My Four Weeks in France · Chapter
I: Dodging Submarines to Cover the Biggest Game of All explained
The narrator recounts his recruitment as a war correspondent, the bureaucratic hurdles of obtaining passage to France, and the chaotic, humorous voyage across the Atlantic aboard a troopship.
What happens
The narrator recounts his recruitment as a war correspondent, the bureaucratic hurdles of obtaining passage to France, and the chaotic, humorous voyage across the Atlantic aboard a troopship. The chapter details life at sea, including lifeboat drills, eccentric fellow passengers, language barriers, and the constant threat of submarines.
Themes in this chapter
Bureaucratic Absurdity
The narrator's recruitment and travel arrangements are marked by contradictory instructions, red tape, and unhelpful officials, such as the War Department denying troopship passage and the steamship company's evasive answers.
Culture Clash and Humor
Language barriers and cultural misunderstandings abound, from the French Consulate demanding autographed photos to the passenger mispronouncing 'allumette' and receiving lemonade.
Wartime Inconvenience and Danger
The constant threat of submarines, lifeboat drills, and the lack of basic amenities like soap and matches highlight the discomforts and perils of wartime travel.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
The narrator is the central figure, documenting his recruitment and the absurdities of transatlantic travel.
- Mr. Kiley
Mentioned as the gentleman from Connecticut who recruits the narrator as a war correspondent.
- Auguste
A steward who brings lemonade instead of matches due to a language misunderstanding.
- Mademoiselle
An American young lady struggling with French menus, assisted by a multilingual passenger.
- O’Grady
The Gentleman from Louisiana, a seventy-year-old aspiring Foreign Legionnaire who advocates exercise.
Key passages
“How would you like to go to France? I told him I'd like it very much, but that I was thirty-two years old, with a dependable wife and three unreliable children.”
The narrator is asked if he wants to go to France; he expresses interest but notes his age and family obligations.
Highlights the narrator's initial reluctance and the absurdity of his recruitment.
“I told him I knew nothing about war. He said it had frequently been proved that that had nothing to do with it.”
The narrator admits ignorance of war, but the recruiter dismisses this as irrelevant.
Emphasizes the theme of bureaucratic absurdity.
“There has never been an accident on this line, he added. What I was thinking about, said I, wouldn't be classed as an accident.”
The steamship agent claims no accidents have occurred, but the narrator quips that a torpedo strike wouldn't be an accident.
Illustrates the narrator's dark humor about the submarine threat.
“He consulted his dictionary and dug out 'allumette.' But he thought the t's were silent and asked Auguste for 'allumay.' Auguste disappeared and returned in five minutes with a large glass of lemonade.”
A passenger mispronounces the French word for match, leading the steward to bring lemonade instead.
A humorous example of culture clash and language barriers.
“The Gentleman from Louisiana says he is going to join the Foreign Legion if they'll take him. He is only seventy years old.”
A seventy-year-old passenger from Louisiana plans to join the Foreign Legion.
Showcases the eccentricity of fellow travelers and the theme of wartime inconvenience.
