Summary

In “The Old Man with No Name,” the narrator moved into an attic room in one of Fess Avenue’s “only three houses” (1). The house “belonged to a Mrs. MacMillan” (1). The other homes were owned by Mrs. Nolan and Mrs. Casper. Though Mrs. MacMillan would not talk about herself, she told the narrator that Mrs. Nolan had an “ornery disposition” and used to “beat her husband” (1). Mrs. Casper’s husband had died in an accident. Mrs. MacMillan would reveal nothing more, believing it best not to involve oneself “in other people’s business” (1). She was also disinterested in having regular communication with the narrator. He was unfazed because he did not want to be bothered.

In the fall, Bloomington filled with thousands of “incoming students” (2). As the weather worsened, the narrator spent more time observing his...