# XXV: The Man in the Street explained — The Beetle > Chapter companion for The Beetle by Richard Marsh. ## What happens Marjorie Lindon, while waiting for her father at breakfast, notices a commotion in the street and discovers a mud-covered, nearly dead man who twice cries out 'Paul Lessingham!' in a trance-like state. She has him brought into her house and calls Dr. Cotes, who determines the man is starving. Marjorie decides to investigate the connection between the stranger and Paul Lessingham. ## Themes in this chapter ### Class and Social Desperation The stranger's destitute condition—mud-covered, starving, and barely clothed—contrasts sharply with Marjorie's comfortable domestic life, emphasizing social inequality. ### The Supernatural and the Unknown The stranger's trance-like state and cryptic warnings about Paul Lessingham suggest a mysterious, possibly supernatural connection. ## Character check-ins ### Marjorie Lindon Narrator of the chapter; she discovers the stranger in the street and takes him into her home. ### Mr. Lindon Marjorie's father; he is late for breakfast and believes he has gout, unaware of the incident. ### Paul Lessingham Referenced twice by the stranger, who cries out his name in a warning. ### Dr. Cotes Called by Marjorie to examine the stranger; he diagnoses starvation and notes possible catalepsy. ### Robert Holt Implied to be the stranger found in the street, though not explicitly named in this chapter. ## Key lines > An unfortunate individual appears to have been the victim of a catastrophe. I am informed that he is dead. The constable asserts that he is drunk. Peter reports that a man has been found in the street, possibly dead or drunk. _Peter's formal language contrasts with the grim reality of the situation._ > Be warned, Paul Lessingham—be warned! The stranger shrieks a warning to Paul Lessingham. _This cryptic utterance spurs Marjorie's determination to investigate._ > He will be soon, if he doesn’t have something to eat. The fellow’s starving. Dr. Cotes states the man is near death from starvation. _Reveals the extreme physical desperation of the stranger._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_beetle_se/chapters/xxv-the-man-in-the-street - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_beetle_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_beetle_se/chapters