A Reversion To Type

"A Reversion To Type" by Josephine Daskam Bacon examines the search for personal identity amid academic life and past loves. The story centers on a female German assistant professor in a college setting, and her reflections and teaching highlight a contrast between her complex life and that of her young, seemingly carefree students. Having sacrificed personal relationships, especially with a past love named Hermann, to pursue her education and career, she finds herself caught up in the allure of what used to be and the simple life of possible domesticity. The professor questions her path and considers returning to her past. In the end, she is left facing the possibility that she might have lost love, but nevertheless drawn to a life and affection outside of her academic world.