Short Fiction · Chapter
VII: Hudson explained
The family arrives in Hudson and is greeted by a young boy who offers to guide them.
What happens
The family arrives in Hudson and is greeted by a young boy who offers to guide them. They find lodging with a woman who takes in loggers, and later meet a sailor who needs a ride to New York. The next morning, the sailor has been kicked out for not paying his bill, and the family departs early.
Themes in this chapter
Satire of Media and Business
The chapter satirizes small-town commerce and the interactions with the local boy and landlady.
Characters to notice
- Bert
Narrator of the chapter, describes the family's misadventures in Hudson.
- Mr. Grant
Father, interacts with the locals and pays the bill.
- Mrs. Green
Mother, requests an early wake-up call.
Key passages
“We were turing gaily down the main st of Hudson when a man of 12 years capered out from the side walk and hoped on the runing board.”
As we drove happily down Hudson's main street, a 12-year-old boy jumped onto our running board.
The narrator's playful description of the boy's antics.
“He wouldnt pay his bill and razed hell so I kicked him out replid the lanlady in her bear feet.”
The landlady said the sailor didn't pay and caused a ruckus, so she threw him out, barefoot.
The landlady's blunt explanation of the sailor's departure.