“‘Mrs. Sakkaro,’ she said, and then, to forestall her husband’s inevitable ‘Who’s that?’ added hastily, ‘The new neighbors, for goodness sake.’”

The exposition provided by Mrs. Wright’s words introduces the contrast between her and Mr. Wright’s feelings about the Sakkaros early in the story. She’s fascinated by them, while he can’t be bothered to remember who they are. Lillian’s knowledge of what his next question will be and her ability to answer it before he asks it illustrates a close relationship between the husband and wife.

“Sunbathing. Always sunbathing. I wonder where her boy is. He’s usually out on a nice day like this, standing in that tremendous yard of theirs and throwing the ball against the house. Did you ever see him, George?”

Supporting Curiosity and Judgment as a theme, Mrs. Wright’s close observation of her new neighbors is on full display. Her repetition that her neighbor spends her days sunbathing suggests disapproval, as further emphasized by the idea that “her boy” should be outside on a nice day. The motif of watching, along with the fact that she knows what he “usually” does, hints that Mrs. Wright has spent considerable time observing her neighbors.

“He’s a nice boy, quiet and well-behaved. I wish Tommie would make friends with him. He’s the right age, too, just about ten, I should say.”

This quote connects to the motif of seeing and watching and to The Illusion of Perfection and Control as a theme. Because the Sakkaro boy is quiet and well-behaved, Mrs. Wright assumes that he’s “nice.” This develops the superficial nature of her character along with the belief that if things look right, they must be right.