Class 10 English Communication -
Mrs Packletide's Tiger
(Chapter Summary)
"Mrs Packletide's Tiger" by H.H. Munro (also known as Saki) is a satirical short story that was first published in 1924. The story takes place in India and revolves around Mrs Packletide, a wealthy and ambitious woman who desires to gain social recognition by shooting a tiger.
Mrs Packletide's desire for recognition leads her to make a deal with Loona Bimberton, another wealthy socialite, to finance a tiger hunt. Mrs Packletide then hires a skilled hunter (Miss Mebbin) to assist her in the hunt.
Actually, the bullet from the rifle hit the goat which died instantly whereas the tiger being an old one, just succumbed to heart-failure at the mere sound of a bullet. However, the tiger they finally shoot is actually not the one that had given Mrs Packletide so much trouble.
Despite this, Mrs Packletide is happy with the outcome and prepares to use the tiger skin as a display of her success. However, she begins to worry about a rumor that the real hero of the hunt was a native who had actually driven the tiger towards her. To counter the rumor, Mrs Packletide fabricates a story about how she had risked her own life by standing right in front of the tiger before shooting it.
In the end, Mrs Packletide's plan backfires as Loona Bimberton reveals that she too had heard a different version of the story. It turns out that the native hunter (Miss Mebbin) who had helped Mrs Packletide was actually blackmailing her. She had to buy a cottage near Darking in which Louisa Mebbin lived happily.
The story satirizes the British colonial society in India and highlights the hypocrisy and superficiality of the wealthy and upper class. It also portrays the theme of how people can be blinded by their desire for social recognition and how far they are willing to go to achieve it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love to hear your thoughts about this post!
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.