Youth and Age

The predominant theme in "The Old Nurse's Story" is the difference between youth and age. From the very beginning of the story, readers are made aware of the important role that age will play: "I was just a girl in the village school," Hester says, "when, one day, your grandmother came in to ask the mistress if there was any scholar there who would do for a nurse-maid" (1). Later readers learn that Hester is only 17 years old when she and Rosamond move to Furnivall Manor. That Hester is a young woman is significant because it brings her other character traits into stark relief – she is kind, caring, nurturing, and fiercely protective of Rosamond despite her youth. After Rosamond's parents pass away, Hester becomes Rosamond's primary caregiver, and she takes on the role with fervor, adopting a sheer adoration for the young girl that is...