Mrs. Stevenson is an "invalid" who is bed-ridden due to an
unspecified illness or condition. For the duration of the radio play, Mrs. Stevenson
repeatedly (and unsuccessfully) tries to reach her husband on the phone because she is
worried about her safety. Mrs. Stevenson is typically attended by a nurse, but we
learn, through the protagonist's conversations with the telephone operator, that she has
given her nurse the night off.
Throughout the course of the
radio play, Mrs. Stevenson grows more and more agitated, demanding, and panicked. She is
afraid to be home alone, since the patrol officer on her block has left, and her calls
to the police (they don't seem to be worried for her safety) and then to a hospital (she
wants to hire a nurse for the night) are unsuccessful.
We
learn, at the end of the play, that Mrs. Stevenson's fears were justified. However,
many audiences don't feel much sympathy for her because of her behavior. (Many
readers/audiences describe her as rude and/or annoying.) Ultimately, much of the way
audiences feel about Mrs. Stevenson depends on the actress who plays
her.
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