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Short Fiction · Chapter

A Poor Rule explained

The narrator and his rivals, Bud Cunningham and Jacks, compete for the affections of Ileen Hinkle, a beautiful but self-proclaimed truth-seeker who claims to despise flattery.

What happens

The narrator and his rivals, Bud Cunningham and Jacks, compete for the affections of Ileen Hinkle, a beautiful but self-proclaimed truth-seeker who claims to despise flattery. They each offer her what they believe to be honest, understated compliments, which she rewards with smiles. A new rival, the eloquent lawyer C. Vincent Vesey, arrives and threatens their chances. Ileen's father suggests a test: she will ask each suitor for a frank opinion of her singing voice, believing the one who tells the truth is most worthy. The three rivals rejoice, confident that Vesey's flattery will fail the test.

Themes in this chapter

  • Deception and Appearance vs. Reality

    Ileen claims to despise flattery and value honesty, yet she rewards the suitors' backhanded compliments with smiles, revealing a gap between her stated values and her true desires.

  • Love and Romance

    The chapter revolves around a romantic competition among four suitors for Ileen's affection, with the test of honesty serving as a strategic move in the courtship.

  • Humor and Irony

    The suitors' clumsy, insincere 'honest' compliments and their joyful dance upon hearing of the test are presented with ironic humor, as they misunderstand Ileen's true nature.

Characters to notice

Key passages

  • “Flattery she detested. Frankness and honesty of speech and action, she declared, were the chief mental ornaments of man and woman.”

    She claimed to hate flattery and insisted that honesty was the most important quality in a person.

    Ileen's stated preference for honesty sets up the central irony of the chapter.

  • “Ileen gave him one of her sweetest smiles. 'Thank you, Mr. Cunningham,' she said. 'I consider that one of the finest compliments I've had in a long time.'”

    Ileen smiled warmly and thanked Bud, calling his backhanded compliment one of the best she had ever received.

    Ileen rewards Bud's 'honest' but actually flattering remark, revealing her contradictory nature.

  • “The doctrine of predestination would have been discredited had not Vesey seen Ileen Hinkle and become fourth in the tourney.”

    It was inevitable that Vesey would see Ileen and join the competition for her affection.

    The narrator uses humor to describe Vesey's inevitable entry into the romantic rivalry.

  • “The man that'll tell you the truth about it'll have a mighty lot of nerve, and'll do to tie to.”

    The man who tells you the truth about your singing will be brave and reliable.

    Old Man Hinkle proposes the test, believing honesty is a sign of character.

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