What is the plot summary of the story Unlighted Lamps?

Answer 1

Unlighted Lamps - Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941)

The short story UNLIGHTED LAMPS begins with Mary Cochran, Doctor Lester Cochran's daughter going out by herself, and being shaken by her father's announcement of his serious heart ailment. She was frightened to think by herself, of her future.

To the reader, this sudden announcement may not appear serious. Dr. Cochran being a physician belonging to a middle class family and married to an actress hadn't much communication with the people of the area. He always 'maintained a distance from the people.'

He came to their rescue, their illnesses, child birth etc. were attended to in a very kind and generous manner. "Your father is a good man...." is the remark of the labourers. As a doctor, he was devoted to his profession and also to the people of the town. But his marriage wasn't a happy one and it affected him much.

So, to Mary, the doctor's daughter it seemed everything concerning his father must be 'Cold and quiet', 'The habitual silence of her father and the mystery concerning the unhappy married life of her father and mother, that had affected the attitudes towards her, of the people of the town, had made her own life a lonely one.... '

In her whole life there hadn't been anything 'warm and close' for her as her father was 'a cold man'. Though, Dr. Cochran's character was being considered as cold and quiet, he was a loving father, and he was anxious to put his arm around his daughter's shoulder and talk to her, about his illness but never having shown any feelings in his relation with her he could not "Sufficiently release some tight thing in himself." The result of emotional suppression entrapment".

The doctor's wife announcing her pregnancy to him as they drove home after a drive to the country. The doctor "had been stirred as never before". This reveals that this doctor was a man who could "never show his emotions". He remained bereft of expression and communication. He reflected saying "I've always been silent because I've been a proudman and a coward." Some professionals show a little pride because they are aware of their 'achievements'. But this doctor's character is a little different, in him being by himself.

"There had been a defence for himself built up." Dr. Cochran "assumes a certain superiority, a pride and an arrogance" revealing his weakness. His generosity to the farm labourer's family, his marriage to a theatre girl, may be considered as an act of kindness on his part...

"Your father is a good man and I don't think he's very happy... He wouldn't take any money from me... You know how to make them happy keep your money and spend it on them...." He seems to assume superiority as "a cover for his weakness." Mary Cochran's character seems to be fashioned by her father; her mother having left her father long ago and being his only child, a teenager, not yet employed and her future economic being upset if her father were to die suddenly.

The hereditary factor of children taking after their parents and Mary too had "adopted the values and attitudes of her father" Thus Mary, getting cut off from her poor neighbours. Her, rather rude and nasty behaviour towards Duke Yetter, the young man, for his innocent fun. "Hello, there kid" shouted Duke Yetter and Mary sprang quickly to her feet.

" Her mellow mood passed like a puff of wind and in its place hot anger came". "She doesn't want to be seen walking with me. He had told himself." Mary's attitudes, rather nasty, arrogant and her pride could result, not only in economic insecurity but also confined her to a solitary life without any relationship with the neighbourhood.

Shernwood Anderson's Unlighted Lamp reveals clearly the 'physical death' of Mary's father doctor Cochran and Mary's living 'a death in life. These two characters symbolize the unusual, unaccustomed, cold and self-assertive. The doctor's character carries a tinge of kindness to the poorfolk, his refusal to take money from the poor labourer and treating workers in a kind manner, were his good traits.

The town people becoming friendly and caring for Mary reveal the sympathetic attitudes of the ordinary crowd and their kind and understanding nature, though they succumbed to gossip at times, gossip regarding Mary's mother cropped up due to the false and assumed superiority of Doctor Cochran and his daughter belonging to the upper class.

The story deals with the "emotional death arising from the upper class pride" yet leading a person to the ulterior end - the grave. The people of the working class stand as a contrast to Dr. Cochran and his daughter Mary; highlighting the usual characteristics of the ordinary people, their friendly, helpful ways in spite of a little weakness; giving vent to gossip.

They bring "a ray of sunshine" to the lives of Doctor Cochran and his daughter Mary. The title unlighted lamps symbolizes the darkness prevailing in the lives of people who were not affectionate, not loving, not kind and lacking the ability to understand the people around them.

In this story darkness prevails and reference to darkness is made in a lavish manner "darkness" is supposed to be the symbol of "ignorance". In this story "twilight" ends in deep darkness. In Shakespeare's drama Darkness is the symbol of evil and good is symbolised by light.

In the short story "odour of chrysanthemums" the main characters are made "to meet in the dark "fought" their lives in the dark. In unlighted lamps the reader is taken into vicissitudes of darkness that slightly victimize the two main characters. They indulge in pretended behaviour patterns. The two principal performance Doctor Cochran and Mary failing to some extent in harbouring or possessing affection and love, kindness and understanding which is a fault in their lifestyle.

This short story has a tragic end, the two main characters "play their parts" on a background with darkness prevailing. The story reaches its climax with darkness prevailing, even the incidents taking place in Mary's childhood days refers to the incidents that taken place in the dark; going with her father to visit a sick woman. The story begins in the atmosphere of darkness and ends in darkness. The significant procedure of Duke Yetter's participation "It was Duke Yetter who carried the deadman up the stairs and laid him on a bed in one of the rooms at the back of the office."

"The title was symbolic of darkness" may be unhappiness, prevailing due to lack of self motivation, courage and enthusiasm to kindle love and affection. The repetition of the word is set in such manner as to deepen the effect of unhappiness prevailing. "The burnt out cigarette" may be symbolic of the doctor's life which was wasted, failing to dispel the tinge of darkness from the lives of the doctor and his daughter, enwraped in abnormal qualities.

The final episode of the story highlights the human qualities of Duke Yetter carrying the doctor's dead body upstairs to coincide with Mary's angry words in an earlier occasion. The atmosphere of darkness prevailing at the beginning of the story and the same tint of darkness prevailing at the end is highlighted by sherwood Anderson's effective wording, "Between his fingers he held a forgotten cigarette the light from which danced up and down in the darkness" and thus ending in darkness physically and mentally.

"Mary did not move from her chair with closed eyes she waited. A weakness complete and over mastering had possession of her and from feet to head ran little waves of feeling as though tiny creatures with soft hair like feet playing upon her body".