A Sorrowful Woman

The conflation of wife, mother, and woman becomes unbearable to the titular sorrowful woman. Initially, she cannot perform the nightly routine of putting her child to bed and reading him a story. When her husband takes over these tasks, she provides instructions for him to follow. She requests, “If you could put the boy to bed and read him the story about the monkey who ate too many bananas, I would be grateful” (259). Just before passing out from her sedative, she manages to utter, “Thank you and could you get him a clean pair of pajamas out of the laundry, it came back today” (250). The specifics of these tasks, recounted in a rambling tone, reveal the numerous jobs she juggles and connote the tedium of her routine. Keeping track of different bedtime stories, laundry schedules, and the daily minutiae of running the home delimit her existence. Later in the story, these details still preoccupy her as she notices that the man “bought a different brand of butter” (254) and new dishcloths. She observes, “Had the old ones worn out? The cannisters seemed closer to the sink” (254). The “worn out” dishtowels reference her own tired state, and her keen awareness of the changes reveals how closely her identity ties to the kitchen.