First Things First…
I’ve never heard of this story and know nothing about it. Cool title, though…
2 Things I Like
2. Starting with a Fall from Grace
“I am—that is to say was—a great man…”
Robert Jones
This is the beginning of the first line of the story. It sets up the idea that the narrator has suffered a fall from grace, which we’ll learn about. Regardless of if I ended up liking the story (sadly, I didn’t ☹), this is an engaging start.
1. We Admire the Wrong Things
Some things never change.
Today, we admire celebrities—athletes, movie stars, influencers, YouTubers, pop stars—for their beauty, their charisma, their abilities, and their fame. Yet we often fail to acknowledge true heroes or admire characteristics like kindness, friendliness, selflessness, and the like.
I believe that’s what Poe sends up in this story about a man who is lionized for having a beautiful schnozz!
At first, I could barely wrap my head around what I was reading. I thought I must be missing something. Like, this guy is really admired for his nose? And he studies “Nosology”? And becomes a sensation by writing a pamphlet about it? (Apparently it’s a real thing, though it’s not actually the study of noses, as indicated here.)
It’s bizarre. But it’s a clever way to say we admire some of the dumbest shit.
0 Things I’m Mixed On
2 Things I Don’t Like
2. Why Duel?
One of the many things I don’t understand in this story is why the final duel happens.
When the narrator and his epic proboscis come to a party (at least, I think it’s a party) he was invited to by a Duchess, he causes a sensation. A few of the distinguished guests make exclamations in their own languages. I don’t know if all of them are insulting, or just the final one. But the last person, the Elector of Bluddennuff, says “Tousand teufel!” That translates roughly to “a thousand devils.” I don’t even know what he means by this. But I guess the narrator takes it as an insult, because he calls him a baboon in return and challenges the guy to a duel the next morning and blows off his nose.
Ironically, this is what causes the narrator’s fall from grace. For some reason, this Elector’s lack of a nose becomes an even bigger sensation than his beautiful nose.
1. Who? What? This Is Exhausting
Poe overdoes it again with the allusions.
At a dinner hosted by the Prince of Wales, the narrator describes a few of the guests, and what they talk about. This lasts about 20% of the story. To give just one example…
“There was Theologos Theology. He talked of Eusebius and Arianus; heresy and the Council of Nice; Puseyism and consubstantialism; Homousios and Homouioisios.”
I have no idea what any of this means. I mean, I know what theology is, and I’ve heard of the Council of Nice, thanks to all my years going to Catholic school. But that’s it.
To take up such a big chunk of the story with stuff like this—allusions I’d have to look up—makes for a less-than-enjoyable experience, no matter how much I like the message the story is going for.
Tim Matassa
