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Josephine is Louise’s sister, and she takes on the responsibility of breaking the news of Brently’s death to her. While her role in the story is rather minimal, Josephine’s character functions as representation of a larger cultural voice which treats Louise like an innocent and helpless woman. On the surface, this gentle approach seems to come from a place of love and caution, but it also reveals just how deeply ingrained patriarchal values are in the world of the story. Right from the beginning, Josephine approaches her sister with the assumption that she is too weak to know the truth of her husband’s death. The fact that she delivers the information through “broken sentences” and “veiled hints,” both of which are “half concealing,” suggests that Josephine is acting somewhat deceptive rather than purely gentle as she talks with Louise. Regardless of the helpful intentions behind this approach, the negative connotations of words like “broken,” “veiled,” and “concealing” work to critique Josephine’s treatment of her sister.
Josephine’s appearance at the end of the story has a similar function in that it establishes her as a reflection of the patriarchy’s infantilizing view of women. As she sits outside of her sister’s bedroom door, she insists that Louise will make herself sick the longer she isolates herself from others. Not only does this response reflect the stereotypical image of women becoming hysterical, it also implies that a woman should not be alone. Josephine’s positioning outside the closed door, which serves as a barrier between Louise’s world of freedom and reality, reinforces her role as a symbol of the external pressures Louise faces to remain subservient to someone else.
