This short story depicts Francis’s disturbed mind well. Since he met Ann Murchison, his mind is always occupied with the girl, day and night. His dream and subconscious raises much havoc, such as: rude words toward Mrs. Wrightson ; his severe criticism about Clayton; the quarrel with his wife; and the final consultation with a psychiatrist.
Too many incidents happen in the story to digest: the plane emergency landing, the noisy and quarrelsome children of his, falling in love with Ann, quarrel with his wife, lust desire over Ann, a surprise to know Clyaton’s fiancé, and the consultation.
I would rather prefer a story in which a merer incident develops until the reader experience some kind of revelation or the twist, however, “The Country Husband” does not stick to an incident. It just lays out unique incidents in chronological order. I did not get any deep impression or pleasure out of the story.
I don’t know why Cheever added the epilogue. Without it, would the story stop too abruptly? Without it, the story would give a strong impression on the part of the reader. Probably Cheever wanted to softland the story as the outset plane landed.
Some excellent expressions:
1. the girl entered his mind, moving with perfect freedom through its shut doors and filling chamber after chamber with her light, her perfume, and the music of her voice.
2. The sky shone like enamel. Even the smell of ink from his morning paper honed his appetite for life, and the world that was spread out around him was plainly a paradise.
3. How happy this clandestine purchase made him, how stuffy and comical the jeweler’s clerks seemed, how sweet the woman who passed at his back smelled!
4. he laughed uproariously at dull jokes. . . The bracelet was in his pocket.
5. Francis was tired from the day’s work and tired with longing.
6. his arms spread over the steering wheel and his head buried in them for love.
7. the abyss between his fantasy and the practical world opened so wide that he felt it affect the muscles of his heart.
