Mr. and Mrs. Baby by Mark Strand
"Mr. and Mrs. Baby" by Mark Strand presents a poignant exploration of contemporary existence through the lives of its titular characters, Bob and Babe Baby. Set in a nameless town in California, the story chronicles a day in their lives marked by a monotonous routine devoid of meaningful interaction or emotional depth. As they navigate through mundane activities—a breakfast of indifference, a skipped lunch, and a party that fails to ignite any excitement—their experiences reflect a broader commentary on modern life's emptiness.
Characterized as shallow and lacking individuality, Bob and Babe are portrayed as modern automatons, reliant on external distractions like television and consumer goods. The absence of conflict, both internal and external, emphasizes their emotional detachment and the hollowness of their existence. Strand’s narrative serves as a mirror, prompting readers to contemplate the void in their own lives amidst the banalities of daily routines. The work critiques the often superficial nature of contemporary life, highlighting a collective struggle with boredom and a longing for deeper meaning. This brief yet impactful story invites readers to consider the implications of such a lifestyle and its resonance in their own experiences.
On this Page
Mr. and Mrs. Baby by Mark Strand
First published: 1979
Type of plot: Parody
Time of work: 1979
Locale: California
Principal Characters:
Bob Baby , a man who lives a shallow lifeBabe Baby , his wife
The Story
The story presents a day in the life of Bob Baby and his wife, Babe, characterless characters leading entirely shallow lives somewhere in that nebulous place of modern existence: California. They get up, eat breakfast, wade through the blasé morning, skip lunch, cry, try to talk, go to what is supposed to be a party, then go back to sleep. This routine is how Bob and Babe spend their days and live their lives.
There is no conflict, external or internal, in the story. The two characters have been bought with bread and circuses in the sundry forms these things take in today's world: television, appliances, entertainment, and other diversions. Mr. and Mrs. Baby inhabit a world in which thought is unnecessary; like babies, they depend entirely on something larger than themselves to take care of them. They are helplessly and haplessly devoid of both pain and pleasure; they seek only to perpetuate their own existences through the boredom of routine.
The setting is California, appropriately a nameless town there, where the future happens first. Even the physical descriptions of Bob and Babe Baby lack any depth: Each of them is compared to some twenty movie stars—that is, to the personages these actors and actresses portray, and betray as humans—so as to reveal that they are completely lacking in any unique characteristics. In the shadow of Hollywood, they are as movie characters leading pointless lives.
Although there is little here that can be labeled as plot, action, characterization, or setting, there is movement in the work as readers slowly become aware of the pain of existence, not so much of Bob and Babe Baby, but in their own lives. Strand takes the couple through a day, showing them getting up in the morning, following their activities around the clock, then tucks them in at night. The story is one of a void in the life of human automatons.