In Act II when Mr. Gibbs appears for breakfast on the
morning of their son's wedding, his wife "puts a plate before him." He says, "Why, Julia
Hersey--French toast!" She replies, "'Tain't hard to make and I had to
dosomething."
This is one of the little things that go
unnoticed in people's daily lives, but it is filled with significance. Mrs. Gibbs has
been unable to sleep during most of the night and is filled with conflicting emotions in
the morning. The coming wedding has made her sad about losing her young son and the
responsibility of caring for him. She has been thinking about her own wedding and
marriage, which of course has made her think about how much her husband means to her.
From now on she will be turning more of her attention on him because her son will have
another woman to love him and care for him. Mrs. Gibbs doesn't want to talk about her
feelings because she is on the verge of tears already. The French toast, which is
obviously a favorite of her husband's is her way of telling him she loves
him.
Losing their son through his marriage will change the
relationship between the Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs. It will draw them closer. The fact that he
calls her by her maiden name of Hersey indicates that his love for her is being
rekindled, just as the French toast indicates that hers is being rekindled for him.
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