Chapters 3 and 4 Summary

These two brief chapters chronicle the early days of the marriage of Mary and Dick.

Chapter 3

This brief chapter describes Mary's first experiences of Dick's farm. Arriving at night, she's somewhat frightened by the endless sky, the rows of squat, the shadowy trees, and the strange sounds of night animals. She becomes even more uncomfortable when she goes into the house and sees how crudely made and furnished it is, becoming more and more upset as she listens to Dick, unaware of her discomfort, speak proudly of how he built everything himself (see "Quotes, p. 56). She interrupts his stories with an abrupt insistence that they go into the bedroom, where she sees the large, impressive new bed he's bought and realizes that the time has come for them to consummate their marriage. Dick goes out of the room to undress so...