Short Fiction · Chapter
The Stake explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Attray confides in Eleanor Saxelby about her son Ronnie's compulsive gambling, detailing her efforts to curb his habit by cutting off his allowance and securing his valuables. Despite her precautions, Ronnie gambles away the family cook in a baccarat game at the Norridrums', leading to a disastrous luncheon and further conflict.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Moral Facade
Mrs. Attray claims to be firm and farseeing in preventing Ronnie's gambling, yet her actions are undermined by her own social compromises and Ronnie's successful deception.
The Absurdity of Social Rituals
The elaborate concern over luncheon quality and the absurdity of gambling away a cook highlight the triviality of social rituals.
Characters to notice
- Ronald
The insouciant son who gambles compulsively, losing the family cook in a baccarat game.
- Mrs. Attray
Ronnie's mother, who tries to control his gambling by cutting off his allowance and securing his possessions.
- Norah
Eleanor Saxelby, Mrs. Attray's friend, who discusses Ronnie's behavior and the poor luncheon.
Key passages
“I consider that I’ve been both firm and farseeing.”
Mrs. Attray believes she has been resolute and prudent in her efforts to stop Ronnie's gambling.
Irony: her measures prove ineffective as Ronnie gambles away the cook.
“If I had sold the woman into slavery there couldn’t have been a bigger fuss about it.”
Ronnie remarks that the uproar over losing the cook was as intense as if he had sold her into slavery.
Highlights the disproportionate reaction to a domestic mishap.