Fate and Coincidence

Collins frequently notes the 'cussedness' or 'strange fatality' that drives him back to places like Runnymede, emphasizing the role of chance, unintended consequences, and the ironic twists of 'such is life.'

The chapter emphasizes chance encounters and unforeseen outcomes, such as the search for the gilgie and the debate about cattle.

Fate and Coincidence is one of the patterns Such Is Life by Joseph Furphy returns to. The chapter notes above are from this edition’s companions — open those chapters to see how the book stages the idea rather than treating the theme as a slogan.