On a Chinese Screen · Chapter
The Old Timer explained
The chapter introduces a seventy-six-year-old former sailor who has spent his life in China, recounting his varied career on the Yangtze, his three marriages, and his current role as chief officer on a river steamer.
What happens
The chapter introduces a seventy-six-year-old former sailor who has spent his life in China, recounting his varied career on the Yangtze, his three marriages, and his current role as chief officer on a river steamer. Despite financial ruin and old age, he reflects on his past without regret, finding solace in the familiar river and his loyal Chinese servant.
Themes in this chapter
Colonial Ennui and Isolation
The old timer's life is marked by isolation from his family and homeland, finding only companionship in his Chinese servant and the river.
Futility of Western Superiority
Despite a life of adventure and authority, the old timer ends up penniless and alone, suggesting the emptiness of Western colonial pursuits.
Search for Meaning and Identity
In his old age, he reflects on his past and finds meaning in the river and his memories, asserting a sense of fulfillment despite external failures.
Characters to notice
- The Taipan
Not directly present; the old timer's story is independent of the taipan.
- The Doctor
Not directly present; the old timer's narrative does not involve the doctor.
- The Consul
Not directly present; the old timer's story stands alone.
- The Stranger
Not directly present; the old timer is the central figure.
Key passages
“He was seventy-six years old. He had come to China when he was little more than a boy as second mate of a sailing vessel and had never gone home again.”
At seventy-six, he had arrived in China as a young second mate and never returned.
Establishes his lifelong commitment to China and his rootlessness.
“He had been married three times, first to a Japanese woman, then to a Chinese, and finally when he was hard upon fifty to an Englishwoman. They were all dead now and it was the Japanese who lingered in his memory.”
He married three women—Japanese, Chinese, and English—all deceased, but he remembered the Japanese wife most fondly.
Highlights his cross-cultural relationships and the lasting impact of his first wife.
“The only person now for whom he had any affection was the boy who had been with him for five and forty years. He was a little wizened Chinaman, with a bald head, slow of movement and solemn.”
His only remaining affection was for his Chinese servant of 45 years, an old, bald, solemn man.
Emphasizes his deep bond with his servant, transcending cultural differences.
“By George,” he muttered, “I’ve had a fine life.””
He muttered to himself that he had lived a good life.
Summarizes his acceptance and satisfaction with his past, despite hardships.