Under the Rose (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Thomas Pynchon
- First Published: 1961
- Type of Plot: Parody
- Time of Work: September, 1898
- Setting: In and around Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt
- Principal Characters: Porpentine, Robin Goodfellow, Lepsius, Hugh Bongo-Shaftsbury, Moldwoerp, Victoria Wren
- Genres: Short fiction, Parody
- Subjects: Egypt or Egyptians, Espionage or spies, Paranoia
- Locales: Alexandria, Egypt, Cairo, Egypt
The Story
“Under the Rose” centers on the activities of Porpentine, a British spy in Egypt during the Fashoda crisis of 1898, when the British forces of General Kitchener encountered a French expeditionary troop in the contested area of the Sudan. The “Situation,” as it is referred to in the story, portends an international crisis that could lead to war in Europe, but the real focus of “Under the Rose” is on a small company of secret agents hoping either to promote or to prevent the final catastrophe.
Porpentine and his partner, Robin Goodfellow, are...
[The entire page is 1459 words long]
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