Short Fiction · Chapter
The Foreign Policy of Company 99 explained
Engine Company No.
What happens
Engine Company No. 99's hose-cart driver John Byrnes is an ardent Japan supporter during the Russo-Japanese War, tracking the conflict on a war map. An immigrant named Demetre Svangvsk inadvertently causes a crash that injures Byrnes and kills the beloved horse Erebus. Despite being repeatedly kicked out, Svangvsk returns and later heroically rescues Byrnes's son Chris from a runaway automobile by riding the remaining horse Joe. The firemen discover Svangvsk is a Cossack, a Russian tribe, complicating Byrnes's anti-Russian stance.
Themes in this chapter
Humor and Irony
The irony of a pro-Japan fireman being saved by a Cossack (Russian) immigrant, and the repeated kicking of Svangvsk despite his eventual heroism.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Svangvsk appears as a harmless, grinning fool but proves to be a skilled rider and hero; the firemen's prejudice blinds them to his true nature.
Social Class and Wealth
The immigrant is treated as a lowly 'protozoa' and 'alien fowl,' while the firemen hold a respected position; class and nationality divide them.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Narrates the events from a third-person perspective, focusing on the firemen and the immigrant.
- John Byrnes
Hose-cart driver of Engine Company No. 99, obsessed with Japanese victories in the Russo-Japanese War; injured in the accident caused by Svangvsk.
- Demetre Svangvsk
Immigrant who causes the accident but later rescues Byrnes's son; revealed to be a Cossack.
- Chris Byrnes
John Byrnes's nine-year-old son; accidentally sets the Deputy Fire Commissioner's auto in motion and is rescued by Svangvsk.
- Mike Dowling
Fireman who expresses disgust at Svangvsk and kicks him out of the engine-house.
- Sloviski
Delicatessen owner and linguist who attempts to identify Svangvsk's origin but fails.
Key passages
“The unwritten constitutional code of the fireman has no exceptions or amendments. It is a simple thing—as simple as the rule of three.”
The firemen's unwritten rules are absolute and straightforward, like a basic mathematical principle.
Highlights the rigid ethical code of the fire department.
“Sounds like a seidlitz powder, said Mike Dowling, disgustedly, and it makes me sicker than one.”
Mike Dowling compares the immigrant's chatter to an effervescent laxative, expressing his disgust.
Shows the firemen's contempt for the foreigner.
“The heathen rides like a Cossack, remarked a fireman who had seen a Wild West show—they're the greatest riders in the world.”
A fireman observes that Svangvsk rides as well as a Cossack, known for their equestrian skills.
Foreshadows the revelation of Svangvsk's identity.