Answer:At the beginning of the story, Mr. Wehling feels despair and hopelessness. How do I know? Here are some textual evidence from the story to support my answer:
He is described as having a “colorless” appearance, which suggests a lack of vitality and emotion1.
He says that he has “nothing to fight with” and that he is “trapped” in a situation where he has to sacrifice two of his children and his grandfather for the sake of population control1.
He does not share the enthusiasm of Dr. Hitz and Leora Duncan about the birth of his triplets, and he calls them “doomed” and "useless"1.
He is silent and passive for most of the story, until he suddenly draws a revolver and kills Dr. Hitz, Leora Duncan, and himself, which shows his desperation and lack of hope1
Step-by-step explanation: