Diego Olea Yez

Advanced Oral and Written Discourse

MA in TEFL
UMCE

Poison by Roald Dahl: An allegory of domination

Poison by the British author Roald Dahl is a short story first published in Colliers
magazine in 1950. It narrates an incident involving a man named Harry claiming to have a krait, a
venomous type of snake, laying on his stomach. Timber, his housemate, and Dr. Ganderbai try to
help Harry by sedating the snake before it bits him, finally realizing there was not a snake. When
questioned, Harry reacts violently towards Ganderbai addressing him with ethnic slurs. Even
though the story can be categorized as belonging to the genre of suspense, its plot twist near the
end may change the perception the reader would have towards the narration. It is the inclusion of
a climatic sociopolitical subtheme related to racism which insinuates the presence of an
underlying message beyond the storys suspenseful narrative structure. In addition, little is
revealed concerning the background of both the characters and the setting they interact, forcing
the audience to read between the lines. However, the author does offer many clues for readers to
grasp a deeper message, which is related to Dahls historical context, more specifically, the ruling
of the British Empire over India. Together with the aforementioned plot holes, it is the presence
of certain symbols which aids in finally identifying the anti-imperialist message in Poison. This
story is an allegory of how domination is established, and how the mechanics of power operate.
The first element that contributes to the allegory of domination is the interaction of the
characters. These characters origins are never presented. Therefore, the reader is left only with
how the characters interact as an element of analysis to find out each individuals identity.
Throughout most of the story, Harry, paralyzed with the fear of being bitten, issues commands to
Timber who obeys without hesitation. It is never revealed if these dynamics are the way Harry
and Timber relate most of the time or if it is incidental. Moreover, when the aid of Ganderbai
arrives, Timbers helpful disposition remains but now it is the doctor who controls much of the
situation. Timbers submissive attitude combined with Harrys and Ganderbais intermittent
authority connote the idea of power relationships, where there is inequality and where power is
movable. Thus the theme of power is brought forward.
The second element which is part of the allegory is the setting. Similarly to the identity of
the characters, the setting is never defined. Nevertheless, the reader should infer it is India if she
or he takes into account the species of the snake, which is endemic to that country, supported by
Ganderbais overt ethnicity and footwear, suggesting hot weather. But there are some foreign

elements that add up to the historical context. The authors nationality and the protagonists name
origin point at the presence of the British Empire in India. This is further supported by the
historical element of the British model car Ganderbai drives (a Morris car). These details may be
implying that the political context is India during the first half of the XX century under British
rule. Therefore, the topic of colonialims is introduced.
Both the topic of power and colonialism fit under the umbrella term of domination which
Dhal attempts to explore. According to his allegory, domination has two features: it is
multilayered and performatic. It is multilayered because it is present in many levels: from
everyday relationships, permeating the sociopolitical realm, to the divide of humans versus
nature. These layers are represented in Poison with the interactions of the characters, the political
reality of India, and the incident with the snake. Besides, domination is seen as a performance
due to the fact that it is dynamic and depends on the context. This is reflected by the transferable
authority that Harry and Ganderbai share at specific moments provided the situation puts them in
power.
Apart from this general delineation for domination, Dahl further analyzes its dynamics
with the symbol of the snake and its poison. Harry's body could symbolize a dominated entity or
territory and the krait, the controlling power taking over that territory. How Harry feels is a simile
of a nations sentiment under the rule of a foreign power: frightened, powerless, helpless and
paralyzed. Concerning the symbol of poison, it could correspond to a metaphor for the defense
mechanisms the ruling power has to perpetuate its domination. This is related to the plot twist at
the end. At that moment, Harry is embodying the ruling power and when he sees his power
threatened he counterattacks with racist remarks. Therefore, racism is seen as a device to
maintain power by the ruling class. Finally, the snake symbolizes a colonizing entity which uses
its poison to retain its power, just as the snake on Harry's stomach.
To sum up, Poison is an anti-imperialist allegory that portrays the process of domination.
It describes the dynamics of power and states that it is through violence, in this case in the form
of racism, that a ruling class can maintain their regime.

References
Dahl, R. (1990). Poison. In R. Dahl, Tales of the unexpected. United States: Vintage Books.