The Tiny Closet Four Levels and Question Answers 
William Inge
Four Levels of The Tiny Closet
- William Inge (1913-1973)
1.LITERAL COMPREHENSION : The story takes place in a boarding house of mid western city in the U.S.A. Mr. Newbold, the roomer of Mrs.Crosby seems unusually possessive of his closet .He calls his landlady and warns her not to enter his closet in his absence. Mrs.Crosby assures him that noone will go near his room since she has already given strict order to Elsie, the cleaning woman not to bother him. Yet Mr. Newbold repeatedly tells her to keep an eye incase someone tries to enter his room. He explains that the tiny closet belongs to him as long as he pays for it. And he wants to have privacy in his room. Mrs. Crosby apparently agrees with him but her curiosity increases due to his frequent warning. She was suspicious regarding him from the beginning as he was unusually keeping his room tidy and never let anyone enter his room. So despite his repeated caution and the revelation that someone was trying to unblock his door, she plans to see inside the room. As soon as Mr. Newbold goes out of the house, she dials her friend, Mrs. Hergesheimer and narrats everything. She suspects that he might be a communist, a spy, a criminal or a lunatic and decides to findout the reality of Mr. Newbold. With her friend, she unblocks Mr. Newbold's room out of curiosity. To their surprise, they find dozens of beautiful hats in the room. Mrs. Crosby takes this hat making man quite peculiar and unnatural. She says she can tolerate a communist but not a man who knits hats. While her friend takes the matter normally, Mrs. Crosby can not stand for it and decides to send Mr. Newbold out of her house. Mr. Newbold returns home quite early while the ladies were spying on his room. When he sees them inside his room,he becomes quite nervous and cannot confront them.So he hides himself in one of the rooms. After a while Mrs.Hergesheimer leaves the house hurriedly to avoid the further involvement as she was afraid of being caught. Mrs.Crosby, however is determined to face Mr. Newbold using power of a landlady. She examines the graceful hats once again tries it own infront of the mirror and goes to the kitchen. Mr Newbold who was completely shattered due to the destruction of his Pride, authority and secrecy, picks up the hat lovingly and weeps. Soon he restores his courage, takes a hatpin and goes to the kitchen door calling Mrs. Crosby with the intention of killing her.
2. INTERPRETATION : The writer might be intending to tell us that our unusual behaviour makes other people suspicious of us. Mr. Newbold was excessively possessive of his closet by not letting anyone enter his room. Also, he kept his room spotlessly clean which was the matter of concern for Mrs Crosby. It instigated her to break his room. The drama may also mean that over curiosity has disastrous end. further, it also reveals that the feeling of superiority always creates conflict.
3. CRITICAL THINKING : This story is very interesting . The writer has beautifully presented the negative impacts of over curiosity . However, some ideas of the story are questionable.
i) How can we believe that Mr. Newbold will be able to kill Mrs. Crosby with the help of a hatpin?
ii) How can a landlady interfere her tenant's secrecy?
4. ASSIMILATION : After reading this play I came to know many things about human nature. When the secrecy is disclosed, it makes people more terrible. Also, we should not be over curious about anything. Sometimes it is a dangerous or harmful for us. So I have decided not to be too much curious about other's private life and not to do interfere with other's life.
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Question Answers Of The Tiny Closet
Q.1. Discuss William Inge's short play 'The tiny closet' based on the following guidelines.
i)Summarize the play
ii) What does the play wright want to reveal to audience ?
iii) What do you judge the characters in the play ?
iv)Describe the similar incident you have encountered in some part of your life.
ANSWER :
i) Summarize the play :
The story takes place in a boarding house of mid western city in the U.S.A. Mr. Newbold, the roomer of Mrs.Crosby seems unusually possessive of his closet .He calls his landlady and warns her not to enter his closet in his absence. Mrs.Crosby assures him that noone will go near his room since she has already given strict order to Elsie, the cleaning woman not to bother him. Yet Mr. Newbold repeatedly tells her to keep an eye incase someone tries to enter his room. He explains that the tiny closet belongs to him as long as he pays for it. And he wants to have privacy in his room. Mrs. Crosby apparently agrees with him but her curiosity increases due to his frequent warning. She was suspicious regarding him from the beginning as he was unusually keeping his room tidy and never let anyone enter his room. So despite his repeated caution and the revelation that someone was trying to unblock his door, she plans to see inside the room. As soon as Mr. Newbold goes out of the house, she dials her friend, Mrs. Hergesheimer and narrats everything. She suspects that he might be a communist, a spy, a criminal or a lunatic and decides to findout the reality of Mr. Newbold. With her friend, she unblocks Mr. Newbold's room out of curiosity. To their surprise, they find dozens of beautiful hats in the room. Mrs. Crosby takes this hat making man quite peculiar and unnatural. She says she can tolerate a communist but not a man who knits hats. While her friend takes the matter normally, Mrs. Crosby can not stand for it and decides to send Mr. Newbold out of her house. Mr. Newbold returns home quite early while the ladies were spying on his room. When he sees them inside his room,he becomes quite nervous and cannot confront them.So he hides himself in one of the rooms. After a while Mrs.Hergesheimer leaves the house hurriedly to avoid the further involvement as she was afraid of being caught. Mrs.Crosby, however is determined to face Mr. Newbold using power of a landlady. She examines the graceful hats once again tries it own infront of the mirror and goes to the kitchen. Mr Newbold who was completely shattered due to the destruction of his Pride, authority and secrecy, picks up the hat lovingly and weeps. Soon he restores his courage, takes a hatpin and goes to the kitchen door calling Mrs. Crosby with the intention of killing her.
ii) What does the play wright want to reveal to audience ? :
The playwright wants to reveal to audience about the weakness, curiosity, jealousy nature of human beings. Especially the writer shows women's curiosity nature to know about the private life of others as well as jealousy nature in terms of discussing other's private life. Also the writer taught too much curiosity about other's life could be harmful. It also reveals that the feelings of superiority always creates conflict.
iii) What do you judge the characters in the play ? :
The characters in this drama are ; Mr. Newbold, Mrs. Crosby, Elsie, Mrs. Hergesheimer.
Mr. Newbold is the roomer of Mrs. crosby, the landlady. He is so unusual and unnatural. He is always too much neat and clean. He does not want to share his privacy or secrecy to anyone. At the end of the drama, he becomes aggressive and kills the landlady, Mrs. crosby.
Mrs. Crosby is the landlady of Mr. Newbold. She is so curious to know the secrecy of Mr. Newbold. She feels superior as she is the landlady. She does not complete her promise.
Elsie is so much honored cleaning woman. she is so truthful woman that she told Mr. Newbold about what Mrs. Crosby and Mrs. Hergesheimer are doing in his room.
Mrs. Hergesheimer is the friend of Mrs. Crosby. She is also so curious like Mrs. Crosby. She does what her friend asked to do. She cannot face the problem as she leaves the house,when Mr. Newbold has known about their activities,to avoid the further involvement.
iv)Describe the similar incident you have encountered in some part of your life :
After reading this story I remembered the event that is happened with me. One day in past, I had found a purse with thousands of money. I was feeling so nervous that day. I took the purse to home and hid it in my bag. And I told my little brother not to check my bag. But when I was out of my room, my brother opened my bag and knew about why I was warning him not to check my bag. When he was counting the money, I came back to my room and saw him counting the money. I became very nervous and angry. I beat my brother very badly. He complained to the father and told about the money. Everyone knew about my secrecy.
Q.2. How do you characterize Mr. Newbold ?
ANSWER :
Mr. Newbold is the roomer of Mrs. crosby, the landlady. He is so unusual and unnatural. He is always too much neat and clean. He does not want to share his privacy or secrecy to anyone. At the end of the drama, he becomes aggressive and kills the landlady, Mrs. crosby.
Q.3.What complain does Mr. Newbold have ? What particulars things were discovered from his tiny closet towards the end of the story ?
ANSWER :
Mr newbold has complained that someone is trying to open his room. He asks his landlady, Mr. Crosby not to let anyone open his room because as long as he lives there it is his own room.
A dozens of beautiful hats and hats knitting machines were discovered from his tiny closet towards the end of the story.
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