SOURCE: "Stories about Courtship: Bachelors/Spinsters, Fathers/Daughters," in William Trevor; A Study of the Short Fiction, Twayne Publishers, 1993, pp. 57-82.

In the following excerpt, Paulson commends Trevor's sensitive and realistic portrayal of gender relations in "The Ballroom of Romance," "Kathleen's Field," and "The Wedding in the Garden. "

While codes governing courtship and marriage are changing in some parts of the world, in most places feminine and masculine gender identities are governed by two antagonistic codes of behavior—purity for women, promiscuity for men. Certainly Trevor's stories about courtship—such as "The Ballroom of Romance," "Teresa's Wedding," and "The Property of Colette Nervi"—reflect these codes. In these stories young women driven by a fear of spinsterhood marry undesirable suitors in communities governed by men. Economic concerns override considerations of love or happiness in marriage. "Kathleen's Field" tells the story of a farmer's daughter so submissive to her...