Essay Questions

What is the meaning of "A Story for Children?"

"A Story for Children," is a story about a housewife and mother who is entirely devoted to her children, sacrificing her own needs in order to make her family happy. In an attempt to appease her family, the mother sacrifices her brain and heart for educational purposes, which represents the sacrifices a mother is expected to make for her children. Overall, this story is a metaphor for the sacrifices a mother makes for her children, and how she is expected to put their needs above her own.

Why is the protagonist nameless in "The Lodger?"

The namelessness of the protagonist is a deliberate statement by Svava, commenting on the lack of power she has in this story. Although someone infiltrates her home, she is powerless to stop them. When her husband comes home from work and doesn't react to the intruder, she cannot convince him to act either. In response to this, she has to allow the man to stay and doesn't have any control over her own home.

What is the mother's first thought when she thinks she only has a short time to live?

In "A Story for Children", the mother believes that she does not have much time to live. We are told that the first thought she had when she thought this was "What will become of them if I die?"

This is significant, as it is another way Svava shows us that the mother completely sacrifices her own interests for her children. Even when considering her own death, she thinks of her children first.