THE ADDRESS

Marga Minco
SUMMARY
 Moving story of a daughter who goes in search of her
mother’s belongings after the war, in Holland.
 Narrator went to no.. 46,Marconi street to see an
old acquaintance of her mother who had taken
almost all her mother’s belongings with her
mother’s silent consent
 Mother feared that they may lose if they had to
leave the place
 She had seen Mrs Dorling for the first time during
the first half of the war
 She had noticed missing of various things and was
informed that they were moved to safety by Mrs D
and gave the address
CONTD…
 She visited the address but the woman showed no
recognition
 She half hid herself behind the door when narrator
recognized green knitted cardigan
 Surprised that narrator survived the war
 Though narrator boarded the train, she remembered
the way her mother had introduced this woman
 She visited second time and met a girl of 15 this
time who opened the door
 She waited for the girl’s mother and followed her
along the passage , noticed old –fashioned Hanukkah
candle holder hung next to the mirror
CONTD..
 Was horrified to be in midst of things she
knew and wanted to see again but oppressed
her in strange atmosphere
 Tasteless arrangement, ugly furniture and
muggy smell discouraged her to look around
 Her observation about the table woolen cloth
(finding the burnt hole)
 Further observed the white porcelein tea pot
with golden lining and praised the spoon box
 Innocent response of the girl-cutlery- spoons,
forks, knives all silver
CONCLUSION
 Narrator was perturbed- objects linked to
her mother aroused memories of her former
life
 Desired to see at first but they have lost
their value as they were stored in strange
surroundings
 Moreover useless as she lived in a small
rented room with less space
 Resolved to forget the address and wanted to
leave the memories of her mother and the
war behind her and decided to move on.
CHARACTER SKETCH OF
Narrator’s mother narrator
Naïve courageous
Concerned practical
Caring persevering
Apprehensive possessive
Polite nostalgic
Mrs. D Daughter
Opportunist innocent
Cunning/sly courteous
Self-centered
QUESTIONS
1. How did Mrs. D react when the narrator introduced
herself?
2. What two reasons did the narrator give to explain
that she was mistaken?
3. How did she conclude that she was right?
4. Who had given the address, when and what
circumstances?
5. What did she learn about the woman from her
mother?
6. When did the narrator become curious about her
mother’s possessions ?
7. ‘I was in a room I knew and did not know’ what
made her make this observation?
QUESTIONS
8.How was she able to recognize her table
cloth
9. Why did she decide to leave suddenly ?
10.How did the narrator reconcile herself to
the loss of her mother’s precious belongings?
1. How was the second visit different from the
first one? How far was she successful in her
mission?
2. comment on the significance of the title of
the story.