The Little Wife by William March
"The Little Wife" by William March is a poignant short story centered on Joe Hinckley, a young salesman traveling by train from Montgomery to Mobile, Alabama, following the death of his wife, Bessie. The narrative unfolds over a five-hour journey where Joe grapples with profound grief, yet attempts to mask his sorrow through conversation with fellow passengers. Despite the lack of external action and overt tension, the story delves into the internal conflicts Joe faces—his struggle between rationality and emotion, and his desperate need for connection amidst overwhelming loss.
As Joe recounts joyful stories about his life with Bessie to those around him, he momentarily finds solace, unaware of the reality that awaits him at his destination. The interactions he has with diverse passengers highlight themes of denial, coping, and the human desire for companionship in times of distress. Ultimately, the story culminates in a stark confrontation with the truth when Joe's mother-in-law delivers the news of Bessie's passing, leading to a poignant moment of realization and grief. This exploration of the complexities of grief and the need for human connection makes "The Little Wife" a compelling reflection on loss and the ways individuals cope with it.
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The Little Wife by William March
First published: 1930
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The early 1920's
Locale: A train traveling from Montgomery to Mobile, Alabama
Principal Characters:
Joe Hinckley , a traveling hardware sales representativeMrs. Thompkins , his mother-in-law
The Story
"The Little Wife" is the account of a five-hour train trip, during which the protagonist, Joe Hinckley, attempts to postpone facing an almost unbearable grief by chatting with his fellow passengers. There is little external action in the story and seemingly no real tension. However, writing as an omniscient author, William March reveals the two conflicts on which the story is built: that between the passengers and their talkative companion and that between Joe's rational and emotional selves.
The story begins as Joe is boarding the train in Montgomery, Alabama, which will take him to his home in Mobile. After he is settled, Joe looks at some of the people near him. There are a couple of giggling young girls just ahead of him, and across the aisle sits a stern-faced country woman with a goiter. Again Joe looks at the telegram he had found waiting for him when he went back to his hotel after lunch. In it, his mother-in-law had informed him that his wife, Bessie, had borne him a son but that she was not expected to live through the day. As he thinks about how happy he and Bessie have been during their brief year of married life, Joe cannot help noticing the tender concern of a nearby elderly woman for her own husband. Then, hearing a porter calling his name, Joe claims a telegram that has just been sent on by his hotel. He does not open this second telegram. Instead, he goes to the back vestibule, tears it up, and tosses the pieces off the train. Immediately, he feels a great sense of relief and returns to his seat in a jubilant mood.
Joe begins visiting with everyone around him. He tells the conductor that he has just become a father. He goes over to the young girls, persuades the old lady to join them, and for two hours tells his captive audience about his meeting Bessie, their courtship, and their engagement. After the girls leave the train, Joe has a cigarette, then moves in on the elderly couple. They listen politely while he talks about the wedding, the honeymoon, and their joy when Joe and Bessie learned that she was pregnant. Joe is so wrapped up in his story that the porter has to tell him they are pulling into the Mobile station. Joe keeps smiling even when he sees his mother-in-law, Mrs. Thompkins, beyond the fence, dressed in black. It is only when she asks whether he has received the second telegram that he realizes he can no longer hide from the truth. His legs give way, and he has to sit down. After a while, he asks exactly when his wife died, and Mrs. Thompkins informs him that she had dispatched the second telegram immediately after Bessie's death. The story ends with Joe and his mother-in-law leaving the train station.