Mary, Mary · Chapter
The Proposal explained
The policeman visits the Makebelieve home and formally asks Mrs.
What happens
The policeman visits the Makebelieve home and formally asks Mrs. Makebelieve for Mary's hand in marriage. Mary is terrified and ashamed, while her mother is shocked and hostile. The proposal forces a confrontation between mother and daughter, revealing Mary's fear of the man and her mother's disdain for him.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Aspiration
Mrs. Makebelieve rejects the policeman partly because of his connection to Mrs. O'Connor, viewing him as irredeemably tainted by his aunt's lower status.
Mother-Daughter Relationship
The proposal exposes a rift between Mary and her mother, as Mrs. Makebelieve feels betrayed by Mary's secrecy and Mary feels trapped between her mother's authority and the man's pursuit.
Characters to notice
- Mary Makebelieve
Mary is terrified and ashamed during the policeman's proposal, feeling pursued and trapped. She remains silent and tearful, refusing to meet his gaze.
- Mrs. Makebelieve
Mrs. Makebelieve is shocked and angry at the policeman's proposal, feeling betrayed by Mary's secrecy. She openly rejects him and forces Mary to refuse him directly.
- The Man
The policeman (the man) formally proposes to Mary in front of her mother, pleading his case despite their hostility. He is persistent but ultimately rejected.
Key passages
“Was there no possibility at all of getting away from the man? A tenacity such as this seemed to her malignant. She had the feeling of one being pursued by some relentless and unscrupulous hunter.”
Mary felt trapped and saw the man's persistence as cruel, like being hunted.
Mary's sense of being pursued by the policeman is vividly expressed.
“Your mother is angry with us, Mary... but you know I love you better than anyone else, and that I'd do anything I could to please you and be a good husband to you. What I want to ask you before your mother is—will you marry me?”
The policeman pleads with Mary, asking her to marry him in front of her mother.
The policeman's direct proposal to Mary, despite her mother's hostility.
“I don't want to marry anyone at all, said Mary.”
Mary refuses to marry anyone.
Mary's initial refusal, which she later confirms when pressed by her mother.