Mary, Mary · Chapter
VI explained
At sixteen, Mary Makebelieve remains unemployed at her mother's insistence, who dreams of a better future through marriage or a relative's return from America.
What happens
At sixteen, Mary Makebelieve remains unemployed at her mother's insistence, who dreams of a better future through marriage or a relative's return from America. Mary spends her days wandering Dublin, observing strangers and finding comfort in familiar faces, while her mother prefers the lively atmosphere of Phoenix Park.
Themes in this chapter
Poverty and Survival
Mary's mother avoids the drudgery of charing for her daughter, hoping for a lucky break to escape poverty, while Mary's idle days reflect their precarious economic situation.
Fantasy vs. Reality
Mrs. Makebelieve's schemes—a returning uncle or a chance marriage—contrast with the harsh reality of their daily struggle, and Mary's imaginative observations of strangers blur the line between reality and fantasy.
Freedom and Independence
Mary's unsupervised days wandering Dublin offer a form of freedom, yet her loneliness and longing for connection reveal the limits of that independence.
Characters to notice
- Mary Makebelieve
At sixteen, Mary is not yet working; she spends her days alone, wandering the streets and observing strangers, feeling a sense of friendship with familiar faces.
- Mrs. Makebelieve
Mrs. Makebelieve prevents Mary from working as a charwoman, hoping instead for a marriage or a relative's return to secure their future; she enjoys the lively scenes at Phoenix Park.
Key passages
“Although Mary Makebelieve was sixteen years of age she had not yet gone to work; her mother did not like the idea of her little girl stooping to the drudgery of the only employment she could have aided her to obtain—that was, to assist herself in the humble and arduous toil of charing.”
Mary, at sixteen, was still unemployed because her mother refused to let her take on the lowly, exhausting work of charing, the only job she could help her get.
Highlights the mother's protective aspirations and the limited job options for poor young women.
“She had arranged that Mary was to go into a shop, a drapery store, or some such other, but that was to be in a sometime which seemed infinitely remote.”
Mrs. Makebelieve planned for Mary to work in a shop or drapery, but that future seemed far off and uncertain.
Shows the mother's vague hopes for a better job and the indefinite delay of Mary's working life.
“Your uncle Patrick, who went to America twenty years ago, may come home, and when he does you will not have to work, dearie, nor will I. Or again, someone going along the street may take a fancy to you and marry you; things often happen like that.”
Mrs. Makebelieve imagines that either her brother Patrick will return from America with wealth, or a stranger will marry Mary, solving their financial troubles.
Illustrates the mother's reliance on improbable fantasies to escape poverty.
“There were a thousand schemes and accidents which, in her opinion, might occur to the establishment of her daughter’s ease and the enlargement of her own dignity.”
Mrs. Makebelieve believed countless lucky events could secure Mary's comfort and raise her own social standing.
Emphasizes the mother's preoccupation with dignity and social aspiration through chance.
“She stayed in the top back room sewing or knitting, mending holes in the sheets or the blankets, or reading books from the Free Library in Capel Street: but generally she preferred, after the few hours which served to put the room in order, to go out and walk along the streets, taking new turnings as often as she fancied, and striking down strange roads to see the shops and the people.”
Mary sometimes stayed home doing chores or reading, but usually she preferred to wander the streets after tidying up, exploring new routes to observe shops and people.
Shows Mary's routine of solitary exploration and her curiosity about the city.
“There were so many people whom she knew by sight; almost daily she saw these somewhere, and she often followed them for a short distance, with a feeling of friendship; for the loneliness of the long day often drew down upon her like a weight, so that even the distant companionship of these remembered faces that did not know her was comforting.”
Mary recognized many people by sight and sometimes followed them briefly, feeling a sense of friendship because her loneliness made even the silent company of strangers comforting.
Reveals Mary's deep loneliness and her need for connection, even with strangers.
