# A Poor Rule explained — Short Fiction > Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry. ## 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. ## Character check-ins ### Unknown Narrator The narrator is one of Ileen's suitors, participating in the test of honesty. ### Billy Keogh Not present in this chapter. ### Andy Donovan Not present in this chapter. ### The Captain Not present in this chapter. ### Johnny Atwood Not present in this chapter. ### Jim Not present in this chapter. ### Lorison Not present in this chapter. ### David Mignot Not present in this chapter. ### Samuel Tansey Not present in this chapter. ### Annie Williams Not present in this chapter. ### Ranse Truesdell Not present in this chapter. ### Octavia Beaupree Not present in this chapter. ### The General Not present in this chapter. ### Miss Alice Not present in this chapter. ### Jeff Peters Not present in this chapter. ### Willie Robbins Not present in this chapter. ### The Colonel Not present in this chapter. ### The Doctor Not present in this chapter. ### Curly Not present in this chapter. ### Aileen Not present in this chapter. ### Fergus O'Hollihan Not present in this chapter. ### Mame Dugan Not present in this chapter. ### Hetty Pepper Not present in this chapter. ### The Hermit Not present in this chapter. ### Whistling Dick Not present in this chapter. ### Dan McMullen Not present in this chapter. ### Lawyer Gooch Not present in this chapter. ### Grandemont Charles Not present in this chapter. ### Van Sweller Not present in this chapter. ### Simmons Not present in this chapter. ### Dry Valley Johnson Not present in this chapter. ### Yancey Goree Not present in this chapter. ### Barney O'Connor Not present in this chapter. ### Curtis Raidler Not present in this chapter. ### Dicky Maloney Not present in this chapter. ### Shamrock Jolnes Not present in this chapter. ### Cork McManus Not present in this chapter. ### Denver Galloway Not present in this chapter. ### Teddy Westlake Not present in this chapter. ### Frank Goodwin Not present in this chapter. ### Beelzebub Blythe Not present in this chapter. ### Thomas McQuade Not present in this chapter. ### Tom Hopkins Not present in this chapter. ### Soapy Not present in this chapter. ### Ives Not present in this chapter. ### Webb Yeager Not present in this chapter. ### Nevada Warren Not present in this chapter. ### Mr. Morley Not present in this chapter. ### Mac McGowan Not present in this chapter. ### Señor Goodwin Not present in this chapter. ### Young Murray Not present in this chapter. ### Luke Summers Not present in this chapter. ### Jimmy Valentine Not present in this chapter. ### Mr. Peters Not present in this chapter. ### Uncle Bushrod Not present in this chapter. ### Vallance Not present in this chapter. ### Mrs. Conant Not present in this chapter. ### Joe Larrabee Not present in this chapter. ### Maggie Toole Not present in this chapter. ### Injunction Cherokee Not present in this chapter. ### Old Uncle Jake Not present in this chapter. ### George Ringo Not present in this chapter. ### Doc Millikin Not present in this chapter. ### Cricket McGuire Not present in this chapter. ### Tom Lawson Not present in this chapter. ### Tonia Perez Not present in this chapter. ### Willard Geddie Not present in this chapter. ### Francis Kearny Not present in this chapter. ### Mr. Blinker Not present in this chapter. ### Señor White Not present in this chapter. ### Perry Rountree Not present in this chapter. ### Fuzzy Not present in this chapter. ### Buck Patterson Not present in this chapter. ### Tobin Not present in this chapter. ### Robert Walmsley Not present in this chapter. ### Thomas McLeod Not present in this chapter. ### Jacob Spraggins Not present in this chapter. ### Thacker Not present in this chapter. ### Bob Hart Not present in this chapter. ### Billy Pemberton Not present in this chapter. ## Key lines > 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._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/a-poor-rule - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters