The Devil’s Dictionary · Chapter
B explained
This chapter presents a series of satirical definitions for words beginning with the letter B, including 'Beggars', 'Behavior', 'Belladonna', 'Benedictines', 'Benefactor', 'Berenice's Hair', 'Bigamy', 'Bigot', 'Billingsgate', 'Birth', 'Blac
What happens
This chapter presents a series of satirical definitions for words beginning with the letter B, including 'Beggars', 'Behavior', 'Belladonna', 'Benedictines', 'Benefactor', 'Berenice's Hair', 'Bigamy', 'Bigot', 'Billingsgate', 'Birth', 'Blackguard', 'Blank-Verse', 'Body-Snatcher', 'Bondsman', 'Bore', 'Botany', 'Bottle-Nosed', 'Boundary', 'Bounty', 'Brahma', 'Brain', 'Brandy', 'Bride', 'Brute', 'Baal', 'Babe', 'Baby', 'Bacchus', 'Back', 'Backbite', 'Bait', 'Baptism', 'Barometer', 'Barrack', 'Basilisk', 'Bastinado', 'Bath', 'Battle', 'Beard', 'Beauty', 'Befriend', and 'Beg'. Each definition employs irony, cynicism, and dark humor to critique human nature, society, religion, and politics.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Duplicity
Definitions like 'Befriend' ('To make an ingrate') and 'Benefactor' ('One who makes heavy purchases of ingratitude') expose the hypocrisy in human relationships and charity.
Critique of Religion
Definitions of 'Baptism', 'Brahma', 'Baal', and 'Benedictines' mock religious rituals, deities, and clergy, reflecting a skeptical view of faith.
Human Folly and Self-Deception
Entries like 'Brain' ('An apparatus with which we think that we think') and 'Bore' ('A person who talks when you wish him to listen') highlight human irrationality and self-deception.
Social Class and Inequality
The poem under 'Beggar' and definitions like 'Bounty' and 'Bondsman' critique class disparities and the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy.
Characters to notice
- Unknown
The narrator of the definitions and poems, providing cynical commentary.
- Father Gassalasca Jape
Credited as the author of the poem under 'Beggar' and the lines under 'Baptism'.
- Dr. Samuel Johnson
Quoted in the definition of 'Brandy' as saying brandy is the drink of heroes.
- Juno
Mentioned in the definition of 'Basilisk' as restoring the reptile's sight.
- Baal
Discussed as an ancient deity under various names, including Baal, Belus, Babel, Beelzebub, Bolus, and Belly.
- Moses
Referenced in the definition of 'Baby' as a famous babe preserved in the bulrushes.
- Henry Ward Beecher
Quoted in the definition of 'Bounty' regarding the Creator's provision for insects.
- Polydore Smith
Credited as the author of the poem under 'Brahma'.
Key passages
“Beggar One who has relied on the assistance of his friends.”
A beggar is someone who has depended on help from friends.
Cynical definition implying that beggars are those who have exhausted their social credit.
“Belladonna In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.”
Belladonna means beautiful lady in Italian but a deadly poison in English, showing how languages can be identical in essence.
Satirical comment on the dual meaning of the word, linking beauty and danger.
“Bore A person who talks when you wish him to listen.”
A bore is someone who speaks when you want them to listen.
Humorous definition highlighting the annoyance of one-sided conversation.
“Brain An apparatus with which we think that we think.”
The brain is a device that makes us believe we are thinking.
Skeptical view of human cognition and self-awareness.
“Bride A woman with a fine prospect of happiness behind her.”
A bride is a woman who has a great chance of happiness in her past.
Cynical take on marriage, suggesting that happiness is behind, not ahead.
