This passage seems to be an excerpt from a short story. In the following analysis, the reader will attempt to analyze the passage to the best of her abilities. The passage describes the events which take place after someone’s death. It is from the perspective of the wife of the deceased. The passage is about a letter that the she receives from her husband’s solicitor who claimed that his client wanted him to give the letter to her, if he should ever die unexpectedly. The passage is an internal monologue of the wife, while she decides whether or not she wants to, or rather, needs to read the letter. She debates about this, whilst telling the reader more and more about her married life with a late husband and their relationship.
In the beginning of the passage, it is shown that Mary receives the letter from the solicitor. Mary’s internal monologue tells her that she does not expect much from the letter, as she knew the formal husband that she had. She, also, gave an idea of the type of letter and the language used might be. However, she still hopes that maybe he broke down and, actually, ended up writing a beautiful and heartwarming letter to her. We are told about all the things that she HOPED the letter would say. It is within this description, that the writer has incorporated more details about William and Mary’s married life. It is then shown, that when she goes home, without removing her coat or hat, she sat down on the sofa, and displaced and pulled out the contents of the envelope. Out came fifteen to twenty sheets of paper, with William’s sloping handwriting. The letter looked entirely business-like and formal, just as her husband was. In the next few lines, she debates on whether or not she wants to know what her husband had to say to her. She then turns and looks to her side, where William’s chair lies. She observes it carefully and describes all about her husband when he sat on that chair. It is then that she decides to read the letter once and for all, in order to, release her from William’s hold. The ending of the passage is one of great suspense, as the author tells us only the first line that Mary read. Thus, leaving the reading hungry for the rest.
The setting of the passage is rather morbid and gloomy. After all, it is a house that has just seen the demise of its owner. The reader believes that the setting greatly contributes to the mood of the passage. It tells us about how Mary feels, now that her marriage is over. The author depicts William and Mary’s relationship to be one where, initially, love may have been present. However, over time, William and Mary have grown distant and a bit indifferent towards each other. Theirs is now a relationship where there is nothing new, different, or out of the ordinary. Same as the setting.
The passage has been narrated in the first person, that is, from Mary’s point of view. It is also omnipresent. The characters of William and Mary are very different, yet similar at the same time. William is portrayed to be a man who was very impersonal, even with his own wife. And, who, instead, dealt with everything in life in a very formal and business-like manner. Whereas, Mary has been portrayed to be woman who has gotten used to husband, and has adjusted to her marriage, even if she is not happy that way. The similarity between the two characters is that, in the end, both of them had adjust, and were used to the cold and impersonal atmosphere that had grown between them.
A few literary devices have been used here and there in the passage. Some imagery has been used when Mary describes William’s chair and the setting surrounding her, as these regions are very descriptive. The author has used a lot of adjectives to describe various things in detail (such as, the description of William’s eyes in the latter part of the passage). Hyperbole has also been used. It can be seen when Mary mentions the ‘million’ shirts she ironed, the ‘million’ meals she cooked, and the ‘million’ beds she made.
The reader feels that the main idea of this passage is to show the sort of relationship a husband and wife may come to after a long period of time together (for example, 30 years or so). Also, the passage shows the long-term effects of someone’s character, and how it influences other people’s image of them, and how their character affects other people and their lives. The reader feels that the message that the author is trying to convey is that we should never take people close to use for granted, as it has adverse effects of both lives and personalities.
The reader feels that the passage was a bit hard to analyze, as there are many hidden aspects that need to be taken into consideration whilst analyzing it. However, the message that the passage gave was, indeed a very important and relative one in today’s day and age, where people take their loved ones for granted. However, the real thing that the caught the reader’s eye was the ending. I believe that the write could not have given the passage a better ending, as the ending gives away just enough of the letter to leave the reader in want of more. But, when the reader discovers that isn’t any more to it, he/she is allowed to formulate their OWN views, their OWN perspective of the passage, and can sort of make up their own ending to the story. However, I, too, was left hungry for more. Overall, it was and enjoyable passage to read, as the writing style of the author was captivating.