Summary

At the beginning of the story, Luella Hemple and Ede Kerr were having tea at the Ritz. Luella was wearing an “immaculate” (116) dress, and the pair were discussing Luella’s struggles. Luella was struggling with the fact that she was bored of her baby. Mrs. Kerr suggested that it could be because Luella did not love her husband, Charles, but Luella denied this. Luella lamented the fact that she did not take pleasure in regular household chores, and she craved independence. Luella then started complaining about Charles’s mannerisms, such as his incessant “rubbing” (119) of his face. As an act of defiance, Luella scheduled a social meeting at the theater, and she decided that she would go no matter what her husband said. If he did not go with her, then she decided that the marriage would end. This thought caused her to...