Rain, Rain, Go Away

Mrs. Wright, or Lillian, is arguably the protagonist: Her comments appear first, her desires drive the inciting incident, and her comments close the narrative. However, she’s also a static character, the archetype of the American housewife. Lillian’s dialogue focuses only on her neighbors, her son, and the aesthetics and possessions of suburban life: bright bedspreads, large closets, a “tremendous yard,” and a “hospital-sanitary” kitchen. Her roles as wife and mother are critical to the story’s suburban setting in the 1950s US and help develop The Illusion of Perfection and Control as a theme.

Her reactions to the events throughout the story, and even the climax, rarely go deeper than the surface. She breezily talks past her husband’s objections, responds “jubilantly” when she convinces the Sakkaros to go to the park, and maintains an illusion of good grace even when she’s clearly irritated by her neighbors’ anxiety about the weather. Clichés form the basis of her reasoning and even some of her speech. She believes (correctly) that Mrs. Sakkaro can’t say no to an outing that provides a chance for her son to have fun, which George calls the “mother’s psychology.