Dusk by H. H. Munro
(Saki)
Author: H. H. Munro
(pen name: Saki)
Genre: Short Story
Published: 1921
✍️ About the Author: H. H. Munro (Saki)
Hector Hugh
Munro (1870–1916), better known by his pen name Saki, was a British
writer famous for his witty, ironic, and sharply satirical short stories. His
tales often expose the hypocrisy and pretensions of Edwardian society. Saki’s
style is characterized by clever twists, unexpected endings, and dry
humour.
🌇 Summary of
“Dusk”
The story “Dusk”
takes place in Hyde Park, London, during the early evening—dusk,
a time symbolizing deception and loss.
Norman Gortsby, the main
character, sits on a park bench watching people who appear downcast or
defeated. He believes dusk is the hour of defeated people, those who
prefer not to be seen in their misfortune.
An old man sits
beside him for a while and then leaves. Soon after, a young man sits
down and starts a conversation. The youth explains that he has just arrived in
London, lost his hotel, and left his bag and soap there. He says he went out to
buy a cake of soap but lost his way back. Now he needs money for the night.
Gortsby listens
skeptically and doesn’t believe him. He asks for proof. The young man
says if he had the soap, Gortsby might believe his story. Gortsby finds no soap
and tells him his story sounds rehearsed. The young man leaves, offended.
Afterward,
Gortsby finds a cake of soap near the bench and feels guilty for doubting
the young man. He runs after him, apologizes, and gives him money.
When Gortsby returns to his bench, he sees the old man returning,
searching the ground for something — his lost cake of soap!
Gortsby
realizes he has been tricked by the young man, who took advantage of his
moment of misplaced guilt.
💡 Themes
- Deception
and Gullibility:
The story shows how easily people can be deceived by clever lies and appearances. - Irony and
Satire:
Saki mocks people like Gortsby who believe they are intelligent judges of character but are easily fooled. - Appearance
vs. Reality:
What seems true may not be so. The soap — a simple object — symbolizes the thin line between truth and lies. - Pride and Self-deception:
Gortsby’s overconfidence in his own judgment leads to his embarrassment. - Dusk as
Symbol:
Dusk symbolizes uncertainty, moral ambiguity, and the grey area between truth and falsehood.
👥 Main
Characters
1.
Norman Gortsby
- A middle-class man sitting in
the park.
- Cynical, observant, and proud
of his reasoning skills.
- Ultimately deceived due to
overconfidence.
2.
The Young Man
- A clever trickster and liar.
- Uses an emotional story to gain
sympathy and money.
- Represents deceit and
manipulation.
3.
The Old Gentleman
- Appears briefly but plays a
crucial role in the twist ending.
- The real owner of the soap.
- His reappearance reveals
Gortsby’s foolishness.
🏙️ Setting
- Place: Hyde Park,
London.
- Time: Around
dusk, early 20th century.
- The setting perfectly
complements the story’s theme of deception and uncertainty.
🧠 Style and
Techniques
- Irony: The
story’s ending is a classic ironic twist.
- Satire: Subtle
mockery of human pride and gullibility.
- Dialogue: Builds
tension and reveals character motives.
- Symbolism: The soap
represents proof, honesty, and the fragility of truth.
📜 Moral /
Message
- Never be too sure of your
judgment — appearances can be deceptive.
- Overconfidence can lead to
embarrassment and mistakes.
- Human sympathy must be balanced
with caution and reasoning.
🧩 Key Vocabulary
|
Word |
Meaning |
|
Dusk |
The time just
after sunset, semi-darkness |
|
Cynical |
Doubtful of
others’ motives |
|
Defeated |
Having failed
or been overcome |
|
Plausible |
Seeming
reasonable or believable |
|
Rehearsed |
Practiced in
advance |
|
Gullible |
Easily
deceived or tricked |
|
Irony |
The opposite
of what is expected |
|
Mockery |
Ridicule or
satire |
🏙️ Places in the
Story
1.
Hyde Park, London
- The main setting of the
story.
- A public park where Norman
Gortsby sits on a bench at dusk.
- Symbolic location — full of
people from different walks of life, including the “defeated” ones who
hide their failures under the cover of darkness.
2.
Park Bench
- The central scene of the
story’s action.
- Three characters (Gortsby, the
old gentleman, and the young man) sit on this bench one after another.
- It becomes a symbol of
judgment and deception — the place where Gortsby’s reasoning is tested
and where he is ultimately fooled.
3.
The Hotel (mentioned in the young man’s story)
- Although never seen directly,
the lost hotel is part of the young man’s fabricated story.
- It represents false hope
and is used as a tool of deception to make his lie sound
believable.
👥 Characters in
the Story
1.
Norman Gortsby
- Main
character and focal point of the story.
- A
middle-class, observant man who believes dusk is “the hour of the
defeated.”
- Proud of
his logic and skepticism, but ends up being deceived.
- Represents
human pride, overconfidence, and the danger of misjudgment.
2.
The Young Man
- A clever trickster and con
artist.
- Pretends to be a traveler who
lost his hotel and money after buying a cake of soap.
- Tries to gain sympathy (and
money) from strangers with a well-practiced false story.
- Symbolizes deception,
manipulation, and the art of exploiting trust.
3.
The Old Gentleman
- Appears briefly at the
beginning and end of the story.
- Initially sits quietly beside
Gortsby, then leaves.
- Returns later, searching for
his lost cake of soap, which reveals the truth and exposes Gortsby’s
mistake.
- Represents innocence and
reality, in contrast to the young man’s lies.
🧾 A. Short
Answer Type Questions
Q1. Who
is the author of “Dusk”?
Ans: “Dusk”
is written by H. H. Munro, who wrote under
the pen name Saki.
Q2.
Where does the story take place?
Ans: The
story takes place in Hyde Park, London, during the
evening — at dusk.
Q3. Who
were the three people who sat on the bench in the park?
Ans: The
three people were Norman Gortsby, a young
man, and an old gentleman.
Q4. Why
did Gortsby call dusk “the hour of the defeated”?
Ans: Gortsby
believed that people who had failed in life preferred the cover of dusk to hide
their defeat and sadness from others.
Q5. What
was the young man’s story?
Ans: The
young man claimed he came to London, lost his hotel and luggage, and went out
to buy soap but forgot the hotel’s name and address. He said he needed money to
stay the night.
Q6. What
did Gortsby ask the young man for as proof of his story?
Ans: Gortsby
asked the young man to show him the cake of soap he claimed to have
bought.
Q7. Why
did Gortsby change his mind about the young man’s story?
Ans: Gortsby
found a cake of soap near the bench and
thought it proved the young man was telling the truth, so he ran after him and
gave him money.
Q8. What
happened at the end of the story?
Ans: The old
gentleman returned searching for his lost
soap, revealing that Gortsby had been tricked
by the young man.
Q9. What
does the cake of soap symbolize in the story?
Ans: The
soap symbolizes truth, proof, and deception —
it appears to confirm the young man’s story but ultimately exposes Gortsby’s
error.
Q10. How
is irony shown in “Dusk”?
Ans: Irony
is shown when Gortsby, who prides himself on his judgment and logic, is fooled
by a simple trick and ends up helping a liar.
🧠 B. Long
Answer Type Questions
Q1.
Describe the character of Norman Gortsby.
Ans: Norman
Gortsby is a proud, observant man who considers himself clever and logical. He
views dusk as the hour of the defeated. However, his overconfidence blinds him
to his own gullibility. When he finds the soap, he hastily assumes the young
man’s story was true and gives him money. The twist at the end exposes his
weakness — he is overconfident but easily deceived.
Q2. What
is the main theme of the story “Dusk”?
Ans: The
main theme is deception and the irony of human judgment.
The story highlights how appearances can mislead and how easily pride and pity
can cloud reason. Saki uses irony to show that even intelligent people like
Gortsby can make foolish mistakes.
Q3.
Discuss the symbolism of “dusk” in the story.
Ans: “Dusk”
symbolizes uncertainty, concealment, and the blurring of
truth and lies. It is the hour when the defeated hide their
failures and when one cannot easily distinguish between honesty and deception.
The time of dusk mirrors the moral and emotional confusion of Gortsby.
Q4.
Explain how the story “Dusk” is an example of irony.
Ans: The
story’s irony lies in the fact that Gortsby considers himself a good judge of
character, yet he is completely deceived. The cake of soap — which he takes as
proof — is actually the old man’s, not the young liar’s. The situation turns
the clever judge into the duped victim, creating perfect
situational irony.
Q5. What
moral lesson does the story “Dusk” convey?
Ans: The
story teaches us not to be overconfident in our judgment
and not to
judge others based on appearances. It also warns against
excessive pride in reasoning abilities. Sympathy should be guided by caution,
and logic must be balanced with humility.
💬 C.
Value-Based / Analytical Questions
Q1. What
does the story reveal about human nature?
Ans: It
shows that human beings are often proud, gullible, and easily deceived
by appearances. People tend to believe stories that appeal to their emotions,
especially when mixed with guilt or pity.
Q2. Do
you think Gortsby deserved to be deceived? Why or why not?
Ans: Yes, in
a way. His arrogance and belief in his own cleverness led to his downfall. He
mocked others as “defeated,” but ended up being the real
defeated one by the end of the story.
Q3. How
does Saki use humor and irony to make the story effective?
Ans: Saki’s
dry humor lies in Gortsby’s self-satisfaction turning into embarrassment. The ironic
twist at the end — the old man’s soap — delivers both humor and
moral insight, making the story memorable.
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