The Plot Summary of the Short Story Babysitter by Robert Coover

 
The plot of the story is jumbled, it is sometimes quite difficult to distinguish what is real or unreal because of the ambiguity of the narration. The storyline extends from morning till near midnight. The possible story line might be this – there can be alternative realities. The story is woven around a young babysitter who comes to take care of the three kids of Tuckers’ while they are away at a party. The Tuckers - Dolly and Harry are middle aged whose vigor of desire yet not diminished, are seemingly bored at each other’s dull emotions. The kids Jimmy and Bitsy are quite mischievous kids where Bitsy is quite younger and Jimmy seems to be growing into adolescence; the smallest kid is unnamed probably a toddler. The story is set in 1960’s setting where the television is the center figure of entertainment in the living room. Jack is the lover of the unnamed babysitter and Mark is the best friend of him.

The Tuckers’ are left for the party and through their conversation it is clear that Dolly is suspicious about Harry’s infatuation towards the babysitter. In the meantime, Dolly is unhappy about Jack is hovering around the home while they are away. In fact, Jack and Mark are at Pinball game planning to seduce Jack’s girlfriend, the babysitter. Meanwhile, the babysitter is battling with the kids to send them to beds before 9’O clock. She badly needs a shower at the bath and watch the television after that.

Jack and Mark come to the Tucker’s house and wait hidden outside bushes looking at the things happening inside the house. It is a hard struggle for the babysitter to take the devilish kids to the bath as both of them are playful and attached to the programs on the television. They push the babysitter on the ground and tickle her all over. After a long battle she is able to send them to beds. After doing dishes, she watches a romantic movie on the television. Meanwhile the two scandals are waiting outside looking for an opportunity.

After sometimes she is seen to got to the bath. Mark suggests looking at her naked body. They plan to call her randomly and they expect her to come and stand by the telephone where they can explore her nudity. The mute telephone calls bring a creepy feeling to the babysitter like a horror movie. Mark is unable to bear his lust and suggest Jack to enter the house. Using Jack, both of them lure her to take them into the visiting room where they tempt her and seduce her with and without her will.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tucker plans to come back to the house, there is a hidden intention inside his mind. When he enters house he sees the company of Jack, Mark and the babysitter trying to cover up the situation. He chases the boys away and exploits the opportunity to fulfil his desire; he blackmails the babysitter to do what he wants - if he is not to expose what she has done with the boys. She has to give in. However, Jack suddenly enters to the house and attacks Mr. Tucker, during the fight, Jack become unconscious having a hard blow from the old man.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Tucker calls home and the kid awakes. She inquires whether Mr. Tucker at home. The babysitter excuses to go to the baby and during the course of nappy changing, the baby swallows the nappy pin and choked to death. She takes the baby to the bath and make it sit when Jimmy comes behind and explores here nude figure. Again, the phone rings and Mrs. Tucker inquires about Mr. Tucker, while Jimmy notices that the baby is floating in water without any movement. However, he is sent back to the bed.

At the moment, raged with lust Mr. Tucker crashes into the bathroom and start seducing the babysitter again where both of them slip down and the babysitter’s head bangs on the bathtub and breaks her skull. Knowing she is dead, Tucker dips her inside the bathtub - probably the kid is still inside there and runs away. Jack and Mark eventually come and take the babysitter out of the bathtub. To their horror, they see she is dead, they know that they are in deep trouble if somebody comes to know about this. Alas! They see the two kids – Jimmy and Betsy are looking at them. To their rescue, they murder the kids!

Mrs. Tuckers is involved in another lusty encounter with the host of the party while the police call her and informs about the incident. Mrs. Tucker’s behavior is quite unnatural at a disastrous situation. She suggests her party host to watch the latest movie episode on the television.    

This is what must have probably happened in the story as the incidents are not clear. The story is told from the point of many, making it more unreliable. The story line is jumbled, and the story moves from forward to backward making the reader confused. However, this makes the story more suspenseful and intense. The pace of the story gradually increases and becomes more violent. The telecasts of the television go parallel with the story becoming more intense.

You may read or download the pdf version of the short story here.

 There can be different versions of the story line as the story line is jumbled and confused. We had a detailed summary mainly because most of the readers find it quite hard to grasp what actually happened in the short story. The story open-ended and a tragic thriller. We hope to provide a detailed analysis of the short story after this.

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