Four levels of The Tiny Closet

Published by: Dikshya

Published date: 04 Jul 2023

 

Four levels of The Tiny Closet

Literal Comprehension:

Short drama "The Tiny Closet" was written by William Inge (1913–1973). The ideal roommate for Mrs. Crosby, the landlady, is Mr. Newbold. He's far too organized and tidy. When Mr. Newbold is alone in his room, he worries that someone is disturbing him by monkeying in the door and prying into his personal affairs. He asked his landlady not to allow anyone into his room until he got back from the market when he was on his way to the market. The real drama has started right now. The landlady is overly curious to find out what is in his room and why he won't allow anybody else to enter. She calls her friend, Mrs. Hergesheimer. as she carries Elsie up the stairs.

Once inside his room, they leave. Gorgeous hats worn by women were present. She wondered, "Is he a spy, a lunatic, or a criminal?" after seeing him. Mrs. Elsie was too curious to wait to find out what was happening in his chamber after this. Elsie then told Mr. Newold what they were doing when he returned. They were scared when they learned that he is trying to conceal from them. He enters his room a little while later and, upon noticing how unbalanced it is, he immediately begins to cry. Then, after becoming indignant and courageous, he believes she committed the crime. When she was in the kitchen, he made the decision to kill her there with a hatpin. This brings an end to the drama.

Interpretation:

The author of this play aims to depict the frailties, curiosities, and jealousies that characterize human nature. The author particularly highlights women's natural curiosity about other people's private lives and their envious tendency when discussing others' private lives. Additionally, the author warned against becoming overly curious about other people's lives. And he added that we should lead formal lives or follow a common, typical, and natural way of life.

Critical Thinking:

The text is good, but after reading, I have some questions about the following statements:

-Is Mrs. Crosby's excessive curiosity regarding Mr. Newbold appropriate?
-Could Mr. Newbold possibly be too tidy and spotless all the time?
-By solely creating hats for women, how can we assert that Mr. Newbold is a spy and a criminal?
-How can we think that Mr. Newbold will be able to murder Mrs. Crosby while using the hatpin as support?

Assimilation:

I was too interested in learning about other people's private lives before reading "The Tiny Closet" and I often felt envious of others. But after reading this text, I realized how useless it is to be too nosy and envious of other people's lives. It can be risky or damaging at times for us. I have therefore resolved to refrain from meddling in the lives of others and from becoming overly concerned about their private affairs.