The Devil’s Dictionary · Chapter
E explained
This chapter presents a series of satirical definitions for words beginning with the letter 'E', including 'Eat', 'Eavesdrop', 'Economy', 'Edible', 'Editor', 'Education', 'Effect', 'Egotist', 'Ejection', 'Elector', 'Electricity', 'Elegy', '
What happens
This chapter presents a series of satirical definitions for words beginning with the letter 'E', including 'Eat', 'Eavesdrop', 'Economy', 'Edible', 'Editor', 'Education', 'Effect', 'Egotist', 'Ejection', 'Elector', 'Electricity', 'Elegy', 'Eloquence', 'Elysium', 'Emancipation', 'Embalm', 'Emotion', 'Encomiast', 'End', 'Enough', 'Entertainment', 'Enthusiasm', 'Envelope', 'Envy', 'Epaulet', 'Epicure', 'Epigram', 'Epitaph', 'Erudition', 'Esoteric', 'Ethnology', 'Eucharist', 'Eulogy', 'Evangelist', 'Everlasting', 'Exception', 'Excess', 'Excommunication', 'Executive', and others. The definitions are laced with irony, cynicism, and social commentary, often targeting human folly, religion, politics, and language.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Duplicity
The definitions of 'Editor', 'Eulogy', and 'Evangelist' highlight the gap between public virtue and private vice, and the self-serving nature of praise and moralizing.
Critique of Religion
The definitions of 'Eucharist', 'Evangelist', 'Everlasting', 'Excommunication', and 'Elysium' mock religious doctrines, sectarian violence, and the absurdity of theological disputes.
Human Folly and Self-Deception
Definitions such as 'Egotist', 'Enthusiasm', 'Envy', and 'Exception' expose irrationality, self-importance, and the misuse of logic.
Characters to notice
- Rochebriant
Interrupts Brillat-Savarin's anecdote about enjoying dinner in a drawing-room.
- Dr. Franklin
Mentioned in the definition of 'Electricity' and in a humorous anecdote about a waxen effigy in France.
- Dr. Samuel Johnson
Referenced in the definition of 'Epigram' as the source of several quoted epigrams.
- Silly Old Quilly Old Monarch of Thought
Appears in a satirical poem within the definition of 'Editor'.
- Father Gassalasca Jape
Quoted in the definition of 'Epitaph' with a humorous epitaph for Parson Platt.
Key passages
“Epitaph An inscription on a tomb, showing that virtues acquired by death have a retroactive effect.”
An epitaph is a tombstone inscription that suggests the dead person's virtues only become apparent after they die.
Bierce cynically implies that death retroactively bestows virtues on the deceased, often undeservedly.
“Erudition Dust shaken out of a book into an empty skull.”
Erudition is just dust from a book that ends up in an empty head.
This definition mocks the idea that mere book learning equates to wisdom, suggesting it fills a void.
“Eulogy Praise of a person who has either the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead.”
A eulogy is praise given to someone who is either rich and powerful, or conveniently deceased.
Bierce satirizes the insincerity of eulogies, which often flatter the wealthy or the dead who cannot object.
“Evangelist A bearer of good tidings, particularly (in a religious sense) such as assure us of our own salvation and the damnation of our neighbors.”
An evangelist brings good news, especially the religious kind that promises we are saved and our neighbors are damned.
This definition highlights the self-righteous and judgmental aspect of religious evangelism.
“Exception A thing which takes the liberty to differ from other things of its class, as an honest man, a truthful woman, etc.”
An exception is something that dares to be different from its kind, like an honest man or a truthful woman.
Bierce uses irony to suggest that honesty and truthfulness are rare exceptions in human behavior.
