# The Drizzle explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Hjalmar Söderberg.

## What happens

The narrator describes the arrival of autumn and tells a story about God, angered by human wickedness, who consults the Devil and decrees perpetual drizzle to punish humanity. The endless rain leads to despair, madness, and destruction, until the Devil returns the gray souls to God, admitting his advice was bad.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suffering and Injustice

God's punishment of perpetual drizzle causes widespread suffering, madness, and destruction.

### Hypocrisy and Moral Decay

God's plan to make humans wickeder to destroy themselves reflects a cynical view of divine justice.

### Nature and the Passage of Time

The eternal autumn and drizzle symbolize the decay of the world and the passage of time.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The narrator introduces the story of the drizzle and frames the tale.

### Lord

God, angered by human wickedness, decrees perpetual drizzle as punishment.

### His Master

The Devil, who advises God to create eternal drizzle and later returns the gray souls.

## Key lines

> The umbrella makers and the overshoes manufacturers were happy at the start, but it was not long before the smile froze upon even their lips.

Initially, those who sold rain gear were pleased, but soon even they suffered from the endless drizzle.

_Highlights the ironic initial benefit that turns to universal hardship._

> That’s the last of the human souls, said the Devil. I give them to Thee, Lord. But beware of using them, if Thou intendest to create a new world!

The Devil returns the gray souls to God, warning Him not to reuse them for a new creation.

_Emphasizes the theme of moral decay and the failure of divine punishment._

## Links

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