Short Fiction · Chapter
Mr. Icky explained
A one-act play set in a quaint English cottage where the elderly Mr.
What happens
A one-act play set in a quaint English cottage where the elderly Mr. Icky, who has lived through two sets of glands and reformed from petty arson, interacts with the dreamy boy Peter and his worldly children. His daughter Ulsa returns with her suitor Rodney Divine, and a debate over Jack Dempsey versus Frank Gotch ensues. Mr. Icky's children abandon him for city life, and he is left alone, covered in moths, with Peter's gift of a mothball.
Themes in this chapter
Youth and Aging
Mr. Icky, at a hundred years old, contrasts with his youthful children and Peter, highlighting the generational divide and the struggle to maintain vitality.
Rebellion and Nonconformity
Mr. Icky's children rebel against rural life, shouting 'Life!' and 'Jazz!', while Mr. Icky clings to quaintness and tradition.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Icky
The elderly protagonist, quaintly dressed, pottering among pots and dods, reflecting on his past and his children's departure.
- Peter Himmel
A little boy with serious gray eyes, fascinated by Mr. Icky, who dreams of becoming a star and gives Mr. Icky a mothball.
- Jim Mather
Not present; no match found in excerpt.
Key passages
“We never forgive those we can understand. … We can only forgive those who wound us for no reason at all.”
Forgiveness is impossible when we comprehend someone's motives; only senseless hurt can be pardoned.
Mr. Icky's philosophical reflection on forgiveness and understanding.
“It’s not life that counts, it’s the quaintness you bring to it.”
The value of life lies not in living but in the peculiar charm you add to it.
Mr. Icky's whimsical mantra as he struggles to maintain his quaintness.