# The Man Who Could Work Miracles explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by H. G. Wells.

## What happens

George McWhirter Fotheringay, a skeptical clerk, discovers he can perform miracles through sheer willpower after accidentally inverting a lamp during a bar argument. He experiments privately, creating and annihilating objects, but struggles with control and secrecy, leading to a confrontation with a constable.

## Themes in this chapter

### Ambition and Failure

Fotheringay's initial elation at his power gives way to anxiety and mishaps, hinting at the perils of unchecked ambition.

### Artifice vs. Authenticity

The miraculous events challenge the boundary between natural and supernatural, questioning what is real.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Fotheringay

Protagonist who discovers his miraculous willpower.

### Mr. Maydig

Not present in this excerpt.

### Mr. Coombes

Not present in this excerpt.

## Key lines

> It is doubtful whether the gift was innate. For my own part, I think it came to him suddenly.

The narrator suggests Fotheringay's miraculous ability was not inborn but appeared abruptly.

_Sets up the mystery of the power's origin._

> The lamp hung inverted in the air, burning quietly with its flame pointing down.

The lamp defies gravity, floating upside down while still lit.

_First public demonstration of Fotheringay's power._

> I can't keep it up, he said, any longer.

Fotheringay admits he cannot sustain the miracle.

_Reveals the strain and lack of control over his ability._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_25_se/chapters/the-man-who-could-work-miracles
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_25_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_25_se/chapters