"No One's A Mystery" by Elizabeth Tallent

When I first read this short story, I could not figure out the protagonist's character. I initially imagined the character to be a teenage boy who worked with Jack and they were trying to hide from his wife because they were drinking. It was not until the middle of the short story that I found out that she was his mistress. Throughout the whole story, I could tell that there was a conflict. However, it was utterly clear only when I finally found out that she was his surprisingly young mistress. The subtle details that was introduced from the beginning of the story contributed to the settings and characterization.

As the two characters had very conflicting views and distinct voices, it was clear that they were different characters despite the omission of their names. Jack viewed most things negatively, whereas the narrator was presented as a curious young girl. They started their versions of diary entries with the same line, as they were now on the same stage in the relationship, but their endings were vastly different. Towards the end of their conversation about the future, Jack posed rational predictions as opposed to the narrator's teenage girl's dream. Jack was playing along with her towards the end, but he was not serious about it. He then spoilt her dream by posing the ugly truth. Similarly, I had a feeling that Jack was just playing with her and will soon leave her for the reality (his life with his wife) and the narrator would return to her teenage life. At the back of their minds, the bittersweet memory of their relationship would linger with the "bittersweet smell" of the milk.