Question

Which best describes the Purkapile's marriage?

Happy—they are in love and enjoy each other's company

Resentful—they are together because Mrs. Purkapile won't get a divorce.

Trusting—Mrs. Purkapile does not worry when her husband is away for a year.

Indifferent—Mr. Purkapile wishes his wife would pay more attention to him.

Answer 1

Read the epitaphs of Mr. and Mrs. Purkapile from the Spoon River Anthology and answer the questions that follows.

Mrs. Purkapile
HE ran away and was gone for a year.
When he came home he told me the silly story
Of being kidnapped by pirates on Lake Michigan
And kept in chains so he could not write me.
I pretended to believe it, though I knew very well
What he was doing, and that he met
The milliner, Mrs. Williams, now and then
When she went to the city to buy goods, as she said.
But a promise is a promise
And marriage is marriage,
And out of respect for my own character
I refused to be drawn into a divorce
By the scheme of a husband who had merely grown tired
Of his marital vow and duty.

Mr. Purkapile
SHE loved me.
Oh! how she loved me I never had a chance to escape
From the day she first saw me.
But then after we were married I thought
She might prove her mortality and let me out,
Or she might divorce me. But few die, none resign.
Then I ran away and was gone a year on a lark.
But she never complained. She said all would be well
That I would return. And I did return.
I told her that while taking a row in a boat
I had been captured near Van Buren Street
By pirates on Lake Michigan,
And kept in chains, so I could not write her.
She cried and kissed me, and said it was cruel,
Outrageous, inhuman! I then concluded our marriage
Was a divine dispensation
And could not be dissolved,
Except by death.

Answer 2

Okey dokey, let's go ahead and rule out both happy and trustful. Based on Mrs's story, she is both unhappy and cannot trust her husband.

Answer 3

is it Indifferent—Mr. Purkapile wishes his wife would pay more attention to him. ?

Answer 4

I would go indifferent. I don't think either of the choices are that great. They're together because of petty lies and deception. :/ But yeah, that choice trumps resentful considering Mr. feels so strongly that their marriage is incredible.