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TheftbyKatherineAnnePorterThemaincharacterinKatherineAnnePorters'shortstoryTheftisapoorwomanattheageaboutlate20swithabeautifulpurse.Thepurseisathreadwhichassociateswithseveralepisodesandineacheventitrevealsthemaincharacter'sinnerpersonality.Thefirstepisodeisherencounterswiththreemenwhostandforlover,friendandneighbor.Thesecondeventisthetheftofherpurse.Lastly,theprotagonistconfrontsthethief.Ineachepisodethemaincharacterdisplaysherintimatepersonality.Thebackgroundofthestoryisthe“Red30’s”thatthewesternworldwasdominatedbytheideologyofCommunismwhichvaluesequality,senseofcommonthateverythingisownbysociety.Influencedandaffectedbysuchideology,theheroinetakenocareofherprocession,boththetangible(moneyandproperty)onesandintangibleones(kinship,friendship,loveandhappinessoflife,etc.)“Letitgo”istheonlyconclusionshemadefortheunpleasantexperiencesshecameacross.Theonlystrike-backshemadewaswhenshefoundthepursewasstolen.Thepurseisfromanveryimportantfriendandmeaningfultoher.Shebrokehersilenceanddemandedthethefttogiveitback.Butthetheftarguedthatherbeautywasfadingandshedidnotneeditanymorethatsheshouldgiveittoanotheryoungergirl.Reviewingherlife,theheroinerealizedthatithadbeenhercarelessnessandindifferencethatmadeherloseeverythingandherattitudetowardslifeismoreterriblethanatheft.“Iwasrightnottobeafraidofanytheftbutmyself,whowillendbyleavingmenothing.”KatherineAnnePorter’sTheftRealismwasdevelopedafterthecivilwar,whichisdefinedas“thefaithfulrepresentationofreality”.TheageofRealismisreactionagainstromanticismandaninterestinscientificmethod.Thesweepingchangesofeconomy,society,andpolitics,whichtookplaceinpost-warlife,allowedAmericanrealismtoprevail.RealismstartedwiththerealisticandfrontierliteraturethatmergedintothemainstreamthroughauthorssuchasMarkTwainuptonow.Realismischaracterizedbynaturaldiction,truthfuldescriptionoflife,typicalcharacterundertypicalcircumstance,revelationthefrustrationsofcharactersinanenvironmentofsordidnessanddepravity,andopenending.KatherineAnnePorter(1890-1980)wasacreativewriterwhowasborninIndianCreek,Texas.Herbestwritingswerewrittenintheformofshortstories.Shedescribedherselfas“precocious,nervous,rebellious,intractable,towhichalsoonecouldaddindividualistic.”Sheisknownasamodernwriter,butinhershortstories,therearealsorealisticfactors.Take“theft”asexample.ThebackgroundofthisstorywassetinthecityofNewYorkduringthegreatdepression.Itdescribesonecornerofthesocietyduringthe1930s：thestagnantsetting,themenindrydock,thehypocrisyofthesociety,thedepravedmentalstatusofpeopleandtheconflictbetweenclasses…“Shehadintendedtotaketheelevated,andnaturallyshelookedinherpursetomakecertainshehadthefare,andwaspleasedtofindfortycentsinthecoinenvelope.”p186Andwhenshelostherpurse,itwasempty.“Shewasthinkingaboutheremptypurse…”p190Itshowsthatsheisprettypoorcausedbytheeconomicdepression.Inaddition,thefiguresofthethreemenaretypicalcharactersinthattime.Wecanseeallpeople’sdisillusionedmentalstatusthroughthosethreemenandtheprotagonist.“ThemoreitskidsthecalmerIfeel,soIreallymustbedrunk.”p187Thepursetheprotagonisthadlostisasymbolofmoneyorwealthinsomedegree.Thepurseisabeautiful“goldencloth”onewhichimpliesherclass.Andthejanitresswouldratherstealthepursethanacceptingitasaalms.Andthenarratorsharedmoneywitheveryaninthestory,exceptthejanitress.Fromthis,wecanseethebitterconflictbetweenclasses.Fromthisshortstory,wecanseethegapbetweenpeople.Thecoldnessofthesocietyandpeople.“Shelaidthepurseonthetableandsatdownwiththecupofchilledcoffee.”P193Peopledonotunderstandeachother(husbandandwife)andthelossoflove.Allofthemwascausedbythesociety.Theearlyof20thcenturywasaroaringdecadesofgreatturbulenceandcrises.Thereprevaileddisillusionanywhere.KatherineAnnePorterisacommunistintheearly20thcenturybecauseoftheMexicanrevolutionandherinbornpassionofrebel.AndtheSacco-Vanzettiaffairisanothercausefiredherpoliticalindignationinthe1920s.ButthefailedMexicanrevolutionandinjusticeoftheSacco-VanzettiaffaircoalescedinPorter'smindastheannihilationofheridealisticfaith.Theshortstory“theft”isamicrocosmicsociety,whichreflectedporter’spointofviewandthestateofmind.Purseistraditionallyevenametonymformoney.JustlikethedescriptioninthegreatGatsby,theAmericansocietythenprevailedmaterialism.Finally,everyone’sdreamwillbedestroyed.Alltheothercharactersinthestoryareassociatedwiththeprotagonistbymoney.Itisironic.However,whenthepursewasstolen,thenarratorbegantoreviewherpastbehaviors.Shefoundthatmaterialismisevilandsuppressthespiritual.Butwhenshedecidedtogiveupthepurse,shefeltperplexedandaimless.Shelostherfaithinthesociety.Andporterapplyherselftofeminism.Theprotagonistisawriterjustasporter.Sheisakindofvividandtypicalcharacterscreatedthoughtheexperienceoflife.Femininelifeconditionandherdifficultiesinthesocietyisporter’sconcern.Throughthedescriptionofthenarrator’sstraits,portercriticizethepatriarchy.Porterlivedinthetimeofthesecondwaveoffeministmovement.Herconcernaboutfemaleisfullofactuality.Porterisastylist.Herdictionisaccurateandnatural.Theendingof“theft”isopenending,whichleavesmuchroomforreaderstothinkbythem