Stories Through Letters: A One-sided Conversation

Stories Through Letters: A One-sided Conversation

            It is difficult enough to develop characters and a plot through dialogue and visual action, but difficulty in writing reaches new heights when it is presented through a series of letters. In Elizabeth Jolley’s “Wednesdays and Fridays,” two characters are slowly unveiled by a number of letters written over a ten week period. The reader is left pondering over the cryptic relationship between the “loving landlady” Mabel Doris Morgan (Jolley 102) and Mr. Morgan, until a few changes in tone and words expose the odd mother-son relationship: “Your loving mother, Mabel Doris Morgan” (103).

            The short story begins with a flat letter written by a landlady to what can only appear as a freeloading tenant: “you have not paid me board for last week” (98). As the weeks of unpaid rent and bizarre antics pile on, “I am afraid I shall have to ask you to move the outboard motor again…” (99), the landlady’s professional persona begins to deteriorate and her nagging yet loving personality begins to show: “You know not knowing her name makes me feel like I haven’t brought you up right” (101).

            Perhaps, what is most difficult but interesting about unfolding a store via written letters is the partiality of it all. The reader is only exposed to one side of the story, that being the mother’s letters, and not the other. From an author’s standpoint, this may prove to be a challenge because they must envision or at least have an idea of what the other person would say, in this case, the son; nevertheless, as a reader, it creates a unique experience where one must puzzle the respones together to make sense of the literary work. Overall, it takes intense thought into creating this puzzle and allowing all the pieces to be brought together with context clues and tone, and the reader enjoys mapping out the conversation, albeit its one-sidedness.