# Roads of Destiny explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by O. Henry.

## What happens

David Mignot, a young poet, leaves his village of Vernoy after a quarrel with Yvonne, seeking fame and fortune in Paris. He sets out on the road, believing it will lead him to his destiny.

## Themes in this chapter

### Ambition and Failure

David's ambition to become a famous poet drives him to leave Vernoy, risking failure and loss.

### Nostalgia and the Passage of Time

David leaves behind his familiar life and Yvonne, marking a transition from past to future.

## Character check-ins

### David Mignot

The young poet who leaves his home and Yvonne to seek fame in Paris.

### Unknown Narrator

Third-person narrator describing David's journey and inner thoughts.

## Key lines

> The song was over. The words were David’s; the air, one of the countryside. The company about the inn table applauded heartily, for the young poet paid for the wine.

David's song ends, and the inn's patrons applaud because he bought the wine.

_Establishes David's role as a poet and his social context._

> When my poems are on every man’s tongue,” he told himself, in a fine exhilaration, “she will, perhaps, think of the hard words she spoke this day.”

David imagines that when his poems become famous, Yvonne will regret their quarrel.

_Reveals David's motivation and his hope for reconciliation through success._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters/roads-of-destiny
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_41_se/chapters