On a Chinese Screen · Chapter
XXX: The Consul explained
The chapter focuses on Mr.
What happens
The chapter focuses on Mr. Pete, the British consul, who is in a state of extreme irritation following a visit from Miss Lambert, an Englishwoman who married a Chinese man named Yü. Despite his efforts to persuade her to leave, she stubbornly refuses, citing a trivial physical attraction to her husband. The consul's frustration highlights his eccentricities, isolation, and the cultural clashes inherent in his position.
Themes in this chapter
Cultural Clash and Misunderstanding
The consul's inability to comprehend Miss Lambert's attachment to her Chinese husband, and her refusal to conform to Western expectations, exemplifies deep cultural misunderstandings.
Colonial Ennui and Isolation
Mr. Pete's eccentricities and loneliness, exacerbated by his bachelorhood and long service in isolated posts, reflect the ennui and isolation of colonial life.
Hypocrisy and Moral Compromise
The consul's moral outrage at Miss Lambert's situation contrasts with his own obliviousness to the opium trade conducted at his consulate, highlighting hypocrisy.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Pete
The consul, exasperated by Miss Lambert's visit, displays eccentric habits and a short temper, reflecting his isolation and frustration with the cultural misunderstandings he faces.
- Miss Lambert
An Englishwoman married to a Chinese man, she refuses the consul's help despite being unhappy, citing a trivial reason for staying with her husband.
Key passages
“Women are simply bloody.”
The consul, in his frustration, curses women in general.
This outburst reflects his exasperation with Miss Lambert's irrational behavior.
“There’s something in the way his hair grows on his forehead that I can’t help liking.”
Miss Lambert explains her attachment to her husband through a trivial physical detail.
This remark shocks the consul and underscores the irrational nature of her decision.