Short Fiction · Chapter
Hermann the Irascible explained
In the second decade of the twentieth century, after the Great Plague has wiped out the British royal family, Hermann the Fourteenth of Saxe-Drachsen-Wachtelstein ascends the throne.
What happens
In the second decade of the twentieth century, after the Great Plague has wiped out the British royal family, Hermann the Fourteenth of Saxe-Drachsen-Wachtelstein ascends the throne. He is a progressive monarch who drafts a Compulsory Female Franchise Bill, requiring all women aged 21-70 to vote in numerous elections under penalty of £10. The law becomes deeply unpopular, sparking a massive No-Votes-for-Women movement and culminating in the 'Great Weep,' where women weep continuously in public places. Faced with this disruption, Hermann reverses course and passes a bill depriving women of the vote, chuckling that there are many ways to achieve an end.
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 is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Egbert…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- The Absurdity of Social Rituals
The compulsory voting law turns a political right into a burdensome ritual, with women forced to vote for obscure offices and disrupting daily life.
- Hypocrisy and Moral Facade
Hermann presents himself as progressive but ultimately manipulates the system to maintain control, revealing the hypocrisy behind his reforms.
- Rebellion and Individuality
Women rebel against the imposed duty to vote through organized weeping, a creative and nonviolent form of protest that forces the government to yield.
Characters to notice
- Hermann the Irascible
The progressive monarch who enacts compulsory female voting and later reverses it after the Great Weep.
Key passages
“There are more ways of killing a cat than by choking it with cream”
There are many methods to achieve a goal, not just the obvious one.
Hermann uses this proverb to justify his indirect strategy of first granting and then revoking women's suffrage.
