The Rubber Syringe
April heard from a friend in drama school that a rubber syringe can be used to induce a miscarriage. Twice, April plans to use the syringe to end her pregnancy. For April, the syringe is…
read analysis of The Rubber Syringe
Howard’s Hearing Aid
Howard often turns his hearing aid off to avoid listening to his wife Helen talk. Although this can seem like a callous gesture, the novel suggests that it is emblematic of the kind of self-protection…
read analysis of Howard’s Hearing Aid
Sedum Plant
Helen takes great pride and pleasure in undertaking home improvement projects, which solidify her feeling of superiority to those in her suburban community who come from lower class backgrounds. When she brings Frank and April…
read analysis of Sedum Plant
Stone Path
Frank is building a stone path in the yard, but for very different reasons than Helen undertakes her home improvement projects (see the sedum plant). For Frank, the hard labor of digging up stones…
read analysis of Stone Path
