How I Met My Husband

In How I Met My Husband by Alice Munro, suspense was an important feature for the reader. This basis of small climaxes that created excitement helped produce a greater surprise when Eddie does not finally get a letter and instead marries the mailman. Some important events that did this also helped introduce characters and reveal tendencies in characters. The first one that I found to be so important was when Eddie gets all dressed up and then is caught by a stranger that seems to be kind towards Eddie. This revealed a sense of ignorance within Eddie for the actions that she takes. This event causes Eddie to risk yet another chance at getting fired by going over and speaking with the man so that he will not tell on her. This dangerous situation for a young girl starts the reader in thinking about what Eddie really cares about and how her approaches are to those things. The second event that Eddie so rashly jumps to doing is basically hooking up with Chris when he is an "engaged" man. She reveals more ignorance in her actions by taking him a cake and proceeding to let him kiss her while returning the favor. This rash action by Eddie creates yet another rush for the reader wondering if and when they will get caught. This also builds up the notion that Eddie might not just be a one time thing for Chris. When in actuality this leads to the revelation that Chris is not a great man. He makes promises and so easily breaks them. The reader feels as though Eddie will finally get her letter, but instead she does meet her husband (the mailman) in the process of waiting. The continual ignorance until the realization that the letter was not coming was expressed when Eddie thought, "I put it all out of my mind like a bad dream and concentrated on waiting for my letter,"(145).