The Napoleon of Notting Hill · Chapter
Book I explained
The chapter opens with a philosophical reflection on humanity's tendency to defy predictions, noting that despite many prophecies about the future, London remains largely unchanged.
What happens
The chapter opens with a philosophical reflection on humanity's tendency to defy predictions, noting that despite many prophecies about the future, London remains largely unchanged. The people have lost faith in revolutions, and society has become a quiet despotism. Three government clerks walk to work; one, Auberon Quin, deliberately falls behind. He later becomes King and, in a whimsical act, puts his coat on backwards, leading a bewildered procession through the streets.
Themes in this chapter
The Absurdity vs. Seriousness of Life
Quin's deliberate act of wearing his coat backwards and the resulting chaos highlight the tension between absurdity and the serious expectations of monarchy.
Prophecy and the Unpredictability of History
The opening discussion of 'Cheat the Prophet' and the failure of predictions underscores the theme that history is unpredictable and resists foresight.
The Poetry of the Everyday
The mundane routine of clerks walking to work is disrupted by Quin's whimsical choice, revealing the hidden poetry in ordinary life.
Characters to notice
- Auberon Quin
The short clerk who deliberately walks behind his companions; later becomes King and initiates a bizarre ceremony by wearing his coat backwards.
- James Barker
One of the two tall clerks who walks ahead with Lambert; later follows Quin in a state of bewilderment during the King's procession.
- Mr. Lambert
The other tall clerk who walks with Barker; shares in the confusion of Quin's antics.
Key passages
“The people had absolutely lost faith in revolutions. All revolutions are doctrinal—such as the French one, or the one that introduced Christianity.”
People no longer believed in the power of revolutions, which are always based on a set of doctrines, like the French Revolution or the spread of Christianity.
Explains the societal apathy toward change and the rejection of revolutionary ideals.
“The reversal of the obvious is as near as we can come to ritual with our imperfect apparatus.”
Turning things upside down is the closest we can get to ceremony given our limited means.
Quin's justification for wearing his coat backwards, emphasizing his absurdist approach to ritual.