Poetry · Chapter
A Bubble explained
A satirical poem about Mrs.
What happens
A satirical poem about Mrs. Mehitable Marcia Moore, a woman who wears a large bustle inflated with hydrogen gas. When she goes to the beach, she refuses to remove it and instead wears a custom swimsuit. She wades into deep water, floats away as her bustle acts like a balloon, and ultimately bursts, causing her to drown.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The poem critiques societal vanity and the absurd lengths people go to for appearance, as Mehitable Moore prioritizes fashion over safety.
Nature and Artifice
The artificial bustle, a man-made fashion accessory, leads to a fatal conflict with the natural environment of the sea.
Key passages
“The bustle she wore was ingeniously planned / With an inspiration bright: / It magnified seven diameters and / Was remarkably nice and light. / It was made of rubber and edged with lace / And riveted all with brass, / And the whole immense interior space / Inflated with hydrogen gas.”
Her bustle was a cleverly designed, lightweight rubber balloon filled with hydrogen, trimmed with lace and brass rivets.
Describes the absurdly engineered fashion accessory that ultimately causes her demise.
“As her bubble drifted away from the shore, / On the glassy billows borne, / All cried: 'Why, where is Mehitable Moore? / I saw her go in, I'll be sworn!' / Then the bulb it swelled as the sun grew hot, / Till it burst with a sullen roar, / And the sea like oil closed over the spot— / Farewell, O Mehitable Moore!”
As her bustle carried her out to sea, the sun heated the hydrogen until it exploded, and she sank beneath the calm water.
The climax of the poem, where vanity leads to a fatal accident.