Evan S. Connell
First published in 1959, Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell is set in Kansas City in the 1930s. The central figure is India Bridge, an upper middle-class suburban housewife. Her character is revealed in a series of short vignettes, episodes, and conversations, some of which are laugh- out-loud funny. The effect is cumulative, with layer upon layer gradually piling up until a full picture emerges of Mrs. Bridge.
Married to a successful, workaholic lawyer, Mrs. Bridge is happiest when her three children are young and need her attention. When her children get older and no longer demand or want her attention, Mrs. Bridge is plagued with doubts about her self-worth. She is lonely, bored, and doesn’t know what to do with her time. She pursues various activities to occupy herself but then abandons each project. She picks up a book and leaves it unfinished. She longs to connect with her children, but they show her little respect and grudgingly converse with her. She longs to connect with her husband. He loves her but is physically and emotionally distant, stifles her thoughts and aspirations, and demonstrates his love by buying her expensive gifts she does not need or want.
The cumulative layering of vignettes and conversations unveil a poignant portrait of Mrs. Bridge. She is well-meaning and well-intentioned, but her mind is vacuous. She gets her cues on what to think and what to say from her husband. She gets her cues on etiquette, mannerisms, activities, and clothing styles from her upbringing and social circle. She is shallow, bland, and focuses on appearances. She avoids meaningful conversations, fearing she might hear something that challenges her world view. At the same time, she realizes there is something missing in her life, but she can’t—or won’t—put her finger on it. She considers seeing a therapist but abandons the idea when her husband curtly dismisses it.
Mrs. Bridge is a product of her socialization. She has internalized the patriarchal constructs that dictate the male is the head of the household and the woman’s role is to cater to his every need and subordinate herself, her aspirations, her hopes and desires, entirely to him. She is Virginia Woolf’s “Angel in the House,” reflecting her husband at twice his natural size. She engages in de-selfing by stifling any hint of independent thought and slowly suffocates herself.
Evan Connell portrays her with generosity and sympathy. One cannot help but feel compassion for a woman who flounders with trying to understand the cause of her ennui. Her socialization has thwarted her desire for self-identity. By marrying a good provider, subordinating herself to her husband, living in the right neighborhood, attending the country club, speaking in non-controversial platitudes, adhering to the rules, and behaving with decorum at all times, she has checked off all the boxes society tells her will guarantee her happiness. But she is miserable, lonely, vacuous, and she doesn’t know why.
Through his brilliant use of telling details, short vignettes, and revealing conversations, Evan Connell has indicted patriarchal socialization by poignantly portraying its impact on a sad, lonely, and bewildered Mrs. Bridge. He does it all with heart, sensitivity, and humor.
Highly recommended.