Describe the narrator's second visit to mrs dorling's house
Answers
After the war when the life returned to normalcy, she returned back to her native city. She knew her mother’s belongings were with Mrs. Dorling. She went to the address, 46 Marconi street where she lived. However, when the narrator knocked on the door, she was responded very coldly. Mrs. Dorling was reluctant to recognize her; but when the narrator had the confirmation she had come to the right address, Mrs. Dorling flatly refused to entertain her. She asked her to come later.
Hurt and anguished, she went back. After some days she again called on Mrs. Dorling; fortunately, she was not at home; her daughter received her and asked her to come inside the house. The narrator was shocked to see the rooms full of things belonging to her mother. The Hanukkah, table-cloth, antique plates, cutlery, crockery, etc. brought back old memories of her mother.
She remembered the days before the war; once she had come to stay at home from school; at that time her mother had confided to her that Mrs. Dorling was taking the valuable household things to keep them safely in case they had to run away during the war. It was at that time narrator’s mother had given her the address of Mrs. Dorling so that she could collect the things from her.
Sitting inside Mrs. Dorling’s house she suddenly made up her mind to forget the things belonging to her mother. She thought her mother’s things had no significance for her as the mother had died during the war. Finally she decided to leave her mother’s things and forget them forever.
Answer:
Ans. The narrator’s first visit to Mrs. Dorling’s house was in vain. She decided to try a second time. This time a girl of about fifteen opened the door to her. Her mother was not at home. The narrator said that she would wait for her. Following the girl along the passage, the narrator saw their old-fashioned iron candle-holder hanging next to a mirror. The girl made her sit in the living room and went inside. The narrator was horrified to find herself in a room she knew and did not know. She found herself in the midst of familiar things which she longed to see again but which oppressed her in the strange atmosphere. She dared not look around her. The woollen table-cloth, the cups, the white tea-pot, the spoons, the pewter plate, everything was full of memories of her former life. Suddenly the objects linked with her former life lost their value. In strange surroundings, they too appeared strange to her. She no longer had desire to possess them. She got up, walked to the door, and came out of the house.