Short Fiction · Chapter
Roses, Ruses and Romance explained
Ravenel, a poet, laments the death of romance in modern literature to his friend Sammy Brown, a broker's clerk.
What happens
Ravenel, a poet, laments the death of romance in modern literature to his friend Sammy Brown, a broker's clerk. Sammy dismisses Ravenel's complaints and leaves for a date, revealed to be with a girl from the old mansion next door, signaled by roses in her window. Later, Ravenel sees a beautiful young woman in the same window and interprets her display of four roses and a nutmeg geranium as a romantic response to his poem, only to discover that the signals are actually Sammy's system for meeting his fiancée.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Ravenel misinterprets the roses and geranium as a romantic message for himself, when they are actually signals for Sammy's rendezvous.
Love and Romance
The story centers on romantic longing and the use of floral symbols to convey love, though the romance is comically misplaced.
Humor and Irony
The irony of Ravenel, who decries the death of romance, being fooled by a practical romantic ruse, creates a humorous twist.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Narrates the story, describing Ravenel and Sammy's interaction and the romantic misunderstanding.
- Sammy Brown
A broker's clerk and friend of Ravenel; uses roses to signal his fiancée in the old mansion.
- Ravenel
A poet who mourns the loss of romance and mistakenly believes the rose signals are for him.
Key passages
“Romance is dead, said Ravenel, lightly. When Ravenel spoke lightly he was generally serious.”
Ravenel casually declares that romance has died, but his light tone actually masks his serious belief.
Highlights Ravenel's cynical view of modern literature and romance.
“The whole thing, Sammy, is an obituary on Romance.”
Ravenel claims the magazine's contents are a funeral notice for romance.
Emphasizes Ravenel's critique of contemporary culture.
“Four of 'em today. Means four o'clock at the corner of Broadway and Twenty-third.”
Sammy explains that four roses signal a meeting time of four o'clock.
Reveals the practical use of romantic symbols for scheduling.