The Devil’s Dictionary · Chapter
N explained
This chapter presents a series of satirical definitions for words beginning with the letter N, including 'Nectar,' 'Negro,' 'Neighbor,' 'Nepotism,' 'Newtonian,' 'Nihilist,' 'Nirvana,' 'Nobleman,' 'Noise,' 'Nominate,' 'Nominee,' 'Noncombatan
What happens
This chapter presents a series of satirical definitions for words beginning with the letter N, including 'Nectar,' 'Negro,' 'Neighbor,' 'Nepotism,' 'Newtonian,' 'Nihilist,' 'Nirvana,' 'Nobleman,' 'Noise,' 'Nominate,' 'Nominee,' 'Noncombatant,' 'Nonsense,' 'Nose,' 'Notoriety,' 'Noumenon,' 'Novel,' and 'November.' The entries critique politics, religion, society, and literary conventions with Bierce's characteristic cynicism and wit.
Themes in this chapter
Politics and Power
Definitions of 'Negro,' 'Nepotism,' 'Nominate,' and 'Nominee' satirize political corruption, racial inequality, and the self-serving nature of public office.
Human Folly and Self-Deception
Entries like 'Neighbor,' 'Noise,' 'Nonsense,' and 'Notoriety' mock human pretensions, social behavior, and the absurd pursuit of fame.
Language and Meaning
The definitions of 'Noumenon' and 'Novel' play with philosophical and literary terminology, questioning the nature of reality and artistic merit.
Characters to notice
- Juno
Referenced in the poem about drinking nectar and rye.
- James F. Bowman
Credited as the author of the poem under 'Nectar' (as J. G. Bowman).
Key passages
“Nectar A drink served at banquets of the Olympian deities. The secret of its preparation is lost, but the modern Kentuckians believe that they come pretty near to a knowledge of its chief ingredient.”
Nectar is a mythical drink of the gods, but modern Kentuckians think they have a good idea of its main ingredient (likely whiskey).
Bierce humorously equates the divine nectar with Kentucky rye whiskey.
“Negro The pièce de résistance in the American political problem. Representing him by the letter n , the Republicans begin to build their equation thus: “Let n = the white man.” This, however, appears to give an unsatisfactory solution.”
The Negro is the central issue in American politics; Republicans treat the problem as an equation where 'n' stands for the white man, but that doesn't solve anything.
Bierce critiques the racist logic of the Republican Party's political calculations.
“Noise A stench in the ear. Undomesticated music. The chief product and authenticating sign of civilization.”
Noise is like a bad smell for the ears, untamed music, and the main output and proof of civilization.
Bierce cynically defines noise as a hallmark of modern society.
“Nonsense The objections that are urged against this excellent dictionary.”
Nonsense is what critics say when they object to this excellent dictionary.
A self-referential jab at potential critics of Bierce's own work.
“Novel A short story padded. A species of composition bearing the same relation to literature that the panorama bears to art.”
A novel is just a short story stretched out, and it relates to literature the way a panorama relates to art.
Bierce dismisses the novel as an inferior, padded form compared to the romance.