Mr. Ames’ Sleeping Patterns
Kay Boyle acknowledges, “Surely it seemed to him strange for a man to linger in bed, with the sun pouring yellow as wine all over the place.” A diligent man would get out of bed instead of dreaming all day. The irony of the Astronomer’s sleep habits influences his portrayal as a delusional man who would rather embrace his dreams as an alternative to facing reality.
The Resolution
Kay Boyle writes, “said the astronomer's wife in wonder as she stepped into the heart of the earth. She took his arm, knowing that what he said was true.” The astronomer’s wife changes her mind set. Earlier, she had instead that she cannot ‘go down’ as she is a woman. She believed that her husband should be the one facilitating the plumber because he is masculine. However, the resolution indicates that she has transformed her mind-set after the interaction with the plumper. Ostensibly, the wife rises above her husband’s ‘chiding finger.’
