Poetry · Chapter
Thanksgiving explained
A superintendent of an almshouse confronts a pauper who refuses to partake in the Thanksgiving feast.
What happens
A superintendent of an almshouse confronts a pauper who refuses to partake in the Thanksgiving feast. The pauper explains his inability to eat due to lack of teeth and his inability to dance due to lost legs, lamenting his misfortunes. The superintendent insists on gratitude for broader mercies, such as spared disasters and war abroad, dismissing the pauper's personal grievances.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The superintendent's call for gratitude contrasts sharply with the pauper's genuine suffering, highlighting the hypocrisy of enforced thankfulness.
Mortality and Regret
The pauper's reflections on lost limbs and inability to enjoy life underscore themes of physical decay and regret.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The pauper who refuses the Thanksgiving bird and laments his physical disabilities.
- The Master
The superintendent of the almshouse who urges gratitude and attendance at church.
Key passages
“I have no teeth and I will eat no bird.”
The pauper refuses the turkey because he lacks teeth to chew it.
Highlights the pauper's physical limitation as a reason for ingratitude.
“Lacking my legs I could not prosecute / With any good advantage a pursuit;”
Without legs, the pauper cannot engage in any activity effectively.
Emphasizes the pauper's helplessness and loss of agency.
“Your private woes look mighty small—to me.”
The superintendent dismisses the pauper's personal suffering as insignificant compared to larger events.
Illustrates the superintendent's lack of empathy and the theme of hypocrisy.