# LI explained — Memoirs of a Midget

> Chapter companion for Memoirs of a Midget by Walter de la Mare.

## What happens

The narrator and Mr. Anon arrive at the circus, where the narrator feels a mix of excitement and anxiety. She is eager to perform, hoping to earn her freedom and prove her worth, but Mr. Anon remains somber and disapproving. The showman greets them with a mix of greed and insolence, and tensions rise when Mr. Anon refuses to let the narrator perform. The showman becomes enraged, threatening violence, but the narrator, in a moment of prophetic vision, warns him of a rope around his neck, which intimidates him into backing down.

## Themes in this chapter

### Performance and Being on Show

The narrator revels in the circus performance, feeling alive under the gaze of the audience, but also struggles with the dehumanizing aspect of being a spectacle.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The narrator's disguise and the 'monstrous mummery' of the circus highlight themes of deception, as she hides her true self to gain freedom and approval.

### Solitude and Self-Discovery

Despite the crowd, the narrator feels isolated, longing for a deeper connection with Mr. Anon and seeking her true self through the performance.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown (Narrator)

The narrator is the midget performer, excited yet anxious about her circus act, longing for freedom and Mr. Anon's approval.

### Mr. Anon

Mr. Anon is somber and disapproving of the narrator's involvement with the circus, showing protective concern.

### Signorina Donna Angélique

The Signorina is mentioned in the narrator's recollection of her last 'orgy' of performance, representing the intoxicating thrill of disguise and spectacle.

### Miss M.

Miss M. is referenced as the 'pernickety' figure from whom the narrator seeks freedom through her circus escapades.

### Mrs. Monnerie

Mrs. Monnerie is mentioned as a potential source of protection or leverage in the narrator's argument with Mr. Anon.

## Key lines

> My monstrous disguise, that ferment of humanity, those owlish faces, the lurking shame, the danger, the poisonous excitement swept me clean out of myself.

The narrator feels that her grotesque costume and the chaotic, shameful excitement of the crowd completely overwhelm her sense of self.

_This captures the intoxicating yet dangerous thrill of performance and disguise._

> I longed for darkness, the din and glare; longed for my tent and the gaping faces, for the smoky wind to fan my cheek as I bobbed cantering round the ring.

She eagerly anticipates the night's performance, craving the noise, lights, and attention of the audience.

_Highlights her conflicted desire for the spectacle despite the risks._

> Beware, my friend. Have a care. I see a rope around your neck.

The narrator warns the showman that she foresees his doom, a noose hanging over him.

_A prophetic moment that intimidates the showman and shifts the power dynamic._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters/li
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/memoirs_of_a_midget_se/chapters