Evan Connell’s novel Mrs. Bridge dives into the protagonist's struggle with personal identity and the pursuit of meaning within the confines of her life. From the outset, signaled by a connection to a Walt Whitman quote, Mrs. Bridge grapples with a name that feels alien to her, suggesting a disconnect from her true self. This sense of uncertainty permeates her role as a wife, mother, and societal figure in the upper-middle-class community of Kansas City, Missouri, leading her to confront feelings of boredom, purposelessness, and isolation as societal norms begin to crumble around her.

Early Life and Conformity

Spanning the years from the early 1920s to the dawn of the 1940s, Mrs. Bridge unfolds through 117 vignettes rather than a traditional linear narrative. Connell swiftly sketches the protagonist's first thirty-five years in just a few pages, highlighting her conventional lifestyle and growing dissatisfaction. Her disillusionment becomes evident when her earnest expression of marital desires to her husband is met with indifference, leading her to conclude that marriage is perhaps fair in structure, but love is not. As a mother, she faces further frustrations when her children defy her expectations of upholding traditional values. Her daughter Ruth's innocent frolic at a neighborhood pool and son Douglas using guest towels against social norms exemplify this. Further compounding her distress, Carolyn's choice of a playmate from a different racial background tests Mrs. Bridge’s adherence to societal conventions. Each episode drives home the inadequacy of her conventional responses, as she witnesses her friend Grace succumb to depression and ultimately suicide, and another acquaintance, Mabel Ong, seek a therapist's help.

Family Dynamics and Changing Social Norms

As her children mature, their life choices often clash with Mrs. Bridge's values and expectations. Ruth's attraction to men from unfamiliar, diverse backgrounds unsettles her, while Douglas's brief infatuation with a girl linked to a burlesque dancer shocks her sensibilities. Carolyn's decision to leave college to wed a man from a different social class and settle in an increasingly integrated neighborhood further challenges Mrs. Bridge's worldview. Though she reflects on her limited social interactions with African Americans, mostly through her housekeeper and laundress, her limited exposure highlights her lack of understanding of the evolving social dynamics. Despite her discomfort, Mrs. Bridge slowly starts to acknowledge these shifting attitudes, albeit reluctantly.

The Steadfastness of Walter Bridge

Mrs. Bridge finds her husband, Walter, to be a constant in her life, yet his unwavering adherence to his own values offers her little solace. Unlike his wife, Walter never questions his beliefs; rather, he uses them to maintain a distance from the world around him, including from Mrs. Bridge. His indifference is epitomized by his refusal to heed a tornado warning, remaining at a country club table while everyone else seeks shelter, with Mrs. Bridge dutifully by his side. Walter’s commitment to his career and financial pursuits overshadows his familial relationships. While he responds pragmatically to Carolyn’s engagement to an unsuitable partner by accepting it, his involvement in his family’s lives is largely materialistic, as evidenced by extravagant gifts that leave Mrs. Bridge feeling uneasy. An elaborate trip to Europe, although fulfilling a long-standing promise, underscores the emotional distance between them, making Mrs. Bridge more acutely aware of her loneliness.

The Final Realization

The novel reaches its emotional zenith in its concluding episode, where Mrs. Bridge confronts the void left by her husband's death and her children’s absence. Throughout the story, she has caught glimpses of this emptiness, such as when she realizes her fading individuality while applying cold cream at her dressing table. Though tempted to pursue therapy like her friend Mabel, her late husband's disapproval of such measures discourages her from doing so. In the poignant closing scene, she finds herself trapped in her garage, unable to open the car doors and ultimately left calling for help that never arrives, her solitude emphasized by the falling snow. Connell leaves her in this state of absolute isolation, underscoring the profound emptiness she faces.