The Uncalled · Chapter
III explained
The women of Dexter gather at Mrs.
What happens
The women of Dexter gather at Mrs. Davis's home the day after Margaret Brent's funeral to decide the fate of her orphaned son, Fred. After discussing various options and rejecting the orphan asylum, Miss Hester Prime unexpectedly volunteers to take the boy, despite her lack of experience with children. Fred is reluctant to leave Mrs. Davis, but ultimately goes with Miss Prime, prompting mixed reactions among the women.
Themes in this chapter
Community and Gossip
The women's meeting exemplifies how the community collectively decides Fred's fate, with gossip and personal judgments shaping the discussion.
Hypocrisy and Religion
Miss Prime frames her decision to take Fred as a religious duty, yet her stern demeanor and the women's mixed reactions hint at underlying hypocrisy and self-interest.
Social Class and Judgment
The women's poverty and their judgments about Fred's father's 'bad blood' reflect class-based anxieties and the stigma attached to orphaned children.
Characters to notice
- Fred Brent
The orphaned boy, initially playing happily but showing vague sadness; he is taken from Mrs. Davis's care to live with Miss Hester Prime.
- Mrs. Davis
A kind mother of five who temporarily cares for Fred and wishes she could keep him, but cannot afford another child; she reluctantly hands him over to Miss Prime.
- Miss Hester Prime
A stern spinster who volunteers to take Fred out of a sense of religious duty, despite the women's surprise and her own lack of experience with children.
- Mrs. Warren
A critical woman who initially refuses to take Fred due to his father's bad reputation, and later sneers at Miss Prime's decision to take him.
- Melissy Davis
Mrs. Davis's husband, who shows sympathy for Fred and tells his wife to put the boy to bed.
- Margaret Brent
Fred's deceased mother, whose funeral has just taken place; her death prompts the women's meeting.
Key passages
“By common consent, and without the formality of publication or proclamation, the women had agreed to meet on the day after the funeral for the purpose of discussing what was best to be done with the boy Fred.”
The women informally decided to gather the day after the funeral to plan Fred's future.
Sets the scene for the community's collective decision-making.
“I hate so to think of the pore little feller goin' to one o' them childern's homes. The boys goin' around in them there drab clothes o' theirs allus look like pris'ners to me, an' they ain't much better off.”
Mrs. Davis expresses her aversion to orphan asylums, comparing the boys to prisoners.
Highlights the community's negative view of institutional care.
“I was thinkin' this whole matter over while I was finishin' up my work to come here, an', says I to myself, 'Now there's Melissy Davis—she's the very one that 'ud be a mother to that child,' says I, 'an' she'd bring him up right as a child should be brought up.'”
Miss Prime explains that she considered Mrs. Davis as the ideal caretaker for Fred.
Shows Miss Prime's strategic thinking before volunteering herself.
“Come, Freddie,' said Mrs. Davis tremulously, 'get on yore hat.' The child obeyed. 'You're a-goin' to be Miss Hester's little boy now. You must be good.'”
Mrs. Davis, with a trembling voice, tells Fred to put on his hat and informs him he will now live with Miss Hester.
Captures the emotional moment of Fred's transfer to Miss Prime.
