The Blush by Elizabeth Taylor
"The Blush" by Elizabeth Taylor explores the contrasting lives of two English women, Mrs. Ruth Allen and her housekeeper, Mrs. Lacey. Mrs. Allen, a middle-aged woman, grapples with the disappointments of her childless marriage and yearns for the family life she envisioned. In stark contrast, Mrs. Lacey, who has three children, feels burdened by her responsibilities and reflects on her past neglect of them while seeking solace in her local pub. Their lives intersect in a moment of tension when Mr. Lacey confronts Mrs. Allen about the late-night employment of his wife, leading to a realization of the complexities and strains of their respective situations.
The narrative delves into themes of motherhood, jealousy, and the societal expectations placed on women, revealing the emotional undercurrents that define each character's existence. As Mrs. Allen faces the uncomfortable truth of her situation, she experiences a physical manifestation of her feelings—a blush—symbolizing her discomfort and introspection. This poignant story invites readers to reflect on the intricacies of women's lives, their aspirations, and the realities that often diverge from their dreams.
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The Blush by Elizabeth Taylor
First published: 1958
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The late 1950's
Locale: A village outside of London
Principal Characters:
Mrs. Ruth Allen , a middle-class, childless housewifeMr. Humphrey Allen , her husband, a successful professionalMrs. Lacey , her housekeeperMr. Lacey , her housekeeper's husband, a small, beaten-down man
The Story
Mrs. Ruth Allen is contemplating the disappointments of her married life. She has always longed for children and imagined raising them according to her upper-middle-class English lifestyle. However, for reasons not divulged in the story, she has remained childless.
In contrast, her housekeeper, Mrs. Lacey, complains about her own brood of three children, who appear to fall short of her expectations. However, the reader learns that she has rather neglected her children when they were little. While her children went hungry and asked for food from the villagers, Mrs. Lacey sat drinking beer in the local working-class pub, shooing them away when they approached her there. Mrs. Allen imagines both raising her own children differently and how much she would enjoy a relaxed drink in the pub frequented by Mrs. Lacey rather than her Sunday sherries consumed in the more formal atmosphere of the pub patronized by people of her social class.
With Mrs. Allen living a lonely life waiting for her husband, Humphrey, to come home after working long days in London and Mrs. Lacey going on about the troubles caused by her almost grownup children, the lives of the two women seem rather opposite. Mrs. Lacey is jealous of her employer's money, and Mrs. Allen tries hard not to resent Mrs. Lacey for what she feels are the blessings of her normal, carefree life. Looking at Mrs. Lacey's aged body, which bears the marks of a rough life, she wonders if her husband, Humphrey, would be unable to relate to her at all. Mrs. Lacey only works for Mrs. Allen in the mornings and has never met her husband.
One day, Mrs. Lacey is very late for work. She apologizes to Mrs. Allen and describes to her all the symptoms of being pregnant again, in spite of her advanced middle age. Astonished, Mrs. Allen leaves her to work in the house and walks her dog. When she returns, Mrs. Lacey has gone, leaving behind a note saying that she is too unwell for work.
Toward the evening, Mr. Lacey is a surprise visitor at Mrs. Allen's. He confronts her with some anger in his voice, begging her to stop employing his wife at night to babysit Mrs. Allen's children while she and her husband go out to party. To an utterly astonished Mrs. Allen, Mr. Lacey says that he has often wanted to confront her husband driving home Mrs. Lacey late at night, asking him to mind his own children and family and not to deprive Mr. Lacey and their children of the company and care of his wife and their mother.
Mrs. Allen agrees not to employ Mrs. Lacey anymore, definitely not at night, while she is pregnant. Awkwardly, Mr. Lacey takes his leave from Mrs. Allen. As soon as she has left her house, Mrs. Allen feels a deep blush covering her face, neck, and upper arms.