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1. Shahidul Islam
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2. Md. Readul Islam
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3. Abu Hena Mostofa
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4. Md. Mehedi Hasan
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5. Md. Ariful Islam
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Our Presentation Topic is

DUSK written by Saki

Writers Bibliography

Hector Hugh Munro (18 December 1870 13 November

1916), better known by the pen name Saki, and also
frequently as H. H. Munro, was a British writer whose witty,
mischievous and sometimes macabre stories satirize
Edwardian society and culture. He is considered a muster of
the short story, and often compared to O. Henry and
Dorothy Parker. Influenced by Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll and
Rudyard Kipling, he himself influenced A. A. Milne, Noel
Coward and P. G. Wodehouse.

Social Context of DUSK

While Saki is almost always a satirist, his satire is notbiting; rather

it seems more a practical joke upon a character of the narrative
rather than an invective against the social classSaki-criticizes.
In his short story, "Dusk," the satirization of the cynical Gortsby
who feels himself better than the others who come to sit in the park
at twilight,ends with an ironic twist that again sharply humanizes
Gortsby's character.
Saki's writing is certainly clever, socially satiric,and surprising;with
its unconventionalities,there is little obeisance for the rules of
realism.
Two elements of comedy that the author uses in this story are
comicirony and satire.
Comic irony occurs when the reader knows something that a
character does not, and in this story is evidenced when the young
man drolly ends his sad tale with a veiled request for money.

Social Context Contd

The man obviously has told his story to make Gortsby feel
sorry for him and lend him some money, but Gortsby does
not know for sure that his story isa lie.
Satire is the use of comedy to expose a human frailty.
Gortsby's inability to judge his counterparts correctly is
comically pointed out in his unstated embarrassment when
he discovers that, through his own miscalculation,he has
allowed the young man to outwit him with his sad story of
woe.

Characters of the Story

When you read to the end of the story, you will see that
three different characters--Gortsby, the old man, and the
young man-- are defeated in different ways:
The young man: The young man is outsmarted by
Gortsby and is denied--at least temporarily--the loan that he
seeks.
Norman Gortsby: Gortsby is fooled by the bar of soap that
he finds under the park bench and ends up giving charity to
an undeserving swindler.
The poor old man: The poor old man loses his bar of
soap.

Summary of the Story

In "Dusk, by Saki, Gortsby is the main character.
He is cynical, believing that dusk is the hour of the defeated.
He believes that those who live a life of defeat come crawling out
at dusk, the hour that the sun has gone down, just before dark.
Gortsby is sitting on a park bench at dusk. He is observing the
other people. He notices that the first man who sits down is
down and out, dejected. He imagines that he gets no respect at
home.
While Gortsby is observing, the first man leaves and the second
man sits down. He is dressed better than the first man. He has a
story to tell. He has forgotten the name of his hotel. He had only
gone out to get a bar of soap and took a drink. Now, he cannot
remember the name of his hotel, and he has no money with him.

Summary of the Story

Contd
Gortsby would have believed this story had the young man
been able to produce a bar of soap. Realizing his con did not
work, the second man leaves. Gortsby is feeling confident in
his cynicism until he notices a bar of soap under the park
bench. Gortsby rushes to catch up with the younger man.
He gives him his bar of soap and some money. Gortsby feels
embarrassed at not believing the second man's story.
At this time, the first gentleman returns and is looking for
something. Gortsby learns that he had dropped a bar of
soap. Now, Gortsby realizes that he has been conned by the
second man. No doubt, he will never see that boy and get
his money again. Gortsby was right in his first interpretation
of the young man's story. Dusk is truly the hour of the
defeated. Now he truly belonged amongst the defeated.

THANKS TO ALL

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