Petrified Man by Eudora Welty
"Petrified Man" is a short story by Eudora Welty that explores themes of gossip, societal judgment, and the complexities of human relationships through the lens of a beauty parlor setting. The narrative begins with a conversation between Leota, a beauty operator, and her customer, Mrs. Fletcher, touching on various subjects including pregnancy rumors and the peculiarities of their social circle. As the dialogue unfolds, the character of Mrs. Pike emerges, revealing her influence in spreading gossip and her connection to a traveling freak show.
The story takes a twist when it is revealed that a "petrified man," who is actually a wanted criminal, becomes central to the plot. Mr. and Mrs. Pike's decision to turn in this man, who has past connections with them, raises questions about morality, loyalty, and the nature of community. The story concludes with a humorous yet poignant moment as Billy Boy, Mrs. Pike's son, challenges the adults' values with a dismissive remark, encapsulating the story's exploration of adult hypocrisy and the innocent perspective of youth. Overall, "Petrified Man" delves into the intricacies of human behavior within a small-town context, making it a compelling read for those interested in character-driven narratives and social commentary.
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Petrified Man by Eudora Welty
First published: 1939
Type of plot: Realism
Time of work: The late 1930's
Locale: A small southern town
Principal Characters:
Leota , a hairdresserFred , her husbandMrs. Fletcher , her customerMr. and Mrs. Pike , a couple who rent a room from Leota and FredMr. Petrie , the petrified man at the local freak showBilly Boy , the Pikes' son
The Story
The story opens abruptly in a beauty parlor with the animated conversation between Leota and her shampoo-and-set customer, Mrs. Fletcher. Amid a number of unrelated subjects, Leota mentions a Mrs. Pike in passing, piquing Mrs. Fletcher's curiosity. The Pikes, Leota explains, are a couple renting a room from her and her husband, Fred. The conversation wanders from topic to topic, until Leota blurts out that someone has seen Mrs. Fletcher on the street and discerned that she is pregnant. This galls Mrs. Fletcher, and she demands to know who reported this so she can plot her social revenge. Their conversation is then interrupted by a child's voice, who asks, "Why? What're you gonna do to her?"
The voice belongs to Billy Boy, Mrs. Pike's precocious son, who stays with Leota in the beauty parlor because he has been asked to leave the millinery store where his mother works. Leota finally reveals that it was the mysterious Mrs. Pike who identified Mrs. Fletcher's condition and launches into a series of non sequiturs about Mrs. Pike's good qualities. In the midst of her monologue, Leota mentions that she and Mrs. Pike attended the traveling freak show that came to town.
Among the freaks they encountered were a set of Siamese twins in a bottle, a tribe of Pygmies, and the petrified man, who digests his food and "before you can say 'Jack Robinson,' it's stone—pure stone." As the conversation reaches its end, Leota reports their visit to a fortune-teller, Lady Evangeline, who proclaimed that Mr. Pike was faithful to Mrs. Pike and predicted that he would soon come into money. The scene ends with Mrs. Fletcher's disparaging remark about Mrs. Pike's looks.
A week later, Mrs. Fletcher returns for her appointment and Leota begins another gossipy conversation that winds its way through such topics as Mrs. Fletcher's shape, a Mrs. Montjoy's prematurely gray husband, and, finally, back to Mrs. Pike. "Well! How's Mrs. Pike . . . who spreads it around town that perfect strangers are pregnant?" Mrs. Fletcher demands. Leota is clearly perturbed by the topic and gradually reveals the happenings of the previous week.
Mr. and Mrs. Pike, it seems, had read one of Leota's police magazines and recognized an old acquaintance, a Mr. Petrie, as a man wanted for the rape of four women in California. Mr. Petrie turned out to be the petrified man at the freak show, worth a five-hundred-dollar reward. Leota reports that Mr. Pike at first wanted to let Mr. Petrie go, because he had once lent Mr. Pike money, but Mrs. Pike put her foot down and insisted that they turn him in to the police. Leota is distraught that she herself was not lucky enough to identify the wanted man, claiming that "that ole petrified man sure did leave me with a funny feelin'."
The story ends with Leota taking out her frustrations on the Pikes' Billy Boy, spanking him for his impolite manner. Billy Boy has the last word, stomping through the group of "wild-haired ladies," shouting, "If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?"
Bibliography
Champion, Laurie. The Critical Response to Eudora Welty's Fiction. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994.
Gygax, Franziska. Serious Daring from Within: Female Narrative Strategies in Eudora Welty's Novels. New York: Greenwood Press, 1990.
Gretlund, Jan Nordby. Eudora Welty's Aesthetics of Place. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1994.
Gretlund, Jan Nordby, and Karl-Heinz Westarp, eds. The Late Novels of Eudora Welty. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1998.
Johnston, Carol Ann. Eudora Welty: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne, 1997.
Kreyling, Michael. Understanding Eudora Welty. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999.
McHaney, Pearl Amelia, ed. Eudora Welty: Writers' Reflections upon First Reading Welty. Athens, Ga.: Hill Street Press, 1999.
Montgomery, Marion. Eudora Welty and Walker Percy: The Concept of Home in Their Lives and Literature. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004.
Waldron, Ann. Eudora: A Writer's Life. New York: Doubleday, 1998.
Weston, Ruth D. Gothic Traditions and Narrative Techniques in the Fiction of Eudora Welty. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1994.