Brother

Mrs. Whipple's brother comes to visit with his family, comprised of her brother's wife and "two great roaring hungry boys." Mrs. Whipple wants her brother to believe that her family is doing well financially, so she fixes a grand dinner for him and his family. She appears to have convinced him, or at least he is smart enough to reassure her with the statement: "This looks like prosperity all right," after finishing the meal. The statement is so obvious and loaded with irony, however, that the brother may well have been aware that his sister was trying to impress him. Mr. Whipple is not as assured that the brother believed the pretense, but Mrs. Whipple is convinced that her brother could not see their poverty. The scene with Mrs. Whipple's brother is brief, but it is used to show at what length Mrs. Whipple will go to avoid...