# The Name-Day explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Saki.

## What happens

John James Abbleway, a timid Englishman working in Vienna, travels by train to Fiume to meet his fiancée. A snowstorm causes the train to break apart, leaving his carriage stranded in a forest. He shares the compartment with a peasant woman who calmly exploits the emergency by selling him food at inflated prices, claiming her name-day protects her from wolves. When wolves approach, she reveals they are her cousin's dogs, and a relief engine arrives.

## Themes in this chapter

### Hypocrisy and Moral Facade

The peasant woman uses her name-day as a moral shield to justify price gouging and claim divine protection, while her 'wolves' turn out to be her cousin's dogs.

### The Absurdity of Social Rituals

The woman's rigid adherence to name-day customs in a life-threatening situation highlights the absurdity of social conventions.

## Character check-ins

### John James Abbleway

Protagonist; a timid English businessman traveling to meet his fiancée, stranded in a snowstorm.

## Key lines

> In a railway accident things become very dear, said the woman; these blood-sausages are four kronen apiece.

The woman exploits the emergency by charging exorbitant prices for her sausages.

_Illustrates her opportunistic greed under the guise of necessity._

> Not me, on my name-day. The holy Mariä Kleophä would not permit it, said the woman with provoking calm.

She claims her saint's protection makes her immune to wolf attacks.

_Highlights her superstitious confidence and the theme of moral facade._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters/the-name-day
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_49_se/chapters