Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat By Dahl Roald
Author’s Biography: Dahl Roald He was a British novelist, short story writer, poet and fighter pilot He was born in Wales to Norwegian parents He served in the Royal Air Force during the World War II His stories are known for their unexpected ending, often dark humor.
Plot: Dahl introduces the story by commenting commenting on the ruthless practice of American woman marrying men, using them, and divorcing them just for financial gain. He claims that these poor overworked men meet in bars and console themselves with tales in which cuckolded men win one over the evil forces of femininity.
This story is "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat", which is about a hard-working dentist and his devious wife. Mrs. Bixby leaves home once a month to visit her aunt in Baltimore, but really she spends the time with her lover, the Colonel. On this particular occasion she receives a parting gift from the Colonel, and when she opens it on the train home she is amazed to find an extremely beautiful and valuable mink coat. In a note the Colonel explains that their relationship has to end, but Mrs. Bixby comforted herself in having her fabulous new possession. Immediately she begins scheming and making up a story she can tell her husband about where she obtained it. She decides to visit a pawnbroker and borrow $50 against the coat, receiving a blank pawn ticket in return. When she gets home h ome she tells her husband that she found the ticket in the back seat of a taxi. Since she doesn't want to be recognized by the pawnbroker, she lets her husband go to claim the item after he promises that he'll give whatever it is to her. He calls her from work the next day to let her know that he has the item, and that she's going to be really surprised and happy. Mrs. Bixby is too eager to wait, so she goes to her husband's office to pick up the coat. Imagine her surprise, then, when her husband places a mangy mink stole around her neck! She pretends to be happy for her sake, while secretly planning to return to the pawnbroker and accuse him of switching the coat for this worthless item. On her way out of the office, though, she is passed by her husband's young assistant secretary, Miss Pulteney... wearing the "beautiful black mink coat co at that the Colonel had given to Mrs. Bixby."
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Summary: Mrs. Bixby and her husband, a dentist, live in a flat .Once a month, for years, (eigth years she went by) Mrs Bixby would get on the train at Pennsylvania Station and travel to Baltimore, supposedly visiting her old aunt, meanwhile she is having an affair with the Colonel One day, Mrs. Bixby gets a rare and expensive present from the Colonel: a black, lustrous, and quite extravagant mink coat. A letter from the Colonel that came in the box with the coat informs Mrs. Bixby that they can no longer see each other, and suggests she tells her husband the mink coat was a present from her aunt for Christmas. She is clearly in despair as she reads the letter. le tter. Mrs. Bixby however knows that her aunt aun t is far too poor to be given credit for the purchase of the coat, and is intent on keeping it. She decides to go to a pawn-broker, and sells the coat for $50. The pawn-broker gives her a pawn ticket, which she declines to mark with any kind of name, or description. The ticket does however guarantee her right to claim the coat at any time. She tells her husband that she found the pawn ticket in the taxi, and he decides de cides it would be best if he redeemed the ticket, in spite of Mrs. Bixby's pleas. The next day Mr. Bixby goes to the pawn shop to redeem the ticket and claim the object it stands for. Mrs. Bixby gets her all excited about it and rushes to her husband's office after he's claimed it. Just before she opens her eyes to see it, he says " It's real mink!". She then opens her eyes to find it is mink, but that it is merely a small, mangy stole, and not her coat. Mr. Bixby notes both that he will be coming home late that night, and that since he spent $50 redeeming the ticket, that he will not be able to buy Mrs. Bixby a Christmas present. Mrs. Bixby is initially angry at the pawn-broker, thinking that he cheated her and kept the coat. But as Mrs. Bixby leaves her husband's office a few moments later, Miss Pulteney the secretary walks proudly out of the office, wearing the black and rare mink coat that the Colonel gave to Mrs. Bixby. It is implied that Mr. Bixby is having an affair with Miss Pulteney and decided to give her the coat, buying a tacky fur hat for his wife instead.
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Rising: Mrs. B realizes her husband will question where the coat comes from, so she comes up with a plan to keep the coat. She ttakes akes the coat to a pawnbroker, then pretending to have found the ticket in the taxi. Her husband decides to pick the item up on Monday M onday
Climax: Her husband gives her a mink scarf instead of the coat
Falling Action: Her husband gave her another mink and Mrs. B tries to act grateful, then her husband says he will be home late
Resolution: Mrs. B sees Mr. Bixby’s assistant wearing her coat
Setting:
Place: New York/Baltimore/Pawnshop/ Bixby apartment/Dental Office/ Train
Time: Winter, due to the following words “Christmas present”, “mink coat”
Theme:
Deceit
Failed marriage
Women taking advantages of husband
What goes around comes around: The results of things that one has done will someday have an effect on the person who started the events. It means that whatever you do in this life to other people, whether it is good or bad, the same will return to you. Maybe not in the exact same way, but trust me, payback is a mess!
What’s in dark comes to light : it means that if you are trying to hide something and be deceitful then the truth always comes out. so there is no point in lying it will always come back and bite you
Cheaters never win
Even if the action of cheating on somebody becomes common in society, no deed goes unpunished or inconsequential
Style: Serious, the dialogue between Mr. and Mrs. Bixby shows their distant relationship Tone: Humorous, Ironic
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Characters:
Mrs. Bixby: She is a very intelligent and tricky woman but dishonest, deceitful, selfish and greedy. She actually acts selfishly and greedily because her first reaction, after receiving the mink as a parting gift from her lover, is to think about the price and money. She only cares about herself. It is clearly stated in the story that she does not love her husband, neither her lover. She thinks Mr. Bixby is incredible boring and tedious. She does not hesitate to lie in order to get what she wants. She believes Mr. B is responsible for the failure of their marriage. It seems she married him only for his stable financial situation.
Mr. Bixby: Mr. Bixby is an ordinary man, simple and tedious. A bit stupid, innocent and hard-worker.
Miss Pulteney: a shy woman, Mr. Bixby’s secretary
Wilkins: a very discreet man. He’s the Colonel’s servant
Aunt Muade: the woman who Mrs. B pretended to visit in Baltimore once a month.
Colonel: The Colonel is a mysterious mysterious rich man. He has no family or wife. He likes hunting and horse’s books. He lives in a charming house outside town and
has a few loyal servants
Pawnbroker: the man who gives Mrs. Bixby the pawn ticket.
Unexpected ending: when Mrs. Bixby got out of her husband office, she ran into Miss Pulteney who was wearing her mink coat co at Review:
