Discussion Topic
Gortsby's Perceptions and Qualities in "Dusk"
Summary:
In Saki's "Dusk," Norman Gortsby perceives the people around him as defeated individuals, observing them with mild contempt and without sympathy. He contrasts this view with his initial trust in a young con-man, whom he believes to be of higher social status. Gortsby's qualities include a defeatist attitude, practicality, and a giving nature. However, he is ultimately deceived by the con-man, leading him to develop cynicism as he realizes his initial judgment was correct.
How does Gortsby perceive the people around him in "Dusk"?
Saki opens his story "Dusk" with a description of the poor people who come out after dark because they are ashamed to show themselves by daylight. They are described from the protagonist Norman Gortsby's point of view.
The scene pleased Gortsby and harmonised with his present mood. Dusk, to his mind, was the hour of the defeated. Men and women, who had fought and lost, who hid their fallen fortunes and dead hopes as far as possible from the scrutiny of the curious, came forth in this hour of gloaming, when their shabby clothes and bowed shoulders and unhappy eyes might pass unnoticed, or, at any rate, unrecognised.
Gortsby views these people without sympathy and perhaps with mild contempt. The purpose of this description of all the "defeated" people is to serve as contrast with the young con-man who is posing as a member of the country gentry....
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
At first Gortsby does not believe the stranger's story, but when he finds the bar of soap which seems to prove the other man was telling the truth, Gortsby rushes after him.
Lying on the ground by the side of the bench was a small oval packet, wrapped and sealed with the solicitude of a chemist's counter. It could be nothing else but a cake of soap, and it had evidently fallen out of the youth's overcoat pocket when he flung himself down on the seat. In another moment Gortsby was scudding along the dusk-shrouded path in anxious quest for a youthful figure in a light overcoat.
Once Gortsby believes that the other man belongs to a higher social class than himself, he is anxious to do him a favor. He is hoping to win a friend who might help him rise in the world. That was the bait the con-man was dangling when he told his story. He said he was a stranger in London in order to suggest that he would be happy to make a friend his own age who knew his way around. The con-man was smart enough to know that people in general are willing to help those above them and not those beneath them. This is because people are motivated by self-interest. Gortsby is lending the stranger a sovereign because he hopes to make a friend of this self-styled member of the landed gentry. Gortsby envisions being invited to a country manor for "shooting" or "riding" and meeting other upper-class types.
This truth about human nature is noted by Jaques in Shakespeare's As You Like It.
"Poor deer,' quoth he, 'thou mak'st a testament
As worldlings do, giving thy sum of more
To that which had too much." (II.1)
The contrast between Gortsby's attitude toward "the defeated" at the beginning and his attitude toward the con-man at the end highlights Saki's thesis that people are eager to help those above them in social status and often make fools of themselves when they do so.
What qualities of Gortsby are evident in a passage from "Dusk"?
Given that you did not specify which passage, this answer will address numerous passages and the qualities present in the protagonist for each passage.
Saki's short story "Dusk" tells of Norman Gortsby's night sitting on a bench during dusk.
The scene pleased Gortsby and harmonised with his present mood. Dusk, to his mind, was the hour of the defeated.
This passage speaks of two possible qualities present in Gortsby. First, Gortsby seems to possess a defeatist quality. Given that he has positioned himself in the middle of the "hour of the defeated" could identify Gortsby as defeated himself. On the other hand, one could identify the quality of confidence in Gortsby. He realizes his circumstances and is confident he belongs at this place at this time.
"It was a pity," mused Gortsby; "the going out to get one's own soap was the one convincing touch in the whole story, and yet it was just that little detail that brought him to grief."
This passage illustrates Gortsby's practicality. He thinks about the young man's story and the validity of his story. This passage, as Gortsby considers the "facts," shows him to be practical. He looks at the realities and possible falsehoods the young man presented. He finds that the young man must have been lying, given the inability to present the soap, "the one convincing touch."
In another moment Gortsby was scudding along the dusk-shrouded path in anxious quest for a youthful figure in a light overcoat.
Here, Gortsby proves to possess a giving quality. Since the soap has been found, Gortsby now knows that the young man has been telling the truth. He wishes to help the young man. By helping the young man who is down on his luck, Gortsby proves to possess a giving nature.
"Poor boy, he as nearly as possible broke down," said Gortsby to himself. "I don't wonder either; the relief from his quandary must have been acute. It's a lesson to me not to be too clever in judging by circumstances."
Here, Gortsby proves to be humble and open. Gortsby now realizes that "judging a book by its cover" is not the right way to go forward in life. He has learned a lesson, and his own thinking has been changed.
In the end, Gortsby realizes that his first impression of the young man was correct, as the soap actually belongs to the elderly man. The young man has, in fact, scammed Gortsby. Therefore, at the close of the story, Gortsby possesses the quality of being cynical. Although he is right in his initial assessment of the young man, the young man is able to successfully con him. Therefore, Gortsby feels defrauded, and because of that, he also possesses the quality of cynicism.