Short Fiction · Chapter
The Man Who Became Smaller explained
A man buys a very small house and plot of land, feels unhappy, and is advised by an old sparrow to take reducing drops from a German apothecary.
What happens
A man buys a very small house and plot of land, feels unhappy, and is advised by an old sparrow to take reducing drops from a German apothecary. He becomes tiny, finds everything fits, sublets the house and land for profit, grows rich, but is then snatched by a crow to feed its young, regretting his decision too late.
Themes in this chapter
Illusion vs. Reality
The man's belief that becoming smaller will solve his unhappiness proves illusory; his prosperity is shattered by the crow.
Freedom and Confinement
The man's initial confinement by his tiny property is replaced by a new confinement of greed and ultimately literal captivity in the crow's nest.
Key passages
“The man replied in a very reasonable way: “I should be indeed glad to do so, but unfortunately I was born such a giant.””
The man sensibly said he would like to shrink but couldn't because he was naturally large.
Highlights the man's logical yet futile response to the sparrow's absurd suggestion.
“He divided up the house into sections, and let them out to other little men in order to gain a large profit out of his small fortune.”
He partitioned the house and rented rooms to other tiny people to maximize his income.
Illustrates the man's entrepreneurial turn and the theme of greed.
“But a huge crow happened to fly by, caught the little man by his collar, and took him off to its nest, to feed its tots with.”
A large crow snatched the little man by his collar and carried him away to feed its young.
The ironic and grim conclusion where the man's success is undone by a predator.