Obsession - “The Way Up To Heaven”
Dahl writes, “It was really extraordinary how in certain people a simple apprehension about a thing like catching a train can grow into a serious obsession. At least half an hour before it was time to leave the house for the station, Mrs. Foster would step out of the elevator all ready to go, with hat and coat and gloves, and then, being quite unable to sit down, she would flutter and fidget about from room to room ” Mrs. Foster’s obsession with timeliness is characterized by her fidgeting. She yearns to arrive in time always. Delays make her restless and panicky for she is obsessed with meeting deadlines. Therefore, being jumpy and apprehensive are components of Mrs. Foster’s nature.
Marriage - “The Way Up To Heaven”
Dahl writes, “Assuming (though one cannot be sure) that the husband was guilty, what made his attitude doubly unreasonable was the fact that, with the exception of this one small irrepressible foible, Mrs. Foster was and always had been a good and loving wife. For over thirty years, she had served him loyally and well…although she had for years refused to let herself believe that Mr. Foster would ever consciously torment her, there had been times recently when she had caught herself beginning to wonder.” Although their marriage is impressive, Mrs. Foster suspects that her husband could deliberately delay so as to upset her. Her suspicions affirm that matrimonies are not faultless. Perhaps, Mr. Foster is annoyed by her anxiety when it comes to deadlines; hence, he engages in acts to annoy her further. Mrs. Foster adores her husband unconditionally that she is in denial about his intentional nerve-racking acts.
The Room - “The Landlady”
Dahl expounds, "The room itself, so far as he could see in the half-darkness, was filled with pleasant furniture. There was a baby-grand piano and a big sofa and several plump armchairs; and in one corner he spotted a large parrot in a cage. Animals were usually a good sign in a place like this, Billy told himself; and all in all, it looked to him as though it would be a pretty decent house to stay in. Certainly it would be more comfortable than The Bell and Dragon." The room is equipped in a way that would appeal to potential boarders. The furniture and the life-like animals denote comfort. Its manifest decency implies that Billy will relax while in the house. If the room were unfurnished, Billy would not be drawn into it.
