Three Lives

'Three Lives' (1909) is the first published work of fiction by Gertrude Stein, a legendary author and poet. It is a collection of two short stories and a novella focusing on the bleak existence that faced immigrant and minority women in turn-of-the-century America. The first story, The Good Anna , relates the tale of Anna Federner, a servant in the household of Miss Mathilda, who clashes with four unreliable servants, Lizzie, Molly, Katy, and Sallie. The second story, Melanctha , the longest of the three stories, tells the tale of a girl of mixed race who is dissatisfied with her role in the segregated town of Bridgepoint. The third story, The Gentle Lena , follows the life and death of the titular Lena, a German girl brought to Bridgepoint by a cousin, beginning with her life as a servant girl, followed by her marriage to Herman Kreder, which ultimately leads to a tragic conclusion.