The title, The Casting Away of Mrs. Leeks and Mrs. Aleshine, is an ironic comment on the plot of the novel. The two widows are indeed casting off on a pleasure journey after a lifetime of hard work, but they certainly do not cast away their essential natures.

For this cruise to exotic Japan, Mrs. Leeks and Mrs. Aleshine have made up their minds not to be surprised by anything. They placidly accept the wonders of their journey and, when shipwrecked, react as though this were simply an unusual part of the cruise. No matter what happens, they are only momentarily at a loss. For example, when their lifeboat proves unseaworthy, chubby "Barb'ry" Aleshine, who cannot swim and who rides absurdly high in the water thanks to her size and life jacket, seizes a floating oar. With great aplomb, she wields it as though...