn’t love Blanche, he used her, “I don't want love. I haven't time for it. It's weakness. I am a man, and sometimes I want a woman. When I've satisfied my passion I'm ready for other things”.

Blanche Stroeve• He left her, because she wanted to have some control over

him, “With infinite patience she prepared to snare me and bind me. She wanted to bring me down to her level; she cared nothing for me, she only wanted me to be hers. She was willing to do everything in the world for me except the one thing I wanted: to leave me alone”.

• When Strickland left Blanche, she wanted to commit suicide. She died in the hospital.

• Strickland didn’t know about this situation. When he heard about it, he was not sorry her and didn’t feelthe twinge of remorse for her death.

Ata• Ata is the second wife of Charles Strickland.

• She is a native, "she hadn't a drop of white blood in her”.

• “She's a good girl and she's only seventeen”. “Ata is a sensible girl, and she doesn't expect any ceremony before the Mayor. She'sa Protestant”.

• Strickland and Ata met in Tiare’s house.Tiare arranged their wedding.

Ata• They lived in the old house, which is situated in

a deserted place down by Taravao.

• Strickland liked this life, “He painted and he read, and in the evening, when it was dark, they sat together on the verandah, smoking and lookingat the night”.

• They had two babies.

• Maybe, Strickland was happy with Ata,“She leaves me alone. She cooks my food and looks after her babies. She does what I tell her. She gives me what I want from a woman”.

Ata• Ata was always with him.

• Strickland had leprosy. Ata invited the doctor. And she didn’t left him. Although, it was dangerously to live near this ill man.

• Ata said to Strickland, “Let the others go if they choose, but I will not leave thee. Thou art my man and I am thy woman. If thou leavest me I shall hang myself on the tree that is behind the house. I swear it by God”.

• Strickland died. Ata buried him near their house.

Maybe, the best years of Strickland’s life is the life at Tahiti with Ata

Strickland lived surrounded by

beautiful nature

Ata did not demand anything from him.

So Strickland could create pictures