# I: Murder explained — The Man in the Queue

> Chapter companion for The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.

## What happens

On a March evening, a long queue waits outside the Woffington Theatre for the final performance of 'Didn't You Know?' Amid street performers and vendors, the doors open and the crowd presses forward. A man collapses and is discovered to have been stabbed with a dagger. The police detain the nearest witnesses, including a suburban couple and a fat woman, while the body is covered and the show goes on.

## Themes in this chapter

### Urban Anonymity and Alienation

The crowd's instinct to mind their own business and the reluctance to get involved when the man collapses, reflecting urban self-preservation.

### Appearance vs. Reality

The festive queue and anticipation of entertainment are shattered by the sudden reality of murder, contrasting the cheerful surface with hidden violence.

## Character check-ins

### Ray Marcable

The star of 'Didn't You Know?' described as a comet who blazed out of the void, known for her dancing and indefinable charm; she is leaving for America.

### Golly Gollan

A comedian in the show, rescued from a life on the road, whose foolery is a highlight of the musical comedy.

### James Ratcliffe

Referred to as 'Jimmy,' part of the prosperous suburban couple detained after the murder; he tries to calm his hysterical wife.

### Margaret Ratcliffe

Referred to as 'Jimmy's wife,' she is moaning and hysterical after the discovery of the body, wanting to go home.

## Key lines

> Minding one’s own business in a crowd today is as much an instinct of self-preservation as a chameleon’s versatility.

In a modern crowd, ignoring others is a natural survival instinct, like a chameleon changing color.

_Reflects urban anonymity and the reluctance to intervene._

> The clink and rattle of coin on brass proclaimed the continual hurried transactions which made the lucky ones free of paradise.

The sound of coins dropping on the counter signaled that lucky people were buying their tickets to enter the show.

_Describes the excitement of the queue as doors open._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/i-murder
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters