# II explained — The History of Mr. Polly > Chapter companion for The History of Mr. Polly by H. G. Wells. ## What happens Mr. Polly, now thirty-five and a half, sits on a stile in deep discontent, reflecting on his failing outfitter's shop and his life's disappointments. The chapter traces his early childhood, his mother's death, his unhappy schooling, and his father's decision to put him to work, which led to his current predicament. ## Themes in this chapter ### Discontent and Escape Mr. Polly's profound dissatisfaction with his life and business is central; he daydreams of adventure and escape from his mundane reality. ### Education and Social Failure The chapter critiques the educational system that stifled Mr. Polly's curiosity and imagination, leaving him ill-equipped for practical life. ### Imagination vs. Conformity Mr. Polly's vivid fantasies of heroism and exploration contrast sharply with the dull demands of school and shopkeeping. ## Character check-ins ### Mr. Polly Described as short, compact, with a yellowish complexion and troubled eyes; he is deeply discontented with his life and business. ## Key lines > He was, in the technical sense of the word, clean shaved, with a small sallow patch under the right ear and a cut on the chin. He was technically clean-shaven, but had a yellowish patch under his right ear and a cut on his chin. _Describes Mr. Polly's appearance in detail._ > His brow had the little puckerings of a thoroughly discontented man, little wrinklings and lumps, particularly over his right eye, and he sat with his hands in his pockets, a little askew on the stile and swung one leg. His forehead showed the wrinkles of a deeply unhappy man, especially above his right eye, and he sat crookedly on the stile with his hands in his pockets, swinging one leg. _Illustrates Mr. Polly's physical manifestation of discontent._ > The elementary education he had acquired had left him with the impression that arithmetic was a fluky science and best avoided in practical affairs, but even the absence of bookkeeping and a total inability to distinguish between capital and interest could not blind him forever to the fact that the little shop in the High Street was not paying. His poor education made him think arithmetic was unreliable, but even without bookkeeping skills he couldn't ignore that his shop was failing. _Highlights the link between his education and his business troubles._ > He would sneak out on moonless winter nights and stare up at the stars, and afterwards find it difficult to tell his father where he had been. He would secretly go out on dark winter nights to gaze at the stars, and later struggled to explain his whereabouts to his father. _Shows his early longing for something beyond his mundane life._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_history_of_mr_polly_se/chapters/ii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_history_of_mr_polly_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_history_of_mr_polly_se/chapters