# Pollock and the Porroh Man explained — Short Fiction > Chapter companion for Short Fiction by H. G. Wells. ## What happens Pollock, a member of an expedition in West Africa, kills a woman who turns out to be the wife of a Porroh man, a powerful witch-doctor. After a violent confrontation, the Porroh man escapes and begins a campaign of revenge against Pollock, using both physical attacks and psychological terror. Despite attempts to flee, Pollock finds himself increasingly isolated and haunted by the threat. ## Themes in this chapter ### Nature and the Unknown The African wilderness and the mysterious, supernatural powers of the Porroh society represent the unknown and hostile forces that challenge the rational, civilized worldview of the European characters. ### War and Civilization The conflict between Pollock and the Porroh man illustrates the clash between European colonial 'civilization' and indigenous cultures, with violence and revenge as central elements. ### Ambition and Failure Pollock's reckless actions and failure to understand the local customs lead to his downfall, reflecting the theme of ambition (in this case, colonial arrogance) resulting in failure. ## Character check-ins ### Pollock The protagonist, an Englishman on an expedition who kills a Porroh man's wife and becomes the target of supernatural revenge. ### Waterhouse Pollock's companion and moral authority, who scolds him for his recklessness and tries to protect him from the Porroh man's vengeance. ### Shakespeare A Freetown half-breed who informs Pollock about the Porroh society's powers and methods. ### Perera A Portuguese Jewish trader at Sulyma who becomes Pollock's friend and warns him about the seriousness of the Porroh threat. ## Key lines > It was in a swampy village on the lagoon river behind the Turner Peninsula that Pollock's first encounter with the Porroh man occurred. Pollock first met the Porroh man in a marshy village along a lagoon river behind the Turner Peninsula. _Sets the scene for the initial confrontation._ > The Porroh man stabbed the woman to the heart as though he had been a mere low-class Italian, and very narrowly missed Pollock. The Porroh man killed the woman with a stab to the heart, almost hitting Pollock as well. _Describes the murder and the close call for Pollock._ > Pollock clutched his revolver nervously in his hand. One of his men came to meet him, and as he came, pointed to the bushes behind the hut in which the Porroh man had disappeared. Pollock gripped his revolver anxiously, and a porter pointed to the bushes where the Porroh man had vanished. _Shows Pollock's fear and the immediate aftermath of the attack._ > Waterhouse took the matter even more seriously than Pollock had anticipated. He did not simply disapprove, he scolded, he insulted. Waterhouse reacted more harshly than Pollock expected, scolding and insulting him rather than just disapproving. _Highlights Waterhouse's anger and the seriousness of the situation._ > You're one of those infernal fools who think a black man isn't a human being, he said. Waterhouse accused Pollock of being the kind of fool who doesn't see black people as human. _Reveals Waterhouse's condemnation of Pollock's racist attitude._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_25_se/chapters/pollock-and-the-porroh-man - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_25_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_25_se/chapters