Short Fiction · Chapter
His Dilemma explained
An elderly man visits a drug store seeking advice on whether to dye his white whiskers to win the affection of a widow, while also fearing being drafted into a potential war due to the Monroe Doctrine.
What happens
An elderly man visits a drug store seeking advice on whether to dye his white whiskers to win the affection of a widow, while also fearing being drafted into a potential war due to the Monroe Doctrine. After the clerk reassures him that war is unlikely, he buys the hair dye and resolves to propose to the widow.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The old man considers dyeing his hair to appear younger and deceive the widow about his age.
Humor and Irony
The old man's comical dilemma between pursuing a widow and avoiding conscription is presented with ironic humor.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator describes the old man's appearance and his interaction with the clerk.
Key passages
“Ef I uses hair dye and trains down to thirty-eight or forty years of age, I ketches the widder, but I turns into a peart and chipper youth what is liable to be made to fight in this here great war.”
If I dye my hair and look like a young man of thirty-eight or forty, I will win the widow, but I might be drafted to fight in the war.
The old man explains his central conflict between love and self-preservation.