To make of the little blind child of the coal-miner a compellingly human little soul, yet to touch him with a warmth and beauty of imagination so exquisite that it pains the heart; to do all this so deftly, so tenderly that one draws a quick breath of wonder—these are only bare suggestions of the power that created Margaret Prescott Montague’s What Mr. Grey Said.
Suggested Points for Study and Comment
1. Contrast the richness of sense-perceptions of Stanislaus with his poverty of all things else.
2. Analyze the elements that make up the charm of Stanislaus. Aside from the pathetic, what is the strongest interest?
3. How does Miss Julia help to prolong the suspense?
4. Would the story have been as powerful if it were entirely tragic?
5. Would the story have gained if Stanislaus were presented in direct contrast to the other blind children? Why would a longer story have been weaker?
6. Does the dialect contribute to the charm of the story? What is the real function of dialect?
7. Does the ending seem a makeshift to avoid a difficulty? How has the author succeeded in making the ending not only possible but probable?