Mary, Mary · Chapter
XI explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Makebelieve returns home exhausted from her arduous work at Mrs. O'Connor's house, describing in detail the many rooms, ornaments, and furnishings. Mary, preoccupied with her secret encounter with a policeman, asks her mother about policemen as husbands. Mrs. Makebelieve gives a mixed assessment, noting their advantages but also their moral dangers. Mary longs to confide in someone her own age but cannot bring herself to tell her mother. Mrs. Makebelieve feels unwell and goes to bed early, while Mary stays up dreaming by the fire.
Themes in this chapter
Poverty and Survival
Mrs. Makebelieve's detailed account of her exhausting work and the meager soap allowance highlights the family's struggle to survive through hard labor.
Fantasy vs. Reality
Mary's romantic visions of the policeman contrast with her mother's pragmatic warnings about the moral dangers and instability of marrying one.
Mother-Daughter Relationship
Mary keeps her secret from her mother for the first time, feeling a shyness and age difference that prevents her from confiding, while her mother shares her own worries and health complaints.
Characters to notice
- Mary Makebelieve
Asks her mother about policemen as husbands, keeps secret her encounter, and stays up dreaming by the fire.
- Mrs. Makebelieve
Returns exhausted from work at Mrs. O'Connor's, describes the house in detail, gives her opinion on policemen, and goes to bed feeling ill.
- Mrs. O'Connor
Mentioned as the employer; described as having a hairy chin, buck teeth, and a solid smile, and being particular about housework.
Key passages
“Mary Makebelieve, apropos of nothing, asked her mother did she ever know a girl who got married to a policeman, and did she think that policemen were good men?”
Mary casually asked her mother if she knew any woman who had married a policeman and whether policemen made good husbands.
Mary's seemingly innocent question reveals her hidden fascination with the policeman she met.
“Her mother said she did not feel at all well. She did not know what was the matter with her, but she was more tired than she could remember being for a long time.”
Mrs. Makebelieve complained of feeling unusually tired and unwell, with aching bones and a coldness in her limbs.
This marks the beginning of Mrs. Makebelieve's serious illness, a key plot development.
“She was looking into the redness, seeing visions of rapture, strange things which could not possibly be true; but these visions warmed her blood and lifted her heart on light and tremulous wings; there was a singing in her ears to which she could never be tired listening.”
Mary stared into the glowing coals, imagining blissful and impossible scenes that filled her with joy and excitement.
Mary's fantasy world provides an escape from her harsh reality, emphasizing the theme of fantasy vs. reality.