# III explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Hjalmar Söderberg.

## What happens

Years later, Richard Fant and his wife prepare to go out to dinner with her cousin Tom Gabel. Richard notices the blue anchor on his hand is fading, but his wife is preoccupied with Tom. Richard reluctantly puts on his decoration at his wife's insistence, feeling the anchor's fading may make the decoration necessary.

## Themes in this chapter

### Illusion and Reality

The fading blue anchor symbolizes the erosion of a past illusion, while Richard's decoration represents a superficial attempt to maintain appearances.

### Identity and Self-Deception

Richard's reluctance to wear the decoration and his reflection on the anchor's fading suggest a tension between his true self and the social identity imposed on him.

## Character check-ins

### Frederick Richard Fant

Now called Richard Fant; notices the blue anchor fading and reluctantly wears his decoration.

### Edith

Richard's wife; preoccupied with her cousin Tom Gabel and insists Richard wear his decoration.

### Tom Gabel

Edith's cousin, an attaché at the embassy in Madrid, visiting and expected to join them for dinner.

## Key lines

> Do you know, I think the blue anchor is beginning to fade. Perhaps it’s on the way to vanish entirely.

Richard remarks that the blue anchor on his hand seems to be disappearing.

_Highlights the theme of transience and the fading of a significant mark._

> He fastened it on the lapel of his coat with the feeling that perhaps he really needed it, seeing that he had a blue anchor on his left hand.

Richard puts on the decoration, feeling it compensates for the fading anchor.

_Illustrates his reliance on external symbols of status as his inner identity fades._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_29_se/chapters/iii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_29_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_29_se/chapters