Short Fiction · Chapter
The Seventh Pullet explained
John Blenkinthrope, a man bored by the monotony of his life, is encouraged by his friend Gorworth to invent sensational stories to gain the interest of his fellow train travelers.
What happens
John Blenkinthrope, a man bored by the monotony of his life, is encouraged by his friend Gorworth to invent sensational stories to gain the interest of his fellow train travelers. He fabricates a tale about a snake killing six of his seven pullets, which brings him temporary fame. Encouraged by this success, he tells increasingly outlandish stories, including a dramatic assassination attempt in Paris. However, when his wife dies suddenly after completing a difficult patience card game, his reputation as a liar prevents the tragedy from being reported as anything more than a mundane death, leaving him isolated and back to his unremarkable existence.
Themes in this chapter
The Absurdity of Social Rituals
The story satirizes the social ritual of sharing mundane or sensational stories during train commutes, highlighting how people crave drama to escape boredom.
Hypocrisy and Moral Facade
Blenkinthrope initially insists on sticking to fact but quickly adopts lies for social gain, revealing the hypocrisy of valuing reputation over truth.
The Futility of Ambition
Blenkinthrope's ambition for recognition through invented stories ultimately backfires, as his reputation as a liar prevents him from gaining sympathy or publicity for his wife's real death.
Characters to notice
- John Blenkinthrope
The protagonist who invents sensational stories to escape his dull life, culminating in his wife's death and his ruined reputation.
- Gorworth
Blenkinthrope's friend who advises him to invent exciting events to capture others' interest, citing his own early prize in Scriptural knowledge.
- Duckby
A fellow traveler whom Blenkinthrope mildly dislikes; he tells a story about rats killing his pigeons and later parodies Blenkinthrope's tales.
- Stevenham
A fellow passenger who gains importance from his uncle's death while voting; he is deferred to on political questions.
- Smith-Paddon
A daily fellow-traveler whose daughter's near-accident with a musical-comedy actress's car briefly overshadows Blenkinthrope's fame.
Key passages
“It's not the daily grind that I complain of, said Blenkinthrope resentfully; it's the dull grey sameness of my life outside of office hours.”
Blenkinthrope complains not about his work but about the monotonous lack of excitement in his personal life.
Opens the story by establishing Blenkinthrope's dissatisfaction with his unremarkable existence.
“Invent something, said Gorworth.”
Gorworth advises Blenkinthrope to fabricate interesting events to attract attention.
Key moment where Gorworth encourages deception for social gain.
“I had six pullets out of a pen of seven killed by a snake yesterday afternoon, said Blenkinthrope, in a voice which he hardly recognised as his own.”
Blenkinthrope tells his first lie about a snake killing most of his chickens, surprising himself with his own audacity.
Turning point where Blenkinthrope begins his descent into habitual lying.
“In the course of the next few days Blenkinthrope discovered how little the loss of one's self-respect affects one when one has gained the esteem of the world.”
Blenkinthrope realizes that sacrificing his integrity is worth the social approval he receives.
Highlights the moral compromise at the heart of the story.
“Something sensational and real had at last come into his life; no longer was it a grey, colourless record.”
Blenkinthrope sees his wife's death as an opportunity for the excitement he craved.
Reveals his selfish and distorted perspective even in tragedy.
“Not the right thing to be Munchausening in a time of sorrow agreed his friends among themselves.”
His friends dismiss his attempts to publicize his wife's death as just another of his tall tales.
The ironic consequence of his earlier lies: his real tragedy is not believed.
