In this story by Luigi Pirandello, a respected civil servant rents an apartment for himself and his wife, and another for his mother-in-law. Gossip rages when he doesn’t allow his wife to leave their apartment, or her mother to visit. He explains to a “ladies’ group” that his first wife (the mother-in-law’s daughter) is dead, and he is supporting her mother, who is crazy. The “mother-in-law” later argues that her son-in-law is the crazy one. Readers are left to decide which of the equally plausible stories is true. Themes include gossip vs. the right to privacy, judging by appearances, relativism.
It seems to me that there could be another reason for the pair’s strange behavior. It may be that neither is crazy, and the true crazy one is the wife/daughter. This could be why she is locked up, and the stories told by the husband/mother may be designed to prevent her being institutionalized. This could also explain the friendliness the two demonstrate when they meet on the street.
Mrs. Frola and Mr. Ponza, Her Son-in-Law Text / PDF / Audio (3,500 words)