Gullible’s Travels · Chapter

I explained

The narrator and his wife decide to take a trip to Palm Beach after being bitten by the 'society bacillus.' They plan the trip, buy new clothes, and make arrangements, but the chapter ends with them about to leave, with a promise to keep th

What happens

Themes in this chapter

Social Class and Aspiration
The narrator and his wife are trying to climb the social ladder by going to Palm Beach, hoping to mingle with the wealthy and high society.
Money and Financial Strain
The trip is expensive, and the narrator is concerned about the cost, including the need to pay off a mortgage by March 15.
Disillusionment with Glamour
The narrator hints that the trip will not live up to expectations, as he promises to say he had a swell time but implies the reality will be different.

Characters to notice

Unknown Narrator
The narrator, who is planning the trip to Palm Beach with his wife, is skeptical about the cost but goes along with the plan.
The Missus
The narrator's wife, who is enthusiastic about the trip and insists on buying new clothes to look the part.
Mrs. Hatch
Calls to invite the narrator and his wife to a rummy game, but they decline because they are going away.

Key passages

“I promised the Wife that if anybody ast me what kind of a time did I have at Palm Beach I'd say I had a swell time.”
I promised my wife that I would tell everyone we had a great time at Palm Beach.
The narrator is setting up the expectation that the trip may not be as wonderful as they hope.
“We got to kiddin' about it. 'Well,' I'd say, 'we'd better be startin' pretty soon or we'll miss the best part o' the season.'”
We joked about going to Palm Beach, saying we should start soon to catch the best part of the season.
The couple's joking about the trip eventually leads to the decision to actually go.

Read this chapter free Book page