06. Blue Wednesday
Story
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Last edited 5 hours ago by Learn LoopHQ.
Chapter: 06. Blue Wednesday
Literary Appreciation
“Blue Wednesday” is a very special story because it is written like a collection of letters. This means we get to read what the main character, Jerusha, writes in her letters, making us feel like we are right there with her, learning about her thoughts and adventures as they happen. It’s like finding a secret diary! This story teaches us about hope, hard work, and the unexpected kindness that can change someone’s life, showing us that even on a “blue” or sad day, something wonderful can happen.
Summary of the Story
“Blue Wednesday” tells the story of Jerusha Abbott, an older orphan at the John Grier Home. Every first Wednesday of the month is a dreadful day, filled with endless chores and inspections, and Jerusha, being the oldest, has to work the hardest. After one such exhausting Wednesday, Jerusha is called to Mrs. Lippett’s office, worried she’s done something wrong. To her surprise, she learns that an anonymous, wealthy Trustee, who saw a funny essay she wrote called “Blue Wednesday,” wants to send her to college to become a writer! The only condition is that she must write him monthly letters, addressed to “Mr. John Smith,” telling him all about her studies and daily life, but he will never write back.
A Detailed Explanation of Each Scene
Scene 1: The Awful Wednesday Routine
Imagine a day when everything has to be perfectly clean and everyone has to be on their best behavior! That’s what the first Wednesday of every month was like at the John Grier Home orphanage. It was a day filled with fear and a lot of hard work because the Trustees (important people who helped run the orphanage) would come to inspect everything. All ninety-seven children had to be spotless and neat, and taught to say “Yes, sir, no, sir.” Jerusha Abbott, because she was the oldest, had the biggest job of all, making sure everything was just right. She was often scolded and hurried by the nervous matron, Mrs. Lippett. It was a very tiring and stressful day for her.
Scene 2: Jerusha’s Exhaustion and the Mysterious Summons
After the long, difficult Wednesday, Jerusha finally finished making sandwiches for the guests and returned to look after the eleven little children in Room F, helping them get ready for dinner. She was so tired from being on her feet since five in the morning that she collapsed onto a window seat, resting her head against the cool glass. Just as she was trying to rest, a boy named Tommy Dillon came shouting up the stairs, telling her Mrs. Lippett wanted her in the office immediately. Jerusha wondered if she was in trouble – maybe the sandwiches weren’t right, or a visitor saw something out of place.
Scene 3: The Elongated Shadow
As Jerusha walked downstairs to the office, the hallway was dark. She saw the last Trustee leaving through the open door. She only got a quick glimpse of him, but what she noticed most was how tall he was. As his car started to move, its bright headlights shined a long, funny shadow of the man onto the wall inside. The shadow looked like a huge, wobbly “daddy-long-legs” spider with very long arms and legs stretching along the floor and up the wall. This funny shadow made Jerusha smile and laugh, changing her worried frown to a happy face before she even reached Mrs. Lippett’s office.
Scene 4: The Big Surprise and the Unnamed Trustee
Jerusha entered Mrs. Lippett’s office, still smiling, and was surprised to see Mrs. Lippett looking pleasant, almost as pleasant as she did for visitors! Mrs. Lippett asked Jerusha to sit down and then told her about the very tall gentleman she had just seen. He was a very rich Trustee who had given a lot of money to the orphanage and had helped many boys go to college. This Trustee liked to remain unknown, and he usually didn’t care for girls. However, something special had happened!
Scene 5: The Offer of College and the Special Letters
Mrs. Lippett then explained the big news: this anonymous Trustee wanted to send Jerusha to college! Jerusha’s eyes grew wide with disbelief. Mrs. Lippett told her that the Trustee had been very impressed by an essay Jerusha had written called “Blue Wednesday,” even though it poked fun at the orphanage. He thought Jerusha had a special talent for writing and wanted to educate her to become a writer. He would pay for her college tuition, board, and even give her a monthly allowance of thirty-five dollars. The only condition was that Jerusha had to write him a letter every month, addressed to “Mr. John Smith” (which wasn’t his real name, as he wanted to stay anonymous). These letters had to tell him about her studies and daily life, just like she would write to her own parents, but he would never write back. These letters were very important and were the only payment he asked for.
Scene 6: Jerusha’s Overwhelmed Reaction
Jerusha was so incredibly excited and overwhelmed by this amazing news that she could barely think straight. She quickly stood up and took a step back, eager to escape and process everything. She politely thanked Mrs. Lippett and made an excuse about needing to sew a patch on Freddie Perkins’s trousers, then rushed out of the office. The door closed behind her, leaving her to dream about this incredible new chapter in her life.
Theme and Moral of the Story
Theme:
Moral:
The moral of “Blue Wednesday” is that hard work and unique talents can lead to unexpected and wonderful opportunities. Even when life is tough, staying resilient and expressing yourself authentically can lead to amazing paths you never imagined. It also teaches us about the generosity and kindness that can exist in the world, even from anonymous helpers.
Author Spotlight: Jean Webster
The wonderful author who wrote “Daddy-Long-Legs,” from which “Blue Wednesday” is taken, used the special name Jean Webster. Her real name was Alice Jane Chandler Webster. She was an American writer who lived from 1876 to 1916.
Jean Webster was known for creating characters who were lively, smart, and easy to like, especially young girls. Her stories are often full of humor and fun plots, which makes her books very enjoyable to read. She had a special way of making her characters feel real and making readers laugh and connect with their adventures. If you enjoyed Jerusha’s story, you might really like her other books too!
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