What did you think of Edie’s initial reaction to Compiègne? How did you see her opinion of the town change over time? What do you think this suggests about expectations versus reality?
I thought it was an unfair opinion, but very realistic. When you expect one thing and it is another, you tend to have a negative opinion.
I agree that it was a very realistic reaction. Edie was expecting the excitement of Paris and not the relative quietness of Compiegne. But Compiegne had its own charm, which Edie came to see. I do think reality sometimes initially disappoints us, in not fitting expectations. But this reminds me to look deeper!
Edie had a picture in her mind of where she would be living and working and hoped to see the glamour of life in Paris. Since she had failed herself immediately in not having the job in Paris she had a hard time coming to grips with the small town life of Compiegne. That seemed realistic. It did not take her long to see the real beauty of this small town and she quickly learned how important it was in the history of France.
Totally expected when a young woman seeks the excitement of Paris and lands in a village,
I think her first reaction to not being in the fast paced life of Paris and winding up in Compiegne as a young woman trying to find herself was justified.
At first Edie thought it was a quiet village and she was expecting the glamour and excitement of Paris. She grew to love the village.