Short Fiction · Chapter
Three from Dunsterville explained
Mary Hill, a young woman from Dunsterville, Canada, moves to New York seeking work as a stenographer.
What happens
Mary Hill, a young woman from Dunsterville, Canada, moves to New York seeking work as a stenographer. Initially overwhelmed by the city's harsh, competitive nature, she reluctantly accepts a secretarial position from Joe Rendal, a former shy admirer who has been transformed by New York into a confident, forceful man. Her friend Eddy Moore, also changed by the city, fails to help her directly. Over lunch, Joe confesses his unchanged feelings for Mary, and she admits that New York has changed her too, hinting at a new openness toward him.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Self-Improvement
The chapter explores how New York transforms the identities of Mary, Joe, and Eddy, reshaping their personalities, confidence, and social roles.
Loneliness and Connection
Mary feels isolated and frightened in New York, but her reunion with Joe and Eddy offers a tentative sense of connection and belonging.
Money and Financial Struggle
Mary's dwindling savings and desperate need for a living wage drive her to accept a job she initially resists, highlighting financial pressures.
Characters to notice
- Mary Hill
A young woman from Dunsterville who moves to New York for work; initially frightened and overwhelmed by the city, she accepts a secretarial job from Joe Rendal and later admits the city has changed her.
- Joe Rendal
A former shy, awkward youth from Dunsterville who has become a successful, confident, and forceful businessman in New York; he hires Mary and confesses his enduring feelings for her.
- Eddy Moore
A fellow emigrant from Dunsterville who has become polished and suave in New York; he fails to secure Mary a job but later joins them for lunch, leaving Joe to pay the bill.
Key passages
“New York changes everything.”
The city of New York transforms people and their behavior.
Mary expresses her belief that New York has altered Eddy and Joe, and herself.
“New York, with its shoving, jostling, hurrying crowds; a giant fowl-run, full of human fowls scurrying to and fro; clucking, ever on the lookout for some desired morsel, and ever ready to swoop down and snatch it from its temporary possessor, had numbed her.”
The chaotic, competitive crowds of New York made Mary feel overwhelmed and paralyzed.
The narrator describes Mary's initial reaction to the city's relentless pace.
“I’m still just the same poor fool who used to hang round staring at you in Dunsterville.”
Joe admits that despite his outward changes, he still harbors the same romantic feelings for Mary as he did back home.
Joe confesses his unchanged love for Mary during their lunch.