The Fat Man’s Wife by Tennessee Williams. Short summary

5 seconds

Young playwright Dennis courts «fat man’s wife» Vera and calls her to Acapulco. But she chooses wealth and drives him away.

1 minute

On New Year’s morning in 1938, influential theater producer Joe and his wife Vera return from a party in their expensive New York apartment. At this party, Vera was being courted by young playwright Joe.

Joe said that his art doesn’t sell, but to succeed, he is told to compromise. But he’s not willing; art is dearer to him than anything else. So he wants to leave the temptations of New York and go to Acapulco. He calls Vera to follow him.

Vera has long suffered with her lecherous husband. But, faced with a choice between a stable and boring reality and travel, danger and adventure, Vera eventually drives Dennis away.

She is «fat man’s wife» Joe, and a happy life with him suits her just fine. The socialite of Manhattan wants to live as she used to. Besides, in times of depression, she can easily find herself on the street, with no one to provide for her.