Gullible’s Travels · Question
How does Gullible’s Travels develop the theme of Pretension and Phoniness?
Answer
Gullible’s Travels by Ring Lardner develops Pretension and Phoniness across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Characters like the self-proclaimed millionaire Bishop and the boastful traveler Gould are exposed as frauds, illustrating the theme that people often exaggerate their status and accomplishments to impress others.
The narrator mocks the opera's artificiality, the foreign language, and the audience's pretense of understanding and enjoying it, contrasting it with his own plain-spoken perspective.
The narrator is skeptical of Bishop's wealth and the women's romantic aspirations, seeing pretension in their social maneuvering.
Gould's claim that Palm Beach is 'too common' and his self-importance about his knowledge of foreign policy are mocked by the narrator, exposing the pretensions of the wealthy traveler.
Evidence in the book
- Carmen
The narrator mocks the opera's artificiality, the foreign language, and the audience's pretense of understanding and enjoying it, contrasting it with his own plain-spoken perspective.
- Three Kings and a Pair
The narrator is skeptical of Bishop's wealth and the women's romantic aspirations, seeing pretension in their social maneuvering.
- II
Gould's claim that Palm Beach is 'too common' and his self-importance about his knowledge of foreign policy are mocked by the narrator, exposing the pretensions of the wealthy traveler.
- The Water Cure
The narrator suspects Bishop is not the wealthy scenario writer he claims to be, highlighting the theme of pretense and social deception.
- II
The wife lies about their bridge-playing abilities to gain entry into the club, highlighting the pretense involved in social climbing.
- IV
Mrs. Hatch's emphasis on the club's dinners and prizes suggests a superficial display of social status.
- IV
The Quinns' attempts to appear skilled at poker, despite their obvious inexperience, and the narrator's sarcastic remarks expose the pretenses in social situations.
