Short Fiction · Chapter
A Night Errant explained
The narrator reflects on the mingling of tragedy and comedy in everyday life, observing the hidden nobility and vice among all social classes.
What happens
The narrator reflects on the mingling of tragedy and comedy in everyday life, observing the hidden nobility and vice among all social classes. On a cold Saturday night, the Post Man visits the sickbed of Crip, a nine-year-old newsboy with a wooden leg, living in a squalid shanty by the bayou. Two intoxicated society men, Old Boy and his friend Bobby, also come to see Crip, moved by a strange compulsion. The chapter contrasts the warmth of domestic peace with the harsh realities of poverty, drunkenness, and human kindness.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Wealth
Contrast between the wealthy society men in evening dress and the impoverished Crip living in a leaky shanty.
Humor and Irony
The drunken, grandiose behavior of Old Boy and his friend as they visit a dying child, mixing absurdity with genuine concern.
Nostalgia and the Passage of Time
Old Boy's vague memory of Crip's eyes from his own childhood in Alabama, hinting at lost innocence and connection.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The Post Man, who observes the seamy and noble sides of life and visits Crip in his illness.
- Crip
A nine-year-old newsboy with a wooden leg, suffering from pneumonia in a dilapidated shanty.
- Old Boy
A drunken society man who feels compelled to visit Crip, recalling a vague connection from his past.
- Bobby
Old Boy's friend, a man in a dress suit who reluctantly accompanies him to Crip's hut.
- Crip's Mother
A somberly-clad woman who hurries to buy medicine for Crip with her last dollar.
Key passages
“Life is neither tragedy nor comedy. It is a mingling of both. High above us omnipotent hands pull the strings that choke our laughter with sobs and cause strange sounds of mirth to break in upon our deepest grief.”
Life blends sorrow and joy; unseen forces control our emotions, turning laughter into tears and mixing mirth with grief.
Opening philosophical reflection on the dual nature of existence.
“He sees the seamy side through the gilding that covers the elect of the earth, and he sees the pure gold that glitters amid the mire where tread the lowly and meek of heart.”
The Post Man perceives the flaws beneath the wealthy's polished surface and the hidden virtue among the poor and humble.
Describes the narrator's ability to see beyond social facades.
“There are staggering steps, loud speeches with rude and thickened tongues, and plentiful signs of misspent wages and the indulgence of debased appetites.”
Drunken men stumble and shout, wasting their earnings on vice instead of supporting their families.
Depiction of Saturday night debauchery in the city.
“Old Boy pushes his silk hat to the back of his head and starts with dangerous rapidity down the steep stairs.”
Old Boy, drunk but determined, tilts his top hat back and descends the rickety steps recklessly.
Shows Old Boy's intoxicated yet resolute character.