The Old Wives' Tale

Signs are one of the most common symbols of change in The Old Wives’ Tale, particularly the signs (or lack thereof) that hang outside the Baines family business. In Book 1, no sign hangs outside the draper’s shop because John Baines decided not to replace the old signboard when a storm blew it down. The community took this as a mark of humility that raised the estimation of his virtue, so it became a prized mark of the Baines family culture not to have a sign on their shop.

This changes when Mrs. Baines resigns and the shop passes into Samuel and Constance’s hands. Samuel’s decides to hang a sign outside the shop, a decision that troubles Constance, who still values the virtue of her Baines family traditions. The sign represents a major turning point in Constance’s life, from youth to adulthood.

The sign changes again after Samuel’s death, when the business is sold to Mr. Critchlow, signifying yet another major change in Constance’s life. The sign changes for a final time in Book 4, when the building is sold to a premade clothing company just before Constance’s death, symbolizing another change in Constance’s life, in the story of the building and its businesses, and in the nature of Bursley itself.