Poetry · Chapter
Decision Reversed explained
The narrator describes the frustration and irritation of Christmas shopping in crowded conditions, only to have his perspective transformed when he sees his child's joyful face on Christmas morning.
What happens
The narrator describes the frustration and irritation of Christmas shopping in crowded conditions, only to have his perspective transformed when he sees his child's joyful face on Christmas morning.
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
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because the speaker confronts the painful realization that his child’s lov…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Childhood and Family
The child's innocent joy on Christmas morning transforms the narrator's frustration into tenderness.
- Nostalgia and Memory
The poem reflects on a past Christmas moment, contrasting the chaos of shopping with the warmth of family.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator experiences irritation during Christmas shopping, then a change of heart upon seeing his child's joy.
- Brother Jim
The child (referred to as 'my kid') whose joyful reaction on Christmas morning reverses the narrator's mood.
Key passages
“When I mixed with the shoppers and fought in vain To get what I sought, in the Christmas rush; When they stood on my toes in the crowded train, Or dented my ribs in the sidewalk crush, I dropped my manners and snarled and swore, And thought: “It’s a bothersome, beastly bore!””
During the Christmas rush, the narrator struggled with crowds on trains and sidewalks, losing his temper and cursing the experience as a tedious nuisance.
Describes the narrator's initial frustration with holiday shopping.
“But when, at the Christmas dawn, they brought My kid to the room where his things were piled, And when, from my vantage point, I caught The look on his face, I murmured: “Child, Your dad was a fool when he snarled and swore, And called it a bothersome, beastly bore.””
On Christmas morning, seeing his child's joyful expression made the narrator realize his earlier anger was foolish.
The turning point where the child's happiness changes the narrator's perspective.
