In the short story “The Lumber Room” by Saki, Nicholas displays the intricate imagination of a child. Your question asks whether you agree the story demonstrates the vivid imagination of the child. Using text evidence, it is easy to agree with this assertion.
Although he is just a child, Nicholas demonstrates his ability to outsmart adults with his cunning, imaginative thoughts and actions. Saki highlights his ability to out think his aunt in a number of ways.
At breakfast he tells the adults there is a frog in his milk and bread, which they say is impossible. In reality, the child put the frog in his bowl. As to be expected, the adults were furious with him for both putting the frog there, and for proving them wrong. He is to be punished for his actions but he is actually rewarded. The other children were treated with a trip to the shore that turns into a disaster from start to finish.
In the meantime, he is left behind with his “aunt” and banished from the wonderful world of the gooseberry garden. All the while, his caretaker wastes her day guarding the garden doors so that Nicholas will not enter the forbidden territory. He plays along to make his aunt think he is suffering while being locked out, but in reality, he sneaks back into the house and unlocks “The Lumber Room.” This prohibited room is filled with treasures where he allows his imagination to flow freely especially when looking at a tapestry of a huntsman.
First and foremost, there was a piece of framed tapestry that was evidently meant to be a fire-screen. To Nicholas it was a living, breathing story; he sat down on a roll of Indian hangings, glowing in wonderful colours beneath a layer of dust, and took in all the details of the tapestry picture.
Next, he comes across an enthralling book of birds, which he allows himself to revel in for a few moments before he hears his aunt bellow. Once again, he tricked her. She thought he slipped into the garden, when really, he was in the secret room. While she was clamoring for help he slipped out of the room and ran to the garden. He uses his cunning imagination when he questions the woman who fell into the water tank. Again, his questions outsmart her.
"I was told I wasn't to go into the gooseberry garden," said Nicholas promptly.
"I told you not to, and now I tell you that you may," came the voice from the rain-water tank, rather impatiently.
"Your voice doesn't sound like aunt's," objected Nicholas; "you may be the Evil One tempting me to be disobedient. Aunt often tells me that the Evil One tempts me and that I always yield This time I'm not going to yield."
"Don't talk nonsense," said the prisoner in the tank; "go and fetch the ladder."
"Will there be strawberry jam for tea?" asked Nicholas innocently.
"Certainly there will be," said the aunt, privately resolving that Nicholas should have none of it.
"Now I know that you are the Evil One and not aunt," shouted Nicholas gleefully; "when we asked aunt for strawberry jam yesterday she said there wasn't any.
From this text evidence and more, Saki provides the reader with examples of the child’s cunningly vivid imagination.
No comments:
Post a Comment