Memoirs of a Midget · Chapter
XXVI explained
The narrator keeps a tryst with Mr.
What happens
The narrator keeps a tryst with Mr. Anon in the garden, where he recounts a fantastical vision of a hidden, happy race of little people. The encounter turns tense when he declares his love, and the narrator rebuffs him. Later, Mrs. Bowater accompanies the narrator, and a confrontation with Mr. Anon ensues over her presence.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
This passage marks the dramatic climax because the narrator achieves a psychological turning point by explicit…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Otherness and Identity
The narrator's reflections on her small stature and her comparison with 'ordinary' people highlight her sense of otherness.
- Nature and the Sublime
The garden setting, the changing weather, and Mr. Anon's vision of a hidden paradise evoke the sublime in nature.
- Deception and Self-Deception
The narrator feigns innocence about Mr. Anon's presence, and Mrs. Bowater pretends to sleep while observing.
Characters to notice
- Unknown (Narrator)
The narrator reflects on her small stature, keeps a tryst with Mr. Anon, and rebuffs his declaration of love.
- Mrs. Bowater
Accompanies the narrator to the tryst for propriety, shares reflections on life and marriage, and later confronts the narrator about Mr. Anon.
- Mr. Anon
Meets the narrator in the garden, recounts a story of a hidden race of little people, declares his love, and is angrily rebuffed.
- Fanny Bowater
Her letter is hidden under a stone in the garden; the narrator seeks to recover it.
- Dr. Phelps
Mentioned in the narrator's thoughts about humanity dwindling into littleness.
Key passages
“I suppose one must keep one's promises, Mrs. Bowater, even to a stranger. Would half-past six be too early to keep mine, do you think?”
The narrator asks Mrs. Bowater if it is appropriate to keep her promise to meet Mr. Anon at half-past six.
Shows the narrator's concern with propriety and her commitment to the tryst.
“Only that you might stay. … I love you.”
Mr. Anon whispers that he loves the narrator, hoping she will stay with him.
Mr. Anon's declaration of love marks a turning point in the chapter.
“That contaminating scarecrow; who's she?”
Mr. Anon angrily refers to Mrs. Bowater as a contaminating scarecrow.
Reveals Mr. Anon's contempt for Mrs. Bowater and his jealousy.
