A Mother In Mannville

The story opens in media res, Latin for “in the midst of things.” The narrator begins with a description of the isolated location and the conditions boys in the orphanage endure. Slipping into dialogue, the narrator then shares details of the lives of the orphans by recounting a conversation with Jerry. It isn’t until the second page that the narrator explains how she has met Jerry. This method of storytelling, common to short stories, quickly draws readers into the world the author creates.

Rawlings’s descriptions of the orphanage, cabin, and Jerry are lyrical, creating a sense of beauty and harmony that mirrors the initial relationship between the narrator and Jerry. He provides excellent service to her, and she eases his implied loneliness. This symbiotic arrangement deepens as Jerry bonds with her pointer dog and again helps her by caring for him when she must leave for a weekend. The narrator’s attempts to reciprocate are awkward at first—she initially offers him money and candy, when what he seems to value is her company—but she eventually invites him into her cabin, providing him with a sense of belonging and family structure.

However, the narrator is not an archetypal mother figure—nurturing, responsive, and self-sacrificing.