'Dusk' by Saki is about Norman Gortsby, who's cheated by a young man about needing money. Initially, Gortsby is suspicious, but he later finds a bar of soap on the ground, which confirms the young man's story. His guilt from being judgmental drives him to seek out the young man.
“Dusk” opens on Norman Gortsby, the character from whose perspective all the story’s events are seen. Gortsby is sitting on a bench in Hyde Park in London as the sun sets around 6:30 on an evening in March. He notices other people who are barely visible in the gathering gloom as they walk in the park or sit on benches. Illustration of PDF document Download Dusk Study Guide Subscribe Now This situation pleases Gortsby. He always thinks of dusk as a time associated with people who feel defeated. He thinks that such persons tend to come forth at dusk so they can be outside in their humble clothes and sad moods without being especially visible to other, more successful persons. Gortsby thinks the unsuccessful people who tend to appear at dusk do not want to be seen by others. They come to places like Hyde Park after the happier, more successful people have left. Gortsby glimpses the well-lit windows of nearby houses and apartments. He assumes that those places are the dwellings of the successful—or at least those who have not been forced to admit defeat in life’s struggles. Gortsby feels defeated, yet his sadness is not due to lack of money. Instead, he feels defeated because he “failed in a more subtle ambition,” the precise nature of which the story never makes clear. In any case, Gortsby enjoys sitting on a bench and passing sardonic judgment on the other people in the park at dusk. Next to him on the bench is an old man who seems nearly defeated and definitely depressed. His clothes are not especially unattractive, but the old man does not by any means look rich. He seems lonely, as if no one cares about him. When the old man leaves, Gortsby assumes he is returning to a dwelling where he is basically ignored. Almost as soon as the old man leaves, a young man sits down in the same spot on the bench. Although his clothes look fairly decent, he also seems depressed. In fact, when the young man sits down, he lets out a loud and angry curse. When Gortsby comments to the youth that he seems unhappy, the young man explains his predicament. He explains that he came to London earlier in the day, intending to stay at a respected hotel. However, when he arrived he discovered that the hotel had been demolished. A taxi driver suggested a substitute hotel. The young man went there, sent a note to his out-of-town relatives to tell them where he was staying, and then exited the hotel in search of some soap. He had neglected to pack soap but he disliked using soap provided by hotels. After purchasing the soap, he walked around for a while, had a drink, and did some sight-seeing. Only then did he realize that he could not remember either the name or the location of the hotel. He has no friends or relatives in London, so he is essentially stranded in the large city for at least one night with no place to stay—at least until his out-of-town relatives receive his letter. The youth himself admits that his story sounds improbable. However, Gortsby remarks that something similar once happened to him in the capital city of a foreign country. But in his case, he was eventually able to find his way back to his hotel. In response, the youth comments that if he had become lost in a city overseas, he could at least go to the British embassy to ask for assistance. He says that when misfortunes occur in one’s own country, less help is available. Unless he can find a friendly person who is willing to loan him some money, he may have to spend the night sleeping near the river. In any case, he says he is glad Gortsby does not doubt...
The exposition of a story is how background information is introduced into a story. It gives a reader information about the characters in the story and the location in which it takes place.
Most of the exposition in the short story centers around the idea of tradition. People gather in the field; they talk and joke while children play. They’re focused on returning to their days after the event. There’s a long portion focused on. Explanation: One major difference that changes the story is that Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” originally published in 1948 in The New Yorker, doesn’t focus on one main character. It’s an overview of the lottery from the perspective of a narrator. The film The Lottery focuses on a character who isn't only the sole protagonist but who also is an outsider in the town. Having an outsider experience the oddness of the town changes the tone of the story quite a bit when compared to a story where the lottery itself is normal and accepted by everyone in the narrative.
