Summary
In the austere domestic tableau of "The House Without Children," Richard Walker, a brooding engineer whose ambition is as unyielding as the steel girders he designs, is haunted by an unspoken yearning for a male heir. His wife, Margaret, a woman of progressive sensibilities, champions birth control, viewing motherhood as an optional chapter rather than an inevitable destiny. The couple's cramped household is further populated by Richard's sister Florence, a quiet yet resilient figure; Margaret's cousin Jim, a charismatic drifter whose charm belies a selfish streak; and Lawrence Branford, Richard's diligent secretary, whose affection for Florence simmers beneath a veneer of professionalism. When Richard and Jim depart for a year‑long engineering venture, the house's equilibrium destabilises. Florence, in a moment of reckless intimacy, becomes pregnant with Jim's child, a secret she confides to Margaret. Margaret, wielding her modernist convictions, suggests an abortion, but Florence, driven by maternal instinct and fear of scandal, refuses. The child is born frail and sickly; Margaret, in a calculated act of deception, passes the infant off as her own, concealing the truth from Richard and preserving Jim's reputation. Upon Richard's triumphant return, he revels in the illusion of a son, his paternal pride momentarily restored. Yet the façade crumbles when Jim, motivated by a looming inheritance, proposes to Florence; she, sensing ulterior motives, reveals the child's true parentage. Richard, incensed, castigates Margaret as a "modern woman" whose anti‑maternal stance borders on criminality. The child's health deteriorates, culminating in a quiet death that strips the household of its fragile pretence. In the wake of this tragedy, Margaret's dormant maternal instincts awaken, prompting Richard to grant her forgiveness. The narrative concludes with Florence marrying Lawrence, a union that promises stability after a cascade of deception, desire, and societal expectations.
Synopsis
Richard Walker longs for a son, but his wife Margaret argues for birth control. They live with Richard's sister Florence, Margaret's cousin Jim, and Richard's secretary Lawrence Branford, who is in love with Florence. After Richard and Jim leave for a year on an engineering project, Florence confesses to Margaret that she is pregnant with Jim's child. Margaret's recommendation of an abortion is unacceptable to Florence, so after the birth, Margaret passes the sickly child off as her own to protect Jim and Florence, and to please Richard, who is elated when he returns. After Jim learns that Florence is about to inherit a fortune, he proposes, but when she discovers the reason, she confesses that the child is theirs. Richard upbraids Margaret for being a "modern woman" whose aversion to motherhood is criminal. After Jack leaves and the baby dies, Richard, seeing that Margaret's maternal instinct has been sparked, forgives her, and Florence marries Lawrence.
