The Bride
The story begins on the bed in the honeymoon suite of a hotel. Notably, the typically easy sleep that results from the sheer exhaustion of the big day has escaped her. The night has been one of strange dreams, the strangest of which features a cast of former lovers merrily rocking back and forth in wheelchairs suspended in mid-air. The cries within the dream serve to wake up both her and her husband, who seems to be suffering no such unconscious disturbance. The dream is dismissed as being unworthy of interpretation by the husband, but some honeymoon events raise questions about that decision.
John
Unlike the wife, husband is named. That his name is John may be considered quite meaningful relative the rest of what is learn about him. He is a lawyer who rides the subway to and from work, has beautiful legs, enjoys swimming, and inhabits a personality marked by deliberation and practicality. In contrast to having no appetite for dream analysis, he apparently is possessed of a bottomless capacity for enjoying the monotony of organization. That name again: John.
Lillian
The only other named character in the story is mentioned, but not does not appear. At one point in the story, husband and wife split up their wedding gifts into three categories: lovely, passable and impossible. Only gifts are directly mentioned as going into the impossible pile: kitschy salt & pepper shakes and Blue Mountain pottery. The story ends draws to a close on the image of the new writing a thank-you note to Lillian, adding how much she and John love the pottery.
