One of Ours · Chapter
XIII explained
As preparations for Ralph's move to the Colorado ranch intensify, tensions simmer on the Wheeler farm.
What happens
As preparations for Ralph's move to the Colorado ranch intensify, tensions simmer on the Wheeler farm. Ralph lavishly outfits himself with new goods, while Claude remains indifferent and stoic. Mahailey, fiercely protective of her possessions and the household's preserves, secretly hides the pickled peaches she made for Claude, deceiving Ralph to keep them from being packed away.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Individuality
The Wheeler family's dynamics are strained as Ralph's individual ambitions for the Colorado ranch clash with Claude's quiet sacrifice and Mahailey's fierce loyalty to her own possessions and to Claude.
Rural vs. Urban Life
Ralph's desire for modern goods like a phonograph and furniture contrasts with the traditional, frugal farm life embodied by Mahailey and Mrs. Wheeler, highlighting the tension between rural simplicity and urban consumerism.
Characters to notice
- Claude Wheeler
Claude remains impassive as Ralph outfits for Colorado, giving away his dress suit and working hard ploughing for winter wheat. He consoles Mahailey after she hides the pickled peaches.
- Ralph Wheeler
Ralph eagerly outfits for life in Yucca county, buying furniture, a phonograph, and other goods. He packs preserves and searches for the pickled peaches Mahailey has hidden.
- Mahailey
Mahailey is outraged by Ralph packing the household linen and preserves. She hides her pickled peaches and her cherished quilts to prevent Ralph from taking them.
- Mrs. Wheeler
Mrs. Wheeler worries about the fairness of the new arrangement and the mounting debt, but Claude advises her to stay silent.
- Nat Wheeler
Nat Wheeler packs his trunk and leaves to take Tom Wested back to Maine, returning later to find Ralph's expenditures excessive but ultimately accepting them.
- Leonard Dawson
Leonard Dawson teases Claude about Ralph's lavish purchases, noting there's nothing left in the furniture store for him and Susie.
Key passages
“Ralph liked being a great man with the Frankfort merchants, and he had never before had such an opportunity as this.”
Ralph enjoyed the status of being a big spender in Frankfort and seized the chance to buy lavishly.
Illustrates Ralph's vanity and his eagerness to impress others with his purchases.
“Mahailey was outraged to see the linen she had washed and ironed and taken care of for so many years packed into boxes.”
Mahailey was furious that the linens she had maintained for years were being packed away.
Shows Mahailey's deep attachment to her household work and her sense of ownership.
“I didn't give him none. I hid 'em all in my old cookstove we done put down cellar when Mr. Ralph bought the new one.”
I didn't give him any. I hid them in the old cookstove we stored in the cellar after Ralph bought the new one.
Mahailey's secret act of defiance to protect the pickled peaches she made for Claude.