Arvie Aspinall's Alarm Clock explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Hardship and Poverty

  The story vividly depicts the grinding poverty of the Aspinall family, with Arvie working at a young age, his mother scrubbing floors, and the family unable to afford even a clock.

• Death and Mortality

  Arvie's sudden death in his sleep, despite his mother's efforts to protect him, underscores the fragility of life among the poor and the tragic consequences of overwork and illness.

• Class and Social Inequality

  The contrast between the Grinder family's luxurious 'Grinderville' with its Easter ball and the Aspinalls' hovel in Jones's Alley highlights the vast social divide.

Characters to notice

• Arvie Aspinall

  A poor, delicate little boy who works at Grinder Bros factory to support his family. He is found asleep on the factory steps, given an alarm clock by a benevolent society lady, and dies in his sleep from illness and exhaustion.

• Mrs. Aspinall

  Arvie's mother, a struggling widow who scrubs floors and washes clothes to support her seven children. She tries to protect Arvie from overwork but is unable to prevent his death.

• The Narrator

  The unnamed narrator who recounts the tragic story of Arvie Aspinall and his alarm clock.

Key passages

• “He had read the verse often before, and was much taken with the swing and rhythm of it. He had repeated it to himself, over and over again, without reference to the sense or philosophy of it. He had never dreamed of doubting anything in print—and this was engraved. But now a new light seemed to dawn upon him. He studied the sentence awhile, and then read it aloud for the second time. He turned it over in his mind again in silence. 'Mother!' he said suddenly, 'I think it lies.'”

  Arvie had often recited the proverb 'Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise' without thinking about its meaning. But now, for the first time, he realizes it is false—he goes to bed early and rises early, yet he is sick, poor, and overworked.

  This moment of realization underscores the theme of class inequality and the hollow promise of hard work for the poor.

• “She rose gently and put the alarm on two hours. 'He can rest now,' she whispered to herself.”

  Mrs. Aspinall quietly sets the alarm clock two hours later so Arvie can sleep longer, hoping to give him some rest despite his insistence on going to work.

  This act of maternal love inadvertently contributes to the tragedy, as the clock's malfunction or her mistake leads to Arvie's death.