The Mote in the Middle Distance, H*nry J*m*s (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Max Beerbohm
- First Published: 1912
- Type of Plot: Parody
- Time of Work: About 1912
- Setting: England
- Principal Characters: Keith Tantalus, Eva, The narrator
- Genres: Short fiction, Parody, Wit and humor
- Subjects: Children, Brothers and sisters, Emotions, Comedy, Christmas
- Locales: England
The Story
As indicated by the abbreviated name in the title, this story is a brilliant parody of an incident as it supposedly would be described by Henry James. The plot is somewhat obscure regarding specific details. Two precocious children, a boy and a girl, awake on Christmas morning to find filled stockings at the foot of each bed. The principal story line, however, seems to be a rambling account and speculation by the boy, Keith, on the psychological implications and barriers to ultimate fulfillment suggested by the occasion. It is the idea of seeing beyond the “mote”...
[The entire page is 887 words long]
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