Literal Comprehension
Mr. Newbold, a roomer in a mid western city in the USA, calls his land lady Mrs. Crosby. He asked her not to let anyone open his room because as long as he lives there it is his own room.
Mrs. Crosby consoles him and he goes out. Then she calls-up her friend and both of them enter his room out of curiosity. Mr. Newbold also came in, but hides himself when the ladies came down stairs. Earlier the land lady supposed that he might be a spy or a criminal or a lunatic or a communist. But now she has seen many beautiful hats in his room.
She holding a women’s large and graceful hat in her hand, then she find her hat- making roomer quite unusual. His cleanness has also surprised her. After this event she can not tolerate him and plane to send him out of her house. Mr. Newbold weeps at his helplessness, when the lady goes in to her kitchen later he recovers and takes a great hatpin in his hand and calls her with the intention of killing her.
Interpretation
This play might be trying to tell us that we should try to live a normal life. Mr. Newbold, being a man, was unusually neat and clean and he would not allow any one to go into his room. So the landlady was suspicious of him and went into his room secretly with her friend. As result she was victimized. It may also be interpreted to mean that jealousy and over curiosity are harmful.
Critical Thinking
This play has beautifully presented how curiosity leads to destruction. But are all the land ladies are as curious as Mrs. Crosby and break into the tenant’s room? Are men as coward as Mr. Newbold? Do they weep when they are helpless? Can such a coward produce any harmful things to the landlady?
Assimilation
When I read this play I came to know many things about human nature. It is human weakness to have a desire to eat the forbidden apple. When the secrecy is disclosed, it makes people more terrible. Human beings are never satisfied with their present situation. The more they know, the more they are upset.