The Country Husband

The story employs limited third-person narration, grounding readers firmly in Francis’s perspective. Its descriptions of the neighborhood and its events are thus tinged with his point of view. Choose a line from the story that exemplifies this type of narration and discuss what it reveals about Francis’s mindset and the story’s themes. Is this perspective one and the same with the author’s? Why or why not?

Consider the female characters within the story, most notably Julia and Anne. Is Cheever able to reveal their perspectives despite the inherent limitations of the close third narrative style? If so, where in the text do their inner selves come through? How?

Consider the image of the unclothed woman passing on the train. Do you think she actually exists? How does she function in the story, and what does she reveal about its themes of gender, repression, and desire?

Compare and contrast Francis with Clayton Thomas. What do their similarities and differences suggest about the different generations they represent?

After Francis strikes Julia, she packs up to leave him only to abruptly change her mind. What does this suggest about the Weeds’ relationship and societal expectations of the era?

Recall the ending image of young Toby jumping off his bed while wearing his spacesuit, hoping to fly but instead crashing to the floor. What is the significance of this sequence, and how does it mirror other events and motifs of the story?

In the final paragraph, Francis and Julia have reconciled, and the narrator states plainly that “Francis is happy” (48). Does the story endorse this interpretation? If so, does it suggest Francis will be happy for a sustained period of time? What clues from the story support your interpretation?

The last line is tonally and stylistically quite different from the rest of the story, conjuring up a fantastical world of “kings in golden suits” far away from Shady Hill (48). What do you think Cheever is trying to evoke with this last line?