Mrs. Wiggins

On Monday, Maggie finds Mrs. Dowler’s home full of her relatives. Her son meets her at the door and prevents Maggie from seeing Mrs. Dowler. The next day, the son informs Maggie that he will be taking his mother back to Atlanta with him. She has had a breakdown after Oswald’s death, and her son intends to take care of her. Maggie is out of a job.

Hubert is concerned about the family’s financial situation, as business at the funeral home has slowed recently. Maggie is cheered up when Claude and Maybelle get married, and she enjoys the reception immensely. Jessie confides that Orville’s abuse is increasing. She says if she could kill Orville and get away with it, she would. When Orville attacks and tries to choke Jessie, Maggie decides if she kills Orville, it will free Jessie and give Hubert’s funeral home more business. She makes gumbo to take to Jessie’s house and reserves a special bowl for Orville.

Jessie reports that Orville died from heart failure. Maggie hopes that Jessie won’t get sentimental and make her feel bad for putting arsenic in Orville’s soup. Orville’s funeral means money for the funeral home, and many people at the funeral express relief that he’s gone, while his girlfriend and sisters display grief. In his radio broadcast, President Roosevelt says things will get better soon. Maggie thinks, “Well, it probably would for the white folks. But like it had always been, we still had to fend for ourselves the best way we could” (248).

Maggie has been searching for work for two months, with no success; available jobs give preference to white women. Hubert fears, if they have to move in with his parents, Ma and Pa Wiggins will find out he has a boyfriend. Maggie is shocked when Mason Burris, her neighbor, throws a rock at her. His wife visits to apologize and confesses that Mason is becoming more violent in his behavior, and she can no longer control him. She reveals that Mason “didn’t start acting crazy until the Klan lynched our firstborn son” (255). It isn’t acceptable for her to put him in a care facility, but Mrs. Burris doesn’t know what else to do. When Mason points his shotgun at her that evening, Maggie is terrified. She has second thoughts about attending his birthday party that weekend.

Maggie gets offered a new job and says she can start right after the funeral of her neighbor, Mason Burris. She describes how he became violently ill at his birthday celebration, went to bed, and died. Maggie suspects that many of his death relieves many of his relatives, as were his neighbors. She knows the police won’t be called. They might take an interest in murder but have proven unresponsive to crimes against Black men and women like lynching or rape of a Black woman by a white man. Most of the white men in power in Lexington are members of the Ku Klux Klan. As Maggie reflects on her murders, the only one she pities is Daisy, though she hears that Daisy’s children are thriving under the care of their grandmother. Maggie still has about half a can of arsenic left. With her new job, Claude and Maybelle happy together, and Jessie doing well, Maggie thinks life is good. Then Hubert becomes distracted and distant. They talk, and Hubert reveals that he doesn’t want to continue with their marriage.

Maggie is distressed and questions Hubert, who maintains that he wants, at long last, to be honest about who he is, especially to his parents. His partner, Daryl, is also going to inform his wife and children about their relationship. Hubert insists he is willing to give up everything for the man he loves, and he feels relieved at ending the deceit. Maggie reflects on how this change will destroy her life but is mostly concerned about what will happen to Claude as a consequence if Hubert comes out. She begs Hubert to change his mind, but he says he won’t, and Maggie decides, “That one word sealed his fate” (272).

Maggie talks with Hubert further, and he compares their marriage to a splinter that has been embedded in his skin and causing him pain. She questions him about how his parents, coworkers, and their community will react, but Hubert is resolute. Maggie suggests she will fix gumbo and they can eat together before he talks with his parents.

Hubert stays out for several days and then calls Maggie at work. Hubert went with his lover, Daryl, to talk to Daryl’s wife. His wife was furious and Daryl’s children said they never want to see him again. Hubert is shaken but confirms he will have dinner with Maggie, and she says she will set aside a bowl for him. Maggie believes she will recover from what she sees as Hubert’s betrayal, but she is concerned about Claude: “Claude was the most important person in my life, and I would always do what I had to do to keep him safe and happy” (281). She makes her gumbo and adds arsenic to Hubert’s bowl. Then she takes the car and drives aimlessly while she knows he is at the house eating. When she comes home, Jessie reports taking Hubert to the clinic. Hubert reveals that Claude is dead.

The doctors at the clinic concluded that Claude died of a heart attack. Maggie is in a daze as Hubert explains. Claude came to the house to have some of Maggie’s gumbo and heated up the bowl Maggie left for Hubert. Maggie is devasted by the knowledge that she has killed her child. She feels physically ill as she witnesses the distress of Maybelle and Ma and Pa Wiggins. She sleeps and dreams of Claude beckoning to her. She knows that her family believes that suicide is the worst form of murder, so she decides to make her death look accidental by swallowing arsenic. As the symptoms set in, she prays that Claude will forgive her.