Short Fiction · Chapter
Whiskey Did It explained
A philanthropist at the Market House square observes a small policeman arresting a large negro man.
What happens
A philanthropist at the Market House square observes a small policeman arresting a large negro man. When asked what caused his downfall, the man replies 'whisky,' but explains that it was the policeman who was drunk, not himself, which enabled the officer to arrest him. The philanthropist walks away in disappointment, and the policeman drags the man off.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The philanthropist assumes the negro's downfall is due to his own drinking, but the truth is that the policeman's drunkenness enabled the arrest, reversing expectations.
Humor and Irony
The ironic twist that 'whisky did it' refers to the policeman's intoxication, not the prisoner's, undercuts the philanthropist's moralizing and provides dark comedy.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The philanthropist who questions the arrested man and makes a note of his case.
Key passages
“Whisky, boss.”
The arrested man attributes his situation to whiskey.
The man's initial answer misleads the philanthropist into thinking he is a victim of drink.
“Dis mawnin' dis here mis'able little dried-up ossifer what's got me, goes out an' fills hisse'f up wid mean whisky till he ain't know what danger he am in, an' he come an' scoop me up.”
The man explains that the policeman got drunk on cheap whiskey and then dared to arrest him.
The man reveals the true cause: the officer's drunkenness, not his own.