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Ann Petry's Mrs. Hedges from The Streer

" (Petry 244) Even thorough losing her physical attractiveness through the permanent loss of her hair as well as the severe burning and scarring of her body, she not only maintains but increases her value in the eyes of white America that is articulated through the gray eyes of Junto. It is in fact Mrs. Hedge's disfigurement that marks Junto's acknowledgement of her as a worthy long-term economic investment, as well as a woman of bravery and courage and ultimately a woman worthy of capitalistic success. .
             In describing Mrs. Hedges" escape from the flaming inferno, Petry utilizes the biblical character Sampson. "She struggled, determined that she would make the very stones of the foundation give way until the window opening would in turn give way." (Petry 244) Despite feeling and smelling her flesh and hair being scorched from her body, Mrs. Hedges summoned her strength to shake to the very foundations, the institution of her confinement. Petry uses this reference as a demonstration of the near subhuman strength that is needed to escape the constraints of society that ravaged women who did not comply with the unattainable ideal of European American femininity. Even though she is severely scarred Junto still attempts to objectify her with the gift of the wig, Junto believes that she should belong occupy the subject position of a woman, yet her display of incredible strength and determination while also being a woman in itself challenge the implicit weakness of a pedagogue like Mrs. Chandler. .
             Mrs. Hedges" lucrative success in conjunction with her money-lending partner Junto is unmistakable within the community and she has therefore attained the economic aspiration intrinsic upon achievement of the American Dream. However, it is most notable that in the presence of success she is devoid of the external beauty that society mandates for successful women. By denying the American idealized European beauty Mrs.


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