Short Fiction · Chapter
Cupid à la Carte explained
Jeff Peters recounts his courtship of Mame Dugan, a waitress who despises men for their constant eating.
What happens
Jeff Peters recounts his courtship of Mame Dugan, a waitress who despises men for their constant eating. Through a series of deceptions and a change of scenery, Jeff wins her over by taking her to a fancy restaurant, where she finally sees men's appetites in a new light.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Jeff Peters uses deception (the fake telegram and the fancy restaurant) to change Mame's perception of men and eating.
Love and Romance
The central plot revolves around Jeff's romantic pursuit of Mame and her eventual change of heart.
Humor and Irony
The story is told with Jeff's characteristic wit and irony, especially regarding the absurdity of Mame's aversion to men eating.
Characters to notice
- Jeff Peters
Narrator and protagonist who falls for Mame Dugan and devises a plan to win her affection.
- Mame Dugan
Waitress at the Dugan tent who despises men's eating habits but eventually changes her view.
- Old Uncle Jake
Mentioned as part of the Dugan family, though not directly involved in the main action.
- The Colonel
Referenced as a figure in the story's setting, but not a central character.
Key passages
“What a woman wants is what you’re out of. She wants more of a thing when it’s scarce. She likes to have souvenirs of things that never happened. She likes to be reminded of things she never heard of.”
Women desire what is unavailable, value scarcity, and cherish memories of things that never occurred.
Jeff Peters' philosophy on female psychology.
“A man and a sausage grinder and a pantry awake in me exactly the same sentiments.”
To Mame, a man is no different from a kitchen appliance or a pantry.
Mame's extreme aversion to men's eating habits.
“Give ’em a touch of the various—a little travel and a little rest, a little tomfoolery along with the tragedies of keeping house, a little petting after the blowing-up, a little upsetting and a little jostling around—and everybody in the game will have chips added to their stack by the play.”
Women need variety and a change of perspective to appreciate their lives and relationships.
Jeff's concluding moral about the need for novelty in relationships.