Mr. and Mrs. McCall

Mr. McCall is not a very appealing man with weird habits and an unpleasant mood. He is considered a lousy husband in his town,because of him being very stingy with his wife, and violently cruel with her. He is quite a childish man, seeking for his wife’s attention by fighting with her.

Mrs. McCall is a tall, thin woman. She is silent, remains cool and passive in spite of her husband’s cruel behavior. We can also tell that she isn’t that friendly with the townspeople, since they call her only by her last name. It is said in their town that the two married not out of love, but out of Mrs. McCall’s desire to leave her pitiable hometown.

At the beginning of the story the relationship between the two is horrible. Mr. McCall behaves thoughtlessly towards his wife by calling her names and even using violence against her. His wife, however, stays cool and silent and only gives him a guilt stimulating glance that makes him feel awkward. At this stage, it seems that they really share no love, and only make each other miserable.

The turning point in the story is where Mrs. McCall manipulatively makes her husband think that she is going to poison him as a revenge for his awful way of treating her. From that point, Mr. McCall begins to treat her nicely: he becomes more generous with her, more caring and less parasitic. For example, he takes her to the movies and to picnics and buys her generous gifts such as an expensive sealskin coat.

In my opinion, although Mrs. McCall has managed to make her husband treat her nicely, their marriage is still an awful mistake. I believe that marriage shouldn’t be out of such practical interests, such as getting away from a poor hometown, and that one should marry the one he loves.

Excellent, as always. (100)
Daphna.