Lost on Dress Parade (Henry): Difference between revisions

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O. Henry

Lost on Dress Parade

1904

Summary of the Short Story
from the Collection «The Four Million»

Microsummary: Poor architect pretended to be wealthy for a night. Met girl pretending to be working class. Both lied about their lives during dinner. Parted ways, missing potential connection due to deception.

Short Summary

New York City, early 20th century. Towers Chandler, a young architect, saved money for periodic nights out pretending to be wealthy. On one such evening, he encountered a girl who had fallen on the sidewalk.

👨🏻‍💼

Towers Chandler — 22-year-old male architect, earns $18 per week, saves for periodic nights out, well-dressed, handsome, pretends to be wealthy for one night.

Chandler invited the girl, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, to dinner. During their meal, he boasted about a luxurious lifestyle he didn't actually have. Miss Marian seemed impressed but questioned the purposefulness of such a life.

👩🏻

Miss Marian — young woman, pretty, refined, wears plain black dress, glossy dark-brown hair, actually wealthy but pretending to be a working girl.

After dinner, they parted ways. Chandler returned to his modest room, reflecting on the evening.

"That was a stunning girl," he said to himself. "She's all right, too, I'd be sworn, even if she does have to work. Perhaps if I'd told her the truth instead of all that razzle-dazzle we might—but, confound it! I had to play up to my clothes."

Meanwhile, Miss Marian returned to her wealthy home, revealing to her sister that she had been pretending to be a working girl. She expressed her desire to marry someone with ambition and purpose, unlike the idle rich men she usually encountered. The story ended with both characters having played false roles, missing a potential genuine connection.

Detailed Summary

The division of the summary into chapters is conditional.

Chandler's Preparation for His Night Out

Mr. Towers Chandler, a young architect, was preparing for his special night out in New York City. He carefully pressed his evening suit in his modest hall bedroom, determined to look his best.

Despite his modest income of $18 per week, Chandler had a unique approach to enjoying luxury.

Out of each week's earnings Chandler set aside $1. At the end of each ten weeks with the extra capital thus accumulated, he purchased one gentleman's evening from the bargain counter of stingy old Father Time.

This carefully saved $10 allowed him to experience the life of the wealthy for one evening every ten weeks, a pleasure he cherished deeply.

An Unexpected Encounter

As Chandler strolled along Broadway, reveling in his temporary transformation, he witnessed a young woman slip on an icy patch and fall. He immediately rushed to her aid, helping her to her feet.

The young woman, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, appeared to be a refined working girl in a plain black dress. Chandler, seeing an opportunity to enhance his evening of luxury, invited her to dine with him. After some hesitation, Miss Marian accepted his invitation.

A Dinner of Deception

At the restaurant, Chandler found himself swept up in the excitement of his assumed identity.

Then it was that the Madness of Manhattan, the Frenzy of Fuss and Feathers, the Bacillus of Brag, the Provincial Plague of Pose seized upon Towers Chandler. He was on Broadway, surrounded by pomp and style, and there were eyes to look at him.

He began to regale Miss Marian with tales of his fictitious wealthy lifestyle, mentioning clubs, social events, and even hinting at owning a yacht. However, Miss Marian's response was unexpected.

"This way of living that you speak of," she said, "sounds so futile and purposeless. Haven't you any work to do in the world that might interest you more?"

Chandler, caught off guard, dismissed her concerns, maintaining his facade of a carefree socialite.

The Truth Revealed

After dinner, Chandler bid Miss Marian goodbye and returned to his modest lodgings. As he put away his evening clothes for another long wait, he reflected on the evening and the girl he had met.

Meanwhile, Miss Marian returned to her own home - a handsome mansion. She was greeted by her worried sister, revealing that she was actually from a wealthy family and had been playing the role of a working girl.

👱🏻‍♀️

Marian's Sister — young lady, wears elaborate house dress, concerned about Marian's absence.

In a conversation with her sister, Marian reflected on the kind of man she could truly love.

"I could love a man with dark and kind blue eyes, who is gentle and respectful to poor girls, who is handsome and good and does not try to flirt. But I could love him only if he had an ambition, an object, some work to do in the world."

The story concluded with both Chandler and Marian unaware of each other's true identities, each having played a role for the evening, and both left pondering the authenticity of their encounter.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{Summary
 | Title = Lost on Dress Parade
+| Subtitle =
+| Original Title =
 | Cycle = [[The Four Million (Henry)|The Four Million]]
 | Author = O. Henry
-| Genre = short story
+| Literary form = short story
-| Year of publication =
+| Year of publication = 1904
-| Microsummary = A young architect saved money for luxurious evenings and met a girl who appeared to be working-class. He pretended to be wealthy, but she valued ambition and purpose over idleness.
+| Microsummary = Poor architect pretended to be wealthy for a night. Met girl pretending to be working class. Both lied about their lives during dinner. Parted ways, missing potential connection due to deception.
-| Wikidata =
+| Emoji = 👔
 | Wikisource = The Four Million/Lost on Dress Parade
 }}
@@ Line 14: / Line 16: @@
 {{Start of text}}
-Towers Chandler, a 22-year-old architect, had a unique way of enjoying life in New York City. He would save one dollar from his weekly earnings of $18, and every ten weeks, he would use the accumulated amount to indulge in a luxurious evening. On these special nights, he would dress impeccably and dine at a fancy restaurant, savoring the experience of being a wealthy idler.
+== Short Summary ==
-One evening, as Chandler was walking down Broadway, he came across a girl who slipped on the icy sidewalk and fell. He helped her up and learned that she had twisted her ankle. The girl, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, was dressed modestly, appearing to be a working-class girl.
+New York City, early 20th century. Towers Chandler, a young architect, saved money for periodic nights out pretending to be wealthy. On one such evening, he encountered a girl who had fallen on the sidewalk.
 {{Character
 | Name = Towers Chandler
-| Description = young architect, 22yo; saves money for luxurious evenings; handsome, well-dressed, blue eyes; imaginative, pretentious, kind
+| Description = 22-year-old male architect, earns $18 per week, saves for periodic nights out, well-dressed, handsome, pretends to be wealthy for one night
 | Emoji = 👨🏻‍💼
 }}
+Chandler invited the girl, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, to dinner. During their meal, he boasted about a luxurious lifestyle he didn't actually have. Miss Marian seemed impressed but questioned the purposefulness of such a life.
 {{Character
 | Name = Miss Marian
-| Description = young lady from a wealthy family; poses as a working-class girl; dark brown hair, pretty, refined; insightful, honest, ambitious
+| Description = young woman, pretty, refined, wears plain black dress, glossy dark-brown hair, actually wealthy but pretending to be a working girl
-| Emoji = 👩🏻‍💼
+| Emoji = 👩🏻
+}}
+After dinner, they parted ways. Chandler returned to his modest room, reflecting on the evening.
+{{Quote|
+"That was a stunning girl," he said to himself. "She's all right, too, I'd be sworn, even if she does have to work. Perhaps if I'd told her the truth instead of all that razzle-dazzle we might—but, confound it! I had to play up to my clothes."
+}}
+Meanwhile, Miss Marian returned to her wealthy home, revealing to her sister that she had been pretending to be a working girl. She expressed her desire to marry someone with ambition and purpose, unlike the idle rich men she usually encountered. The story ended with both characters having played false roles, missing a potential genuine connection.
+== Detailed Summary ==
+''The division of the summary into chapters is conditional.''
+=== Chandler's Preparation for His Night Out ===
+Mr. Towers Chandler, a young architect, was preparing for his special night out in New York City. He carefully pressed his evening suit in his modest hall bedroom, determined to look his best.
+Despite his modest income of $18 per week, Chandler had a unique approach to enjoying luxury.
+{{Quote|
+Out of each week's earnings Chandler set aside $1. At the end of each ten weeks with the extra capital thus accumulated, he purchased one gentleman's evening from the bargain counter of stingy old Father Time.
 }}
-Chandler, feeling sympathetic and wanting to make his evening more enjoyable, invited her to join him for dinner. Miss Marian hesitated at first but eventually agreed.
+This carefully saved $10 allowed him to experience the life of the wealthy for one evening every ten weeks, a pleasure he cherished deeply.
+=== An Unexpected Encounter ===
+As Chandler strolled along Broadway, reveling in his temporary transformation, he witnessed a young woman slip on an icy patch and fall. He immediately rushed to her aid, helping her to her feet.
+The young woman, who introduced herself as Miss Marian, appeared to be a refined working girl in a plain black dress. Chandler, seeing an opportunity to enhance his evening of luxury, invited her to dine with him. After some hesitation, Miss Marian accepted his invitation.
-At the restaurant, Chandler decided to play the part of a wealthy man, talking about clubs, teas, golf, and other high-society activities. He even hinted at having a yacht and being friends with influential people. Miss Marian listened attentively and shared her thoughts on the importance of work and ambition in life.
+=== A Dinner of Deception ===
+At the restaurant, Chandler found himself swept up in the excitement of his assumed identity.
 {{Quote|
-"I could love a man with dark and kind blue eyes, who is gentle and respectful to poor girls, who is handsome and good and does not try to flirt."
+Then it was that the Madness of Manhattan, the Frenzy of Fuss and Feathers, the Bacillus of Brag, the Provincial Plague of Pose seized upon Towers Chandler. He was on Broadway, surrounded by pomp and style, and there were eyes to look at him.
 }}
-She expressed her desire to help someone build their way up in the world, rather than being with someone who lived an idle life.
+He began to regale Miss Marian with tales of his fictitious wealthy lifestyle, mentioning clubs, social events, and even hinting at owning a yacht. However, Miss Marian's response was unexpected.
 {{Quote|
-"But, sister dear, the kind of man we always meet—the man who lives an idle life between society and his clubs—I could not love a man like that."
+"This way of living that you speak of," she said, "sounds so futile and purposeless. Haven't you any work to do in the world that might interest you more?"
+}}
+Chandler, caught off guard, dismissed her concerns, maintaining his facade of a carefree socialite.
+=== The Truth Revealed ===
+After dinner, Chandler bid Miss Marian goodbye and returned to his modest lodgings. As he put away his evening clothes for another long wait, he reflected on the evening and the girl he had met.
+Meanwhile, Miss Marian returned to her own home - a handsome mansion. She was greeted by her worried sister, revealing that she was actually from a wealthy family and had been playing the role of a working girl.
+{{Character
+| Name = Marian's Sister
+| Description = young lady, wears elaborate house dress, concerned about Marian's absence
+| Emoji = 👱🏻‍♀️
 }}
-After their dinner, Chandler escorted Miss Marian to the corner where they had first met. They said their goodbyes, and Miss Marian walked away, her limp barely noticeable. Chandler took a cab home, reflecting on the evening and the girl he had met. He wondered if things would have been different had he told her the truth about his life instead of pretending to be someone he was not.
+In a conversation with her sister, Marian reflected on the kind of man she could truly love.
+{{Quote|
+"I could love a man with dark and kind blue eyes, who is gentle and respectful to poor girls, who is handsome and good and does not try to flirt. But I could love him only if he had an ambition, an object, some work to do in the world."
+}}
-Unbeknownst to Chandler, Miss Marian was actually from a wealthy family. She had left her home wearing a simple dress and hat to run an errand and had enjoyed the experience of being mistaken for a working-class girl. Upon returning home, she told her sister about the kind man she had met and how she wished he had ambition and a purpose in life. The encounter left a lasting impression on both Chandler and Miss Marian, highlighting the importance of honesty and ambition in their lives.
+The story concluded with both Chandler and Marian unaware of each other's true identities, each having played a role for the evening, and both left pondering the authenticity of their encounter.
 {{End of text}}