Appearances

In "The Country Husband," Cheever shows that appearances do not necessarily reflect reality. The people of Shady Hill, including the Weeds, maintain an illusion of happiness and control. Francis endures a life-threatening experience, yet outwardly, life goes on as before. During a party hosted by a married couple named Farquarson, Francis recognizes the maid as a woman he saw in France during the war. He remembers that she was publicly humiliated for living with a German officer, yet he never considers sharing her story with any of the other guests because "[t]he people in the Farquarsons' living room seemed united in their tacit claim that there had been no past, no war—that there was no danger or trouble in the world."

Francis knows that life in Shady Hill means keeping up appearances. He doesn't like this practice but he goes along with it. He begins...