When I first read "The Laughing Man," I didn't pick up on the possibility of Mary being pregnant and losing the baby. After Michelle explained her theory on the sudden break-up between Mary and Chief in class, I started picking up on the story's little details that could be alluding to a pregnancy. You should read her blogpost about it here, and this blogpost is like a continuation of it with my theories on what really happened.
Mary and Chief are two people dating. From the picture of her in the cap and gown hanging in the Chief's bus, I would say that she's about the same age as Chief who's 22-23. She's from Long Island while he's from Staten Island, so they meet up in Manhattan as a halfway point. I think that Mary's dentist appointments are just an excuse for her to see the Chief or even hook up, so I don't believe that she's pregnant at this point. I'm not sure what being pregnant was like in the US during the 1940s, but I don't think women visited the OB/GYN that often during pregnancy.
My theory is that Mary finds out that she's pregnant a little before the day she shows up at the baseball field and the author isn't expecting to see her. I think that Mary doesn't want to be pregnant, because she seems like a bright woman with a future considering she graduated from Wellesley College which is a prestigious college and a pregnancy this early in her life would hinder her. I find the scene of her "sitting on a bench about a hundred meters to the left, sandwiched between two nursemaids with baby carriages" as ironic. The two baby carriages on either side of her parallels the way she feels trapped by her unexpected pregnancy.
Right after Salinger puts that image into our heads, there's the weird scene that follows: Chief and Mary talk and then walk over to the field. The author doesn't exactly sense that something is totally wrong so he asks Mary to play with them and to come over for dinner but her only response is "leave me alone." Chief tries to get Mary to say but then she runs away, so I feel like Chief wants to have this baby with Mary but she doesn't and that causes a split between them.
Mary and Chief are two people dating. From the picture of her in the cap and gown hanging in the Chief's bus, I would say that she's about the same age as Chief who's 22-23. She's from Long Island while he's from Staten Island, so they meet up in Manhattan as a halfway point. I think that Mary's dentist appointments are just an excuse for her to see the Chief or even hook up, so I don't believe that she's pregnant at this point. I'm not sure what being pregnant was like in the US during the 1940s, but I don't think women visited the OB/GYN that often during pregnancy.
My theory is that Mary finds out that she's pregnant a little before the day she shows up at the baseball field and the author isn't expecting to see her. I think that Mary doesn't want to be pregnant, because she seems like a bright woman with a future considering she graduated from Wellesley College which is a prestigious college and a pregnancy this early in her life would hinder her. I find the scene of her "sitting on a bench about a hundred meters to the left, sandwiched between two nursemaids with baby carriages" as ironic. The two baby carriages on either side of her parallels the way she feels trapped by her unexpected pregnancy.
Right after Salinger puts that image into our heads, there's the weird scene that follows: Chief and Mary talk and then walk over to the field. The author doesn't exactly sense that something is totally wrong so he asks Mary to play with them and to come over for dinner but her only response is "leave me alone." Chief tries to get Mary to say but then she runs away, so I feel like Chief wants to have this baby with Mary but she doesn't and that causes a split between them.
I think it's really hard to tell what exactly happens between the two of them from our limited narrator. I was suspicious of the pregnancy from all of the baby carriages being shoved in our face, but I think the pregnancy being what comes between them is a good theory. As limited as our narrator is, a younger narrator is more prone to notice physical features, such as weight gain from a prolonged pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that there does seem to be something happening between the chief and Mary Hudson related to their potential future child. Even though the laughing man serves (like we mentioned in class) as a constant throughout the book that the Comanches can rely on and look forward too, I don't think Salinger would have included it out of the blue. Most likely it is a way for the chief to keep the kids engaged and excited but to allow the reader to pick up on the chief's relationship. Especially when we take a look at the ending and it corresponding to Mary's sudden disinterest to participate, I think its safe to assume it is more than just a story for the kids.
ReplyDeleteI think your theory is really interesting: my question is why would she need an excuse to see Chief? Who is she making the excuse to? I just don't see how as an adult woman Mary would need to make an excuse to any person. Maybe the first time the Comanches pick her up, Chief could cover it by saying that Mary had a dentist appointment but after that I feel like the kids wouldn't care and would just accept her without the explanation (as we see them doing).
ReplyDeleteMy theory from the beginning has been that Mary is hiding her relationship with the chief from her parents. This would explain the constant visits to the dentist. When her family finally finds out he is hooking up with a guy that watching kids all day, they would want them to break things off which is why she is so cold in the last scene. Not that the kids would accept her but her family. She doesn't have a choice and that angers her. Still just a theory but a pregnancy is also possible.
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