Fifty-One Tales · Chapter
A Mistaken Identity explained
Fame encounters Notoriety in a city at evening, where Notoriety is mistaken for Fame by worshippers.
What happens
Fame encounters Notoriety in a city at evening, where Notoriety is mistaken for Fame by worshippers. When Notoriety claims to be Fame, Fame quietly departs, and Notoriety leads her followers to the Pit.
Themes in this chapter
Fame and Notoriety
The chapter explores the confusion between true fame and mere notoriety, highlighting the hollow nature of the latter.
Characters to notice
Key passages
“Fame as she walked at evening in a city saw the painted face of Notoriety flaunting beneath a gas-lamp, and many kneeled unto her in the dirt of the road.”
While walking through a city at dusk, Fame observed Notoriety's garish face showing off under a gaslight, with many people bowing down to her in the street.
Sets the scene of mistaken identity and false worship.
“Then Fame stole softly away so that no one knew she had gone.”
Fame quietly slipped away without being noticed.
Fame's silent departure contrasts with Notoriety's loud deception.
“And Notoriety presently went forth and all her worshippers rose and followed after, and she led them, as was most meet, to her native Pit.”
Notoriety then went out, and all her followers got up and followed her, and she led them, fittingly, to her home, the Pit.
Notoriety's followers are led to destruction, underscoring the consequences of mistaking notoriety for fame.