George and Martha

Just a “fan girl” moment for “The Tub.”

George has an interest in snooping. Part of his snooping involves a glimpse of nude Martha, who is in the tub. (There might be erotic interest here, or not, and it’s just one of life’s mysteries that James Marshall has given us.)

Martha catches George “in the act."

Outraged, the lady sends the dude a clear message. A violation of a boundary will result in action: George is clobbered “via tub.” Like Mother with Son, Martha makes the message explicit: “We’re friends, sure, but there is such a thing as privacy.”

*The story has the perfect pace. I think it’s four sentences long. Not a word is wasted: Marshall doesn’t spell out what his illustrations have already made clear.
*Chekhov said: “If you put a gun in Act One, it needs to get fired in Act Five.” Marshall puts the tub in the title--and he delivers ... he gives us that tub, in a big way, in the final scene.
*Chekhov said: “A story needs only a He and a She.” Both of Marshall’s characters are unforgettable: the possibly horny snooper, and the indignant, tub-wielding voice of civilization.

It’s inspiring how much Marshall could do with very, very little.

P.S. Also, notice how much “work” the literal, actual tub does in the story. (1) It’s the setting of the story. (2) It’s a weapon; by clobbering George with the tub, Martha makes her frustration known. (3) It’s a blindfold! It covers George’s eyes, in the end, and protects Martha’s privacy (or what remains of her privacy).

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