The Head of Kay’s · Chapter
What Happened to Fenn explained
Fenn, after a disastrous evening in town, loses his watch and his cap, the latter falling into the hands of a hostile stranger.
What happens
Fenn, after a disastrous evening in town, loses his watch and his cap, the latter falling into the hands of a hostile stranger. He returns to Kay's house under cover of darkness, narrowly avoids discovery by Mr. Kay and Mr. Mulholland, and overhears a conversation in which Mr. Kay criticizes Kennedy's leadership. Fenn's attempt to enter his study through the window fails because the bolt has been shot, leaving him trapped outside.
Themes in this chapter
Authority and Rebellion
Fenn's clandestine return to Kay's and his evasion of Mr. Kay's authority highlight the tension between school rules and personal rebellion. The conversation about Kennedy's leadership further explores expectations of authority.
Institutional Critique
Mr. Mulholland's ironic comparison of the ideal head of house to Napoleon Bonaparte critiques the unrealistic standards imposed by housemasters like Mr. Kay, revealing flaws in the school's disciplinary system.
Characters to notice
- Fenn
Fenn is the central figure of the chapter, returning late to Kay's after a disastrous outing. He loses his watch and cap, hides from Mr. Kay and Mr. Mulholland, and uses a cat to create a diversion. He overhears the conversation about Kennedy and finds his study window bolted.
- Mr. Kay
Mr. Kay is the housemaster of Kay's. He discusses Kennedy's shortcomings with Mr. Mulholland, is suspicious of noises in the garden, and is tricked by Fenn's cat diversion. He has bolted Fenn's study window, inadvertently trapping him outside.
- Mulholland
Mr. Mulholland is a fellow master who accompanies Mr. Kay after the theatre. He engages in a lighthearted, poetic exchange with Kay, defends Kennedy's competence, and jokingly compares the ideal head of house to Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Kennedy
Kennedy is discussed by Mr. Kay and Mr. Mulholland. Mr. Kay criticizes him as lacking ability and allowing disturbances among juniors, while Mr. Mulholland defends him, suggesting that Kay's expectations are unrealistic.
Key passages
“Kennedy,” said Mr. Kay, “is a well-meaning boy, I think. Quite well-meaning. But he lacks ability, in my opinion. I have had to speak to him on several occasions on account of disturbances amongst the juniors.”
Mr. Kay tells Mulholland that Kennedy means well but is incompetent, citing frequent discipline problems among the younger boys.
This conversation reveals Mr. Kay's dissatisfaction with Kennedy's leadership and sets up the ongoing tension in the house.
“He was a gentleman of the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. He might just have been equal to the arduous duties which devolve upon the head of your house. Good night.”
Mulholland sarcastically suggests that only Napoleon Bonaparte could meet Mr. Kay's impossible standards for a head of house.
This ironic remark critiques the unrealistic expectations placed on student leaders.
“Very softly he passed his hand down the delighted animal’s back until he reached his tail. Then, stifling with an effort all the finer feelings which should have made such an act impossible, he administered so vigorous a tweak to that appendage that Thomas, with one frenzied yowl, sprang through the bush past the two masters and vanished at full speed into the opposite hedge.”
Fenn tweaks the cat's tail to create a diversion, causing it to yowl and flee, which distracts Mr. Kay and Mr. Mulholland from his hiding place.
This clever but cruel trick allows Fenn to avoid detection, highlighting his resourcefulness in a tight spot.