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Man from the South

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Submitted By CamillaMinzoni96
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Man from the South

of Dahl Roald

The short story “Man from the South” is one of the most famous stories of Dahl Roald.
This tale speaking about a bet between two men; an American young sailor and an elderly man called Carlos.
The story started when Carlos sat down in one of the tables around the swimming pool, next to another man, the narrator.
At the same time in the swimming pool there were a lot of American sailors, who were playing and were getting on with some English girls. Suddenly one of the cadets sat at the same table with one of the English girls and then he took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
When he was going to light the smoke between his lips, the little man, Carlos, started to say the sailor`s lighter wouldn`t work when there was the wind. The cadet told him that it always worked and it had never failed; it was then that Carlos ordered the bet.
If the boy had could light his lighter without fail for ten times, he`d have won Carlos’ car, a Cadillac; but if the boy had lost, he`d have lost his little finger.
At first the young boy doubted about this, but Carlos kept to persuading him until he agreed to do that.
Then they came in to the hotel room of Carlos and the little man started to prepare all the necessary for the bet and when all was prepared, the boy started to strike the lighter while Carlos held a chopper handing in the air ready to cut off the finger.
Suddenly, while the boy was lighting his lighter for the eighth time, a woman opened the door, and in this way the bet was stopped.
Later she told them Carlos was a menace and he took forty-seven fingers from various people and also had lost eleven cars.
She had won everything Carlos owned long ago, including the car, and as she reached for the car keys, people could see her hand had only one finger on it, and a thumb.

All this short story takes place in Jamaica during the early evening, maybe at six o`clock or half past six.
In particularly it started outside a hotel, near a swimming pool with a lot of tables, yellow umbrellas and young people and then it moves into a hotel room.

In this story I think there are two conflicts; the first one between Carlos and the American sailor about the bet. The second is the conflict between Carlos and the little lady.

During the bet and the second conflict there are also two climax; the first one is when the young boy started to strike his lighter while Carlos held a chopper hanging in the air ready to cut off the sailor`s finger.
Then the other one is while the narrator was counting, and suddenly the little lady arrived and stopped the bet.

However I think the lady woman isn`t the main characters; actually the possible main characters are three: the narrator, Carlos and also the cadet.
The little old (68-70 years old) man is the antagonist; he is sort of mysterious and he looks secretive, also because we don't get to know much about his past, not until the little lady explained.
But we can understand from his strange accent that he probably comes from the South.

Then there is the American boy, who is the young protagonist of this story but not the hero because, like Carlos, he doesn`t develop but perhaps he learnt not to trust strangers.
He looks arrogant and also cocky and he was manipulated from Carlos in order to accept the bet.

I think also the narrator can be considered one of the main characters because the story is written in first person. The plot is seen through the eyes of one person, the narrator. In this way this short story is more interesting and exciting because you don’t know what will happen; we see the plot through his perspective.
Although there are other possible points of view, as Carlos, the English girl and the young boy`s point of view, I think the story wouldn’t be so exciting and with a lot of suspense.

However the suspense was created also by the bet, because we don`t know who will the bet, and by the woman too. Actually the woman came suddenly and she explained Carlos was poor.

Furthermore one of the themes is concerned about the major loss. The man has nothing left, which is quite sad.
Others important themes are the materialism, the greed for the Cadillac and also the temptation to win this car.

In conclusion this is a very well written short story. Roald Dahl wrote many books and short stories for children and this is his best short story in my opinion.

Camilla Minzoni 2STC

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