Mrs Tall is heavily described than Mr Short. The views emphasize the ‘marked contrast’ between them, ‘BUT’ are inseparable.’ The conjunction ‘but’ used in the quotation emphasizes the love and the strong bond between Mr Short and Mrs Tall. There is a large use of visual imagery of the couples as the neighbours judge the couple by their looks. Mrs Tall and Mr Short are compared to ‘a tall, thin empty wine bottle’ on the table, put next to a ‘squat tin of pork.’ This image is used as a piece of entertainment for the neighbours.
Not only do the people of Unity Mansions judge Mr Short and Mrs Tall, the institute also accuses Mr Short of selling the manuscript. It is quoted that Unity Mansion was like a ‘microcosm if the country.’ This event allows the audience to sympathize with the couple, of how they are treated and described.
The author opens a sense of irony in the story as he introduces the ‘Unity’ Mansion. It is quite ironic that a judgemental, prejudice group of people are living in a communised place called Unity Mansions. The words unity and communism both mean united, but this is not what people in ‘Unity Mansions’ understand.
The jealousy of Tailor’s wife also implicates her power. Her attitude towards the couple is NASTY, which allows the readers to sympathize with them. The neighbours find humour out of the couple when Mrs Tall holds the umbrella if it rains. They also find it humorous when it is ‘simpler’ for Mr short to pick it up if something had dropped. Readers understand the logic of this ‘simple’ image and THINK of it as endearing, but the neighbours find this image comical and begin to ‘gesticulate’. This shows the stupidity of the people.
This reaction made people, mainly Tailor’s wife to become more curious over the couple. Tailor’s wife ‘liked to ferret out their secrets.’ This appropriate metaphor implicates that she ‘digs’ for information. Tailors’ wife description of being someone who ‘brimmed over with energy’ shows that Tailor’s wife is very powerful.
Tailor’s wife also jumps to conclusion about the couples, when the ‘accidentally’ drop a plate. This reaction MAKES the readers to build a negative thought of Tailor’s wife.
Judgement is not only involved in this story. Power and status is also taken to great demands. Tailor’s wife’s believes accuses Mrs Tall of being a ‘money grabber.’ This shows the jealousy of Tailor’s wife. She does not want anyone to be in a higher ‘status ’ than her. Tailor’s wife’s jealousy persuades her to accuse Mrs Tall and Tailor’s wife intends to make Mrs Tall a ‘laughing stock.’
When Tailor’s wife is chosen to become the ‘Chairman of The Neighbours Committee,’ it shows that she has an ‘important’ title. This implicates that she had ‘become powerful.’ This pose, gave the idea to Tailor’s wife that she had the ‘power’ to question and accuse Mrs Tall of marrying Mr Short because he was wealthy. The description of Tailor’s Wife’s physical appearance of her ‘broad shoulders’ and her ‘large’ size also added a visual image of Tailor’s wife to the readers mind. It MAKES the reader to think that she was ‘big,’ ‘important’ and ‘powerful.’ When the government ‘strip’ Mr Short and Mrs Tall house, it also implicates that the
Government has the ‘power’ to take things away from people whenever they wanted to.
Children also began to learn and pick up the attitudes of their parents, and would ‘burst out laughing’ and ‘splutter with laughter.’ The children react in the same way as the neighbours. This shows the way the couples are persecuted. Tailor’s wife’s persecution is taken upon them when Mrs Tall is questioned and accused of being a ‘money grabber’ as mentioned before.
The couple are being persecuted all the time, as Tailor’s wife ‘spies’ on them. The way the couple are being treated allows the readers to feel sympathetic towards the couple. The job of spying shows Tailor’s wife’s eagerness to find out the truth about the couple and ‘gossip.’
The accusations and persecution made towards the couple makes them to become isolated in their own community, because they are different to others. The couple are unable to walk outside freely without being pointed at laughed at.
As a consequence of the imprisonment and separation of the couple, lead to Mrs Tall’s stroke. This sudden event changed the neighbour’s point of view towards the couple and began to feel sorry for hem. But Tailor’s wife offering to Mr Short of marrying her niece was NASTY/HORIBLE and makes the reader to sympathize for the ‘separated’ couple. The story implicates that if you are against of those who have no power are imprisoned. But if you are against those of power, you are isolated.
