Own Your Own Home explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• The Suburban Dream

  Fred and Grace's aspiration to own a home in the suburbs for a better life.

• Financial Struggle and Debt

  The couple's careful budgeting and reliance on bank loans to afford the house.

Characters to notice

• Fred A. Gross

  Narrator and protagonist, planning to build a house.

• Grace Charley

  Fred's wife, enthusiastic about building a house.

• Brother Charley

  Fred's brother, recipient of the letters.

• Mary Gross

  Brother Charley's wife, mentioned in greetings.

Key passages

• “Charley wear going to have some house. The plans is drawed & the contrack let & there going to begin building tommorrow that is brakeing ground for the foundashun if I can get things fixed up down to the bank this p.m.”

  Charley, we're going to have a house. The plans are drawn and the contract is let, and they're going to start building tomorrow, breaking ground for the foundation, if I can get things arranged at the bank this afternoon.

  Fred announces the imminent start of construction.

• “Ive gave the archateck $25 as 1st payment for his work & I dont half to give him the other $75 till 30 days after the house is done next march.”

  I've given the architect $25 as a first payment, and I don't have to give him the remaining $75 until 30 days after the house is finished next March.

  Fred explains the payment plan for the architect.

• “The house is going to have 7 rms. 3 down stares & 4 up stares.”

  The house will have seven rooms: three downstairs and four upstairs.

  Description of the house's layout.

• “Its going to be set bk. 50 ft. off the st. & that will give us a big lawn beside a big bk. yd. where we can have chickens & a garden.”

  It's going to be set back 50 feet from the street, giving us a big lawn and a large backyard where we can have chickens and a garden.

  Fred highlights the benefits of the suburban lot.

• “If Id knew how easy it was Id of build a house long a go but I thot a man should ought to know some thing a bout building him self before he tackeld it but a man dont half to know nothing because the archateck takes it all off of his hands & does all the worring for $100.”

  If I had known how easy it was, I would have built a house long ago, but I thought a man should know something about building himself before tackling it. But a man doesn't have to know anything because the architect takes it all off his hands and does all the worrying for $100.

  Fred reflects on the ease of building with an architect's help.

• “Well Charley I dont see how it is that these banks ever gos broke & blows up & they take a bout as many chances as the phone Co. that makes you put in your nickle before you get a hold of central.”

  Well, Charley, I don't see how these banks ever go broke and blow up, they take about as many chances as the phone company that makes you put in your nickel before you get a hold of central.

  Fred criticizes banks for their risky practices.