Mary, Mary · Chapter
XVI explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Makebelieve's health deteriorates severely, and the family's poverty deepens as they sell all their furniture to survive. Unable to work, Mrs. Makebelieve sends Mary to take her place at Mrs. O'Connor's house, marking a painful transition from childhood to womanhood.
Themes in this chapter
Poverty and Survival
The family sells all furniture and clothing to buy food, and Mary must work to prevent starvation.
Mother-Daughter Relationship
Mrs. Makebelieve weeps over Mary as she sends her to work, mourning the loss of her daughter's childhood.
Coming of Age and Sexuality
Mary's entry into work marks the beginning of womanhood, with emotions and aspirations she will not share with her mother.
Characters to notice
- Mary Makebelieve
Takes over her mother's work at Mrs. O'Connor's house, stepping into adult responsibilities.
- Mrs. Makebelieve
Falls seriously ill with dizziness, pain, and vision disturbances; unable to work and worries about survival.
- Mrs. O'Connor
Sends a peremptory postcard demanding Mrs. Makebelieve come to work, prompting Mary to go in her place.
Key passages
“She caught her daughter’s head down to her bosom and wept over her, for she saw in this work a beginning and an end—the end of the little daughter who could be petted and rocked and advised; the beginning of a womanhood which would grow up to and beyond her...”
Mrs. Makebelieve held Mary close and cried, realizing that sending her to work meant the end of her childhood and the start of an independent, burdensome adulthood.
Highlights the mother's grief over Mary's loss of innocence and the harsh transition to adult responsibilities.
“Each day Mary Makebelieve went to the pawn office with something. They lived for a time on the only capital they had—the poor furniture of their room.”
Mary regularly pawned their belongings to buy food, surviving off the meager value of their furniture.
Illustrates the extreme poverty and desperate measures taken to survive.