New Criticism of Maryanne Moll's short story "Home Improvement"

New Criticism of Maryanne Moll's short story "Home Improvement"

Roland Raymond A. Roldan, Lit 230 Prado,   Ateneo de Naga University

Maryanne Moll’s “Home Improvement” gives the reader the chance to ponder on how change, though inevitable and sometimes even painful, can be a chance to prove steadfastness and resilience in life. In the beginning of the story, the argument between Greg and Susan regarding the color of their bathroom seem, at first, shallow. We hear the couple arguing which color to choose: black or yellow. Black, the color of death which may represent their lost son, and yellow, the color of joy, which may represent their new unborn daughter. Greg, who prefers black, argues that yellow is too bright a color especially in the morning; while, Susan, who prefers yellow, retorts that black is pretentious. What they are actually expressing by their color choices are their feelings, whether consciously or not, for the past and present events in their lives. The woman shows full acceptance of the soon-to-be-born daughter and the joy that this baby will bring; while the man shows his loving and grieving remembrance of the son they had lost.

The couple continues to argue about the bathroom color; and the disagreement develops into one about sarcasm, italics, and the timing of the renovation. Susan tells Greg that he is being sarcastic, no doubt, as a continuation of her previous comment of black being pretentious. She goes on to say that she can “hear the italics” in his statements when he says that they need not pretend to each other for they were the only ones who would be using the bathroom. The repetition of the word “italics” in the dialogue represents the misunderstanding of the couple. Just as foreign words are written in italics which means more effort must be made to know and understand it; the two characters must give more effort in order to understand each other. Otherwise, their home, instead of improving, may be irreparably damaged.

The story continues as the next paragraph begins with Greg standing up to turn on the only working pin light. This corner pin light illuminates their bedroom and the sparse furniture within. Greg’s movement may mean his initiative to change position with regard to both the room and his opinion of the house renovations as well as the events in their lives. The pin light he turned on can represent a sliver of commonality between the two. This common ground is apparent as the story continues with the narrator describing the two’s agreement to “get rid of everything and start with a brand new style.”

The story then describes the interior of the house and puts us right in the middle of its transformation. The changing “home” represents a family changing, and according to the title, “improving.” The narrator describes the house as being full of “new furniture inside crates and cardboard boxes or enshrouded in plastic or bubble wrap, waiting for the designer to take over.” These new things all bear a similarity with the unborn baby; that is, something new that has already arrived but is waiting in its own time to be actualized through the efforts of a designer or a doctor.

Finally, the moment of revelation begins with Greg sharing his innermost feelings about the renovation with his wife. First, he parts the curtain and looks out the window, actions that symbolize his wanting to open up. Then, he speaks of the house being linked to a person close to him as he says “Maybe we don’t want this house to change completely. Maybe we don’t want to start again, because if we do, then we might lose him.” To him, changing the old house completely is tantamount to losing a person he loves.

His wife responds by moving toward Greg, holding his hand, and looking out the same window. Susan’s actions represent her feeling of wanting to understand Greg and share his point of view. Here the exterior of the house, the yard, as seen by the two through the window, is described. In contrast to the interior characterized by full boxes and crates, the exterior had “green slates stacked ten by ten…and large empty clay pots lined up.” The stacks of green slates may represent Greg’s burdensome feelings of grief stacked upon him; and the large empty clay pots could mean the large emptiness he feels inside brought about by the loss of a loved one. These objects in the yard can also be describing something deeper and more specific, such as the circumstances surrounding the death of his son. Slates and pots may be representative of cars lining up and being stacked such as in cases of road traffic and car pile-up accidents. Continuing the story, the narrator also mentions that gardeners and landscapes artists have been working on the backyard for weeks, yet it is left undone. This is very similar to Greg’s lengthy time of working on letting go of the grief for his son.

The story continues with the dialogue that reveals the identity of lost loved one. The son is described as wearing “his favorite shirt, the blue one with Stitch on it.” In this line, we see another color, blue which we can assume to be the son’s favorite color. Stitch, who is a Disney cartoon character is also blue. At this remembrance, the man begins to blame himself for the loss which is now obvious to be the son’s death as seen in the line “I should be the one who’s dead now.” His grief is apparent as he wished that he had broken all his bones instead during the accident instead of breaking just one but losing his son. His wife comforts him and reminds him that she almost lost him after the accident. The term losing here means not by death but by marital separation. The two agree that they both almost lost each other, and Susan quickly reminds Greg that they will never lose him referring to their son. This means that although he is physically lost, they will never forget him.

Their remembering and pondering are interrupted by the physical pain of the woman caused by leg cramps which Greg is quick to massage. The narrator then describes the woman’s body to reveal that she is five months pregnant. The narrative changes poignantly as we read “his hands, strong and sure…caressed the five-month-old swelling…something kicked inside.” It is during this light-hearted moment that the existence of the baby is revealed. As the baby inside Susan’s womb wakes up, the audience also wakes up to the realization of the two’s actual circumstances; that is, that the couple is going through many changes both painful and joyous. This contrasting mix of emotions is expertly made by the author; and the audience is made to feel it as well. It is in this relaxed and light-hearted moment that the two decide what color the bathroom would be -- blue, their son’s favorite color. Blue is representative of their memory and love for their lost son, tucked away in the most private part of their home and their hearts.

           

In conclusion, the author’s final words serve the theme of being steadfast and resilient in times of change: despite the uncertainties in life as seen in the repetition of the words “I bet,” Greg and Susan’s inner state as they “snuggled close together…and anxiously guarded each other’s heartbeats” are reassuring, a silent agreement that they will be together, this time with a daughter to keep their union strong and true.