Testing Theories

What is the point Truman Capote is trying to make in this story? It seems that he wants Miriam's identity to remain ambiguous. Why would he do that? It is obvious that the story has something to do with relationships. Mrs. Miller is a lonely widow who never does anything with anyone. She has no social connections and has fallen into a life of dull routine.

• Perhaps Capote's message is that our choices have consequences that are sometimes dire and long-lasting. Mrs. Miller chooses to be a recluse. She also chooses to go to the movies that day. It could be argued that she chooses to invite Miriam into her life when she buys the cherries, almond cakes, and flowers, even though the narrator claims that these purchases are impulsive buys. Mrs. Miller's choice has horrific consequences when she is unable to get rid of Miriam.
• Perhaps Capote's message is that loneliness is destructive to the human personality. Mrs. Miller's loneliness leads her to the delusion of Miriam's haunting existence, or allows Miriam (if she is a real girl) to take advantage of her. After all, Miriam disappears when Mrs. Miller reaches out to her neighbors for help, then reappears when she finds solace in her solitude.

A couple of things I noticed this time around of reading "Miriam":

• The man who follows Mrs. Miller during the shopping trip is described as an "old man." The only other old man described is the old man that Miriam used to live with. Hmmmm. . . .
• The people in Mrs. Miller's dreams could be considered old ("a gray crowd"). I took the phrase to mean that they were gloomy or blah. However, it really fits the story to read the phrase as "gray-headed." Hmmmm . . . . .