Fly in the Ointement

287 Words2 Pages
The Fly In The Ointment Setting: Empty factory of a father who has just gone bankrupt, in London, overcast weather. Protagonist vs Antagonist: Harold is the protagonist who is confronted by his father's desire of not facing reality and mistreating his son. Themes: - Dysfunction in a family relation - The inability to adapt to new circumstances - Greed is an impulse that many people can't overcome - Habits/Desires die hard Atmosphere: Somber, uncertain, dull, and gloomy. Summary The fly in the ointment is a short story by V.S Prichett. A factory-owner goes bankrupt. He gets everything taken away. His son Harold is a poor University professor. He comes to help his dad. Harold is disliked by his father for his poor job. The father tells Harold that he is not at all worried, and that a lot of big businessmen have also gone bankrupt. He says that the lust for money is a curse and he is happy that it has left him so that he can now settle for a simple, happy life. Suddenly a fly enters the room. The father gets up and tries to kill it with a duster. Harold opens the window and the fly goes out but enters in again. The father stands at the top of the table and tries to kill it. Unexpectedly, Harold makes his father an offer of money to restart his business. The old man, at first rejects not believing the offer. Harold repeats the offer and the old man becomes sure that the offer is real. The outer mask of his personality is removed and his insatiable greed and desire is shown when he says, "Why didn't you tell me before you could raise
Open Document