The Napoleon of Notting Hill · Chapter
The Remarkable Mr. Turnbull explained
Adam Wayne continues his recruitment drive among the shopkeepers of Notting Hill, meeting with mixed success.
What happens
Adam Wayne continues his recruitment drive among the shopkeepers of Notting Hill, meeting with mixed success. After a discouraging conversation with a dealer in curiosities and a hostile barber, he visits a toyshop where he finds an unexpected ally in Mr. Turnbull, who enthusiastically embraces the idea of war. Turnbull reveals his clever scheme to commandeer horses by giving little boys half-crowns for hansom cab rides, demonstrating his strategic ingenuity and playful approach to the conflict.
Themes in this chapter
The Absurdity vs. Seriousness of Life
Turnbull's scheme with the hansom cabs and little boys exemplifies the blend of absurd humor and serious military strategy, while Wayne's earnestness contrasts with the barber's dismissive practicality.
The Poetry of the Everyday
Wayne finds profound meaning in the mundane shops of Notting Hill, seeing the curiosities dealer as a 'guardian of the past' and the toyshop as a remnant of Eden.
War and Sacrifice
The chapter sets the stage for the coming conflict, with Wayne's passionate call to arms and Turnbull's tactical preparations, framing war as both a serious endeavor and a playful adventure.
Characters to notice
- Adam Wayne
Provost of Notting Hill, recruiting shopkeepers for the coming war; shows a mix of earnest idealism and psychological insight, though often baffled by others' reactions.
- Mr. Turnbull
Toyshop keeper who becomes Wayne's military commander; initially appears as a mild-mannered shopman but reveals a strategic mind and a love of absurd humor.
Key passages
“Your life has not been useless. Your work has not been play. Now, when the hair is already grey on your head, Turnbull, you shall have your youth. God has not destroyed, He has only deferred it.”
Wayne tells Turnbull that his past life has meaning and that his true purpose is only now beginning, promising him a chance to reclaim his youth through the coming struggle.
This speech persuades Turnbull to join Wayne's cause, highlighting Wayne's ability to inspire through a sense of deferred destiny.
“I used that five pounds in a kindly and philanthropic act. I used that five pounds in giving no less than forty little London boys rides in hansom cabs.”
Turnbull explains that he spent the money on sending forty boys on cab rides across London as part of a clever plan to secure horses for the army.
Reveals Turnbull's strategic cunning and his playful, indirect approach to warfare, blending philanthropy with military necessity.
“Why should not hairdressers be heroes? Why should not—”
Wayne argues that even barbers can be heroic, challenging the notion that only certain professions are suited to bravery.
Demonstrates Wayne's idealistic belief in the potential for heroism in every trade, though the barber rejects the idea.