Most people, when forced to give up the one thing they truly love, would rather see it be destroyed than in the hands of another person. In "Old Woman Magoun," by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, the old woman is in that position. She is burdened with relinquishing custody of her granddaughter, Lily, to the child’s father. Throughout the story, the old woman faces an inner struggle over caring for and, ultimately, losing her granddaughter. She deals with her struggle in a very realistic, human response. Old Woman Magoun is a woman who refuses to be disobeyed or disagreed with. She has a peculiar command over all th