In this story by Mavis Gallant, an impoverished Canadian couple reflect on the decade they just spent drifting through Europe and the Far East in search of the riches and social status to which they feel entitled. The husband recalls an awkward night when a Geneva co-worker told him she had found solace as a child by getting up early every morning to watch the ice wagon go by. Rather than being inspired by the memory to make a fresh start, he remains paralysed by complacency and indecision. Themes include social class, entitlement, identity (self-delusion vs. selfhood), memories, lost opportunities, regret, stagnation.

The Ice Wagon Going Down the Street Text / PDF (9,700 words)