The most important theme of this short story is that of unconditional love. At first, it appears that Mrs. Higgins is a clever woman who is able to use her wiles to extricate Alfred from his trouble at work. Later, though, it is revealed that Alfred has often created problems, and his mother still comes to his rescue, bringing the concept of unconditional, motherly love into play.
Alfred's age is unclear, but the perception is that he is old enough to be living on his own. His inability to maintain a job prevents him from doing so, though. As a result, he must continue to live at home extending Mrs. Higgins' emotional burden so that she is past the point of emotional collapse. This validates even further the love that Mrs. Higgins has for Alfred in.....
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