A Visit of Charity

The primary theme of the story is the lack of compassion Marian feels for the women at the Old Ladies’ Home. She visits under the guise of performing a charitable act. But she intends to gain points for her Campfire Girl badges—her altruism is an expression of selfishness. But within minutes of meeting the women and seeing their living conditions, Marian’s thoughts shift. She understands that visiting a home for the elderly is not as easy as she thought it might be.

Halfway into the visit, Marian begins to tell the women that bringing flowers gains her one extra point. She also wants to tell them that if she had brought a Bible and read it to them, it would have counted double. But she decides not to mention it, believing the women wouldn’t listen to her. She understands her idea of charity is not the same as theirs, and her sense of isolation from them grows.

The women argue over whether Addie is sick. The woman in the rocker tells Marian that Addie gets argumentative when “you all come” (140). Marian begins to understand that visits like hers, instead of being helpful, bring out the worst in the two women.