The Long Loneliness

Until she is 16, Day’s father makes her feel safe by keeping her at home. He also does not permit his children to listen to news radio or to read “trash” novels. Day thinks that as a journalist, he had heard about all the bad things in the world and wants to protect his children from those things as much as he can. They also cannot have friends over because her father works at night and sleeps in the morning. Day’s father grew up in a conservative family in Tennessee, and “was always impatient with [the children’s] ideas and hated the radical movement…” (26). Day’s father begins to write a book, which forces her mother to scrimp their already tight savings. However, she always makes sure that the children have good clothes and look respectable.

Since Day and her sister are usually not allowed outside the house, they have to deal with fairly constant boredom. Sometimes doing housework is the only outlet. The Psalms also help Day deal with her ennui. An Episcopal rector comes to the house one day and suggests that because Day’s mother is Episcopalian, they should join the church. Her brothers end up in the choir, and Day goes to church every Sunday.