Short Fiction · Chapter
Somebody Lied explained
Two farm hands, an old man and his son, enter a saloon to experience getting drunk for the first time after selling their produce for more than expected.
What happens
Two farm hands, an old man and his son, enter a saloon to experience getting drunk for the first time after selling their produce for more than expected. They drink several whiskies but feel terrible, regret their decision, and resolve never to drink again.
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 Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it captures the precise moment the protagonist’s humor shifts f…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Humor and Irony
The ironic contrast between the men's expectation of drunken fun and their actual miserable experience drives the humor of the sketch.
- Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The men were deceived by the common notion that getting drunk is enjoyable, only to discover the harsh reality.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator recounts the anecdote of the two men in the saloon.
Key passages
“When folks makes a big strike they most al'ays gets drunk, and es me and Lem never was drunk, we says, we'll git drunk and see how it feels.”
When people come into unexpected money, they usually celebrate by getting drunk, and since we've never been drunk, we decided to try it.
The old man explains their reasoning for drinking.
“somebody has lied to us about the fun in gettin' drunk.”
We were misled about how enjoyable getting drunk would be.
The old man concludes that the supposed pleasure of drunkenness is a lie.
