Summary of The Address
The Address is a short story written by Dutch writer Marga Minco who survived the Holocaust in Holland during the Second World War. In the story, Marga describes a daughter’s search for her mother’s belongings that were given to Mrs Dorling, an acquaintance, for safekeeping before the war reached Holland. As she finds the house whose address was given to her by her mother long ago, she experiences a rather cold and hesitant reaction from Mrs Dorling the first time. She decides to go for a second time, and this time she is able to see her mother’s possessions. Unexpectedly, she feels horror and pain at the sight of those objects and decides to leave without taking anything with her. The Address Class 11 Summary is a part of BYJU’S CBSE Summary. Students can visit CBSE Notes to access more information and learning materials for CBSE Class 11 English syllabus.
CBSE Class 11 English The Address Summary
The narrator begins with the experience of her first meeting with Mrs Dorling at her house. Mrs Dorling did not seem to recognise her. The narrator introduced herself as Mrs S’s daughter. Still, there was no expression of recognition on Mrs Dorling’s face. The narrator doubted whether she had the wrong address. Then she noticed Mrs Dorling wearing her mother’s green knitted cardigan. Mrs Dorling finally seemed to remember the narrator by her intent gazing at the cardigan. Mrs Dorling had thought that no one would come back again. The narrator told her that she had come, especially on the train to meet her and would like to talk to her for a moment. Mrs Dorling excused herself, saying it was not a convenient time and closed the door.
The story goes into flashbacks, where the narrator remembers how various events in her life lead her to this particular moment. It happened long back during the initial years of World War II. She came back home for a few days to find a number of items missing from the house. When she asked her mother about this, her mother told her about an old acquaintance of hers – Mrs Dorling. Her mother was in contact with Mrs Dorling after a long time.
Mrs Dorling had offered to help the narrator’s mother with all their precious things. If the narrator’s family had to leave that place, they would lose everything. Mrs Dorling wanted to save all their nice things. So, she took things like antique plates, table silver, vases, etc., every time she came to their house. The narrator asked her mother if the issue of final possession of those things was discussed with Mrs Dorling. Her mother felt that even talking about that issue would be an insult to Mrs Dorling’s intentions. After all, she was taking such huge risks going out of the door each time with a full bag or suitcase. After her mother gave her a reproving look, they never talked about it.
As the narrator arrived at the station for her return journey, she tried not to look at any of the surrounding things. She was walking in this place for the first time after the war, but she did not want to upset herself with the familiar sights that took her back to memories of her past. She remembers how she had encountered Mrs Dorling long back in the past. It was in the morning after the day the narrator’s mother told her about Mrs Dorling. She had gotten up late to find her mother about to see someone out. Her mother beckoned her and introduced her to Mrs Dorling and asked her to remember the address – Number 46 on Marconi Street.
After the World War, during the Liberation, the narrator did not want to recover or think about those old things at all. The trauma of the war was fresh in her mind, and she was scared that those stored things might just connect her constantly to the pain and suffering. But, as time passed and the situation became better and more stable, and she had a room with a view in which she could sleep peacefully, she began to develop a curiosity for her mother’s possessions left at Mrs Dorling’s house. After her first failed visit, she decided to try for a second time.
A fifteen-year-old girl opened the door this time and asked the narrator to wait in the living room. Mrs Dorling was not home, and the narrator was ready to wait. While going to the living room, the narrator saw the old-fashioned iron Hannukah candle holder, which was never used at her house because it was cumbersome. As she moved into the living room, the sight of her mother’s old belongings gripped her in horror. A weird feeling seemed to oppress her. She did not dare to look around her much and sat on a chair the girl offered. She recognised the woollen tablecloth. As she ran her fingers through the knitted patterns, she searched for a burn mark that was never repaired.
The girl offered her tea. As the girl opened a box to take out spoons, the narrator found herself appreciating the box. The girl told her that it was an antique and there were more. The narrator could look around to see more. The narrator felt reluctant and kept looking at her beloved pewter plate from her childhood. The girl informed her that they used the pewter plate often and had even once used the antique plates on the wall to eat. The narrator found the burn mark she was looking for. She then responded by saying that it was easy not to keep notice of such nice things in a house when we use them for daily purposes. We only notice when something is missing, or something has to be repaired. The narrator felt her voice was unnatural but went on to tell an anecdote. Her mother had once asked her to help her with the silver. When the narrator wanted to know which silver her mother was talking about, she got to know that the spoons, forks and knives they ate with were made of silver.
The narrator next asked the girl if she knew what they ate with. The girl hesitated for a moment and went to open a drawer. The narrator knew what was coming next. She jumped to her feet, explaining that she was getting late for her train. She did not want to wait for Mrs Dorling, and as she walked down the passage, she could hear the jingling of spoons and forks.
From the corner of the street, the narrator looked at the nameplate. The address was correct, but she did not want to remember that address now. She felt that objects linked to memories of former times lose their value when we see them in strange surroundings after being separated from them for a long time. Besides, she found no utility for those things in a small rented room that could not hold many things.
She resolved to forget the address, and knew that it would not be a difficult thing for her at all.
Conclusion of The Address
The Address Class 11 Summary talks about experiences of unexpected misfortunes in human lives. Some are painful and traumatising and take a lot to heal. Time helps us to deal with the aftermath of a tragedy gradually, but coming in contact with the smallest of objects that are linked to memories of the past can trigger a wide spectrum of emotions and thoughts that can open our healing wounds afresh. We can see how the narrator struggles to cope with the emotional turmoil created when she sees her mother’s belongings again. She decides to leave those valuable items in exchange for her peace of mind in the end and resolves to forget the address forever.
A detailed understanding of the poem can help students critically analyse and appreciate the poem. Students can refer to our website for further information and content related to the Class 11 English subject for better understanding and preparation for CBSE board exams. They can also access topics like grammar and writing in English.
