Short Fiction · Chapter
A Story for Men explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Jessamine, an average but genuine Houston housewife and mother, reads a newspaper article about child cruelty while her children play with dangerous items. She falls asleep and dreams a terrifying nightmare in which she is a child alone in a strange room, accidentally breaking a bottle of corrosive liquid, then playing with matches that set her dress on fire. She wakes in horror, embraces her children, and rushes to tell her friend Mrs. Flutter about the dream.
Themes in this chapter
Gender Roles and Marriage
The story centers on Mrs. Jessamine as a devoted wife and mother, managing the household alone, reflecting traditional gender roles of the period.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Mrs. Jessamine's dream reveals the gap between her self-image as a caring mother and the dangerous reality of leaving her children unsupervised with hazardous items.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator introduces and describes Mrs. Jessamine's character and daily life.
Key passages
“She always steps on a street car with her left foot first, wears her snowiest lace-trimmed sub-skirts on muddy days, and can cut a magazine, wind a clock, pick walnuts, open a trunk and clean out an inkstand, all with a hairpin.”
She is a practical, resourceful woman who manages everyday tasks with ease and a bit of quirky habit.
Illustrates Mrs. Jessamine's ordinary yet capable nature.
“While she is attending to her duties she gives the children a paper of needles, the scissors, some sample packages of aniline dyes and a box of safety matches to play with”
She lets her children play with dangerous household items while she works.
Highlights the ironic contrast between her loving intentions and the actual risk to her children.
“Mrs. Jessamine awoke with a start and sprang wildly from the bed. The children were playing merrily on the floor, and she ran to them and caught them in her arms in thankfulness that the terrible dream was over.”
She wakes up terrified, relieved to find her children safe, and embraces them.
Shows her immediate emotional response and love for her children after the nightmare.