30 pages • 1 hour read
Lucille FletcherSorry, Wrong Number
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1943A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Phone
In the play, the phone symbolizes Mrs. Stevenson’s connection with the outside world. She cannot leave her bed, and her only human interaction is with her maid, Eloise, and her husband, Elbert. Aside from the two of them, she is only able to speak with people over the telephone. Fletcher plays with literary irony in the play as she twists Mrs. Stevenson’s security and lifeline into a reminder of her approaching death.
The phone is important, too, in that its symbolism supports the theme of Communication in Relationships. The crossed wires, busy signal, and even the hushed whispers at the end (when the receptionist can’t make out what Mrs. Stevenson is saying) are all indicative of a character who lacks communication skills. Fletcher uses the phone to demonstrate that Mrs. Stevenson is incapable of compromise and insists on doing things her way. Likely, she was the same off the phone as she was on it, resulting in literal mixed signals and ignoring important information.
11:15
The time of 11:15 PM is a motif that reinforces the literary device of the ticking clock. This is the time when the planned murder is set to occur, and Mrs. Stevenson frequently refers to it throughout the play. The specific time being referenced throughout gives readers a more literal way of understanding how much time the character has left to live, and emphasizes that the play is unfolding in real-time, increasing the dramatic stakes. This is especially effective towards the end of this suspense play. Mrs. Stevenson realizes that the murder plot she overheard was her own when she asks the receptionist at the hospital for the time. The receptionist replies that it is “fourteen minutes past eleven” (20) and she hears the receiver click on the other line. At that time, Mrs. Stevenson knows that someone is in the house and there is only one minute left until the dreaded 11:15 PM; she knows that she is powerless to stop the inevitable, just as she cannot stop the progression of time.
Train Sound
The sound of the train symbolizes the various, selfish needs of others that drown out Mrs. Stevenson’s pleas for help, supporting the theme of Selfishness Versus Civic Duty. Though the timing of the murder with the arrival of the train was arranged specifically to drown out Mrs. Stevenson’s screams and avoid attracting attention, it also reflects the societal urge towards complacency in civil justice. If people can’t hear her screaming, they won’t feel obligated to help. If they don’t believe the murder is something they can prevent, they won’t feel like they are required to do so. Sergeant Duffy even poses a similar question to Mrs. Stevenson when he speaks to her on the phone. He asks, “Supposing you hadn’t broken in on that telephone call? […] Would the murder have made any difference to you then?” (14). This question is partly comedic, as it would be impossible for Mrs. Stevenson to be concerned about an incident she does not know exists, but it also emphasizes the relationship between individual experience and a person’s empathy for others. Mrs. Stevenson replies that it likely wouldn’t matter to her, confirming that in this play, the protection of the self always comes before the protection of the collective, but never without consequences.
