Picnic

Later that afternoon, Millie wears one of Madge’s dresses, looking lovely (if slightly uncomfortable). Madge enters and complains that Millie didn’t help her cook, and with an affected dramatic flair, Millie argues that she was busy getting dressed. Millie asks Madge how she looks, and Madge tells her that she looks very nice and offers to let her keep the dress. Millie self-consciously questions Madge about how to behave on her date with Hal. Although Millie spent the morning swimming with him, she is nervous. Other girls have been giggling and whispering because they find Hal so attractive. Madge and Millie disparage one girl, Juanita Badger, who Millie alleges does sexual things with boys in the back of the movie theater. Flo enters and pronounces, “Now I tell myself I’ve got two beautiful daughters” (35), which mortifies Millie. Flo sends Millie over to show herself off to Helen. Flo worries about allowing Millie to go on a date with “that young hoodlum” (35), but Madge is sympathetic to Hal. She also refuses to be a “wet blanket” and police the other teens’ drinking. Sending Madge in to get ready, Flo jokes that she should be careful not to get stuck in front of the mirror, which upsets Madge in a way that perplexes her mother.

Rosemary, Irma, and Christine return from their faculty party, disappointed that they had to pay for their own meals. Irma expresses hurt that no one has noticed her dress, and the others admire it obligingly. Satisfied, Irma and Christine leave to let Rosemary get ready for her date. Madge enters and asks Rosemary if she can use her perfume. After Madge goes back inside, Rosemary comments that Madge is too preoccupied with boys, but Flo is doubtful. Millie and Helen enter with cakes, and Helen crows about how nice Millie looks. Helen sees picnics as “an excuse… to let something thrilling and romantic happen” (38).

Rosemary hears her date, Howard Bevans, pull into the driveway but sits to wait calmly. She comments that if he has been drinking, she’ll feign coolness and turn him away. Howard is surprised to see Millie looking pretty, and Millie anxiously asks when the boys will be there. Alan arrives with two cars, impressing Flo until she learns that Hal will drive Millie in one. Hal rushes in, trying to fit into Alan’s too-small jacket and taking it off at Alan and Helen’s urging. Alan introduces Hal as “Hercules” to the group. Hal attempts to be friendly and starts to tell the story of having his clothes stolen, but Alan indicates that the subject is inappropriate. Flo tells Madge to get ready. Madge wants to wear her new dress, but Flo tells her that she needs to save it for dances in the fall.

Rosemary asks Hal about his boots, which he explains were passed down by his father as a symbol of masculinity. Hal offers to help Flo load the car, but Flo turns him down and asks Alan to help instead. Before exiting, Alan reminds him, “Mind your manners, Hal” (43). Millie offers to show Hal her drawings, which impress him, and he sits as she draws a portrait of him. Rosemary and Howard comment on the dazzling sunset, and Rosemary tries to discourage Howard from drinking while Millie is there. Hal expresses amazement when Millie says that she read an entire book that afternoon and that she writes poetry. She gives him the drawing. Howard ignores Rosemary’s protests and brings a bottle of bootleg whiskey from the house, offering a drink to Hal, which he gratefully takes. Rosemary objects that liquor is illegal in the state and that she could lose her job, but Howard persuades Rosemary to take a drink anyways. Millie attempts to drink from the bottle, but Hal intercepts it. Rosemary goes off to get some water, and Howard sends Millie to help.

Alone, Howard and Hal watch Madge through her window as she gets ready. Howard tells Hal about his lecherous thoughts of Madge, and Hal demurs, unwilling to talk about his friend’s girlfriend. Howard insists that Alan will meet another girl and forget Madge when he goes back to school, but Hal doubts that anyone could forget someone like Madge. Howard offers to introduce Hal to some prostitutes he knows, but Hal declines. Rosemary and Millie return. Millie jabs at Madge for getting ready in front of the window, and Madge closes her curtains abruptly. Rosemary states that she was as pretty as Madge when she was younger, but her father would have punished her for dressing with the curtains open.

Hearing music nearby, Rosemary invites Howard to dance, but Howard insists that he can’t. Rosemary then asks Millie, who agrees but insists on leading. Howard and Hal mock the two women by jokingly dancing together with Hal playing the role of an exaggeratedly coquettish woman. Rosemary tells them to stop and pulls Howard into a dance with her. Hal asks Millie to dance and then teaches her how to follow his lead. Helen enters, attracted by the dancing. Alan comes out from the kitchen and signals to Flo to come and see Millie dance. Millie becomes more confident and starts to have fun. Madge enters, and Howard compliments her and asks her to dance. She agrees, and they dance until Rosemary pulls him away to dance with her. Madge demonstrates the step that Hal is trying to teach Millie. Hal and Madge dance together seamlessly for a while. Helen marvels, “It’s like they were made to dance together, isn’t it?” (50), which breaks the moment.

As Millie watches, sneaking drinks from the whiskey bottle, Rosemary forcefully interrupts Hal and Madge to insist that Hal dance with her; in the process, she tears his shirt. Howard pulls Rosemary away, explaining, “He’s dancing with Madge. They’re young people” (51). This upsets Rosemary. Madge tries to help Hal with his ripped shirt. Suddenly, Millie is sick. Madge tries to help her walk into the house, but Millie tells her that she hates her and goes inside, crying about Madge being the pretty one. Helen follows. Rosemary blames Howard for staring at Madge instead of keeping an eye on Millie and the liquor. She accuses Madge of being just as bad. Flo storms in, demanding to know who allowed Millie to drink. Rosemary accuses Hal of giving Millie liquor so he could “take his pleasure with the child and then skedaddle” (53), which Madge insists isn’t the truth. Howard agrees, stating that no one saw Millie drinking. Rosemary berates and insults Hal, calling him cocky because he’s young and handsome and asserting that he’ll eventually go back to the gutter where he came from. Howard covers Rosemary’s mouth and pulls her to the side.

Helen returns and announces that Millie has vomited and is now just fine. Millie enters with Alan, and Flo states that there will be no further drinking at the picnic. Alan blames Hal for drinking at all. Flo decides that Millie will ride with Alan instead of Hal. She notices that Madge is wearing her new dress and orders her to change, saying she can ride with Rosemary and Howard. Everyone bustles out except Rosemary, Howard, and Hal, who sits alone and dejected on the edge of the porch. Howard admonishes Rosemary for the way she spoke to Hal, and Rosemary wonders what got into her. Suddenly Rosemary decides that she doesn’t want to spend the last day of summer vacation at the picnic and tells Howard that she wants to “drive into the sunset!” (54). They exit.

Madge returns and comforts Hal, asserting, “Women like Miss Sydney make me disgusted with the whole female sex” (54). Hal feels like she saw the truth: that he’s out of place in the world. Madge feels the same way, envying her sister’s talent and intelligence, but she feels better when she remembers that she is herself and not Millie. Hal thinks that being himself isn’t such a great thing, but Madge praises his sense of humor and his dancing ability. Hal admits that he went to reform school for a year at 14; his mother was happy to be rid of him. Madge kisses him. After a moment, she reminds Hal that they have to go to the picnic. Hal replies that they could go somewhere to be alone. They walk out hand in hand.