"A Story" Summary and Question Answers
- Dylan Thomas
"A Story" by Dylan Thomas is a humorous tale told from the perspective of a young boy about a group of adult males who go on a day trip to Porthcawl by Charabanc, a type of bus. The group, led by the boy's uncle Mr. Thomas, is composed of dirty, careless, and irresponsible men who only think about themselves and their desire to drink. The boy's aunt, Mrs. Sarah, is the opposite of her husband, being small, clean, hardworking, and responsible. Despite their differences, the couple loves each other deeply, with Mr. Thomas allowing Mrs. Sarah to beat him on the head with whatever object is handy every Saturday.
The group sets out on their trip, but along the way they stop at every pub they come across and get drunk, causing them to cancel their plans to go to Porthcawl and instead head back home. On the way back, they get lost and end up at a river, where they decide to stop and play in the water. It is now late in the evening, and as they try to return home, they get lost again and end up at a strange house. The owner of the house, an old man, invites them in for a drink and tells them a story about his youth.
As the night wears on, the group becomes increasingly drunk and rowdy, causing the old man to eventually kick them out of his house. They finally make it back to the boy's home in the early hours of the morning, and Mr. Thomas falls into bed, exhausted and covered in mud. The boy reflects on the strange and comical events of the day, noting that despite all the chaos and nonsense, he still loves his uncle and aunt and their unconventional way of life. Overall, "A Story" is a humorous and lighthearted portrayal of the antics of a group of irresponsible adults as seen through the eyes of a young boy.
Question Answers :
1. What is "A Story" about?
Answer : "A Story" is a humorous short story written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. It follows the tale of a group of 30 adult males who go on a Charabanc outing to Porthcawl, but end up stopping at every pub along the way. The narrator of the story is a young boy who lives with his uncle, Mr. Thomas, and aunt, Mrs. Sarah. The boy describes Mr. Thomas as a loud, dirty, irresponsible, and alcoholic man who is very large in size, while he compares Mrs. Sarah to a cat, as she is small, clean, hardworking, and responsible. Despite their differences, the two love each other deeply. Every Saturday, Mr. Thomas allows Mrs. Sarah to hit him on the head with whatever object is nearby, usually the china dog.
2. How does the outing group behave and what are their characteristics?
Answer : The members of the outing seem to only think about themselves and their own desires. They are dirty and irresponsible, and the narrator describes them as careless and stupid. Benjamin Franklin is appointed the treasurer of the outing, but Will Sentry follows him constantly, suspecting that Benjamin will misuse the funds like Bob The Fiddle did the previous year. On the outing, the group becomes wild and drunk, eating all the onions in one pub and moving from pub to pub, drinking until evening. They also stop at the river and play in the water, canceling their trip to Porthcawl.
3. How does Mrs. Sarah feel about the outing and Mr. Thomas' drinking habits?
Answer : Mrs. Sarah doesn't want her husband to go on the outing due to his drinking habits, and threatens to go to her mother's house if he does. Despite his irresponsible behavior, she loves him deeply and prepares eggs for him when he returns home. She also leaves him a note reminding him to take off his boots before going to bed.
4. What is the boy's perspective on the adult world and the relationship between Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Sarah?
Answer : The boy observes the strange behavior of the adult world and the love shared between Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Sarah. He finds the adult world humorous and uses metaphors and smiles to describe the actions of Mr. Thomas and his friends. He also notes that there is no beginning or ending in the story, only something in the middle.
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