Short Fiction · Chapter
Clovis on the Alleged Romance of Business explained
Clovis argues that the true romance of business lies not in the businessman but in the exotic goods themselves, which were discovered by wanderers and adventurers, not by industrious clerks.
What happens
Clovis argues that the true romance of business lies not in the businessman but in the exotic goods themselves, which were discovered by wanderers and adventurers, not by industrious clerks. He contrasts the imaginative allure of groceries with the dull, ledger-bound existence of the businessman, who buries any romance early in life.
Themes in this chapter
The Absurdity of Social Rituals
Clovis mocks the fashionable talk of 'the romance of Business' as a hollow social convention, contrasting it with the genuine allure of exotic goods.
Imagination vs. Reality
The romance of faraway lands is evoked by groceries, while the reality of business is reduced to dull ledgers and premature burial in cemeteries.
Characters to notice
- Clovis Sangrail
Delivers a monologue dismissing the romance of business, praising the adventurous origins of trade goods.
Key passages
“It is the fashion nowadays to talk about the romance of Business. There isn't such a thing.”
People claim business is romantic, but Clovis insists it is not.
Opening statement establishing Clovis's contrarian view.
“The citron and spices and nuts and dates, the barrelled anchovies and Dutch cheeses, the jars of caviar and the chests of tea, they carry the mind away to Levantine coast towns and tropic shores...”
Exotic groceries evoke images of distant lands and adventures.
Clovis describes the imaginative power of the goods themselves.
“It was the unledgered wanderer, the careless-hearted seafarer, the aimless outcast, who opened up new trade routes, tapped new markets, brought home samples or cargoes of new edibles and unknown condiments.”
Adventurers and wanderers, not businessmen, discovered and introduced new foods and trade routes.
Clovis credits the romance of trade to those outside the business world.
“Whenever I feel in the least tempted to be businesslike or methodical or even decently industrious I go to Kensal Green and look at the graves of those who died in business.”
Visiting the cemetery reminds Clovis to avoid the dull fate of businessmen.
Closing remark reinforcing his disdain for the business life.