Packing Episode in Three Men in a Boat
by
Jerome K. Jerome
About the author
Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) was an English writer and humorist. He is known for his comic travelogue Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). Jerome grew up in a poor family and struggled in school due to his dyslexia. He worked as a railway clerk, a schoolteacher, an actor, and a journalist.
Three Men in a Boat
In 1889, Jerome published Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), which became an instant bestseller. The book is a humorous account of three friends' boating trip on the Thames. It is full of Jerome's wit and observations on life. It has been translated into over 100 languages.
The Packing Episode
“The Packing Episode” in Three Men in a Boat is a humorous account of the three friends' attempts to pack for their boating trip. The three friends are Jerome, George and Harris. Jerome is the narrator. The episode begins with the men excitedly gathering their belongings. It quickly devolves into chaos as they start arguing about what to bring. Jerome volunteers to do the packing while his friends are just sitting lazy. He highlights their haphazard approach, their tendency to overpack, and their inability to agree on anything. For example, he describes how they pack their clothes "as if they were paving a street". Next, they argue over whether to bring a frying pan or a saucepan.
The narrator packs all their clothing in a Gladstone bag, “a suitcase with flexible sides on a rigid frame that opens flat into two equal compartments.” When he is done, he discovers that he had forgotten to put the boots in. He also cannot remember if he packed his own toothbrush. So he has to rummage through the bag to make sure. He eventually finds it in one of the boots.
Harris and George pack the food and cooking utensils into two hampers. It takes them two hours. In this process, they break a cup. They put heavy items on top of things that shouldn’t be squashed – like a tomato. Otherwise, they have to clean the mess out of the hamper. Harris sits on the butter and it sticks to him, and the two men have a difficult time finding it again. Montmorency, the dog, gets involved by putting his leg into the jam. All the while, the narrator merely watches this scene, amused. The episode gives us a good introduction to how the rest of the trip will proceed.
Oil and Cheese
The men unanimously decide not to take paraffin oil and cheese for their journey. The narrator explains the reason behind their decision in a humorous way. Once, they had oil for their trip and the oil oozed and spoiled other goods and the boat and it was smelly also. Hence, this time, they decide to take methylated oil. Next the narrator explains how he brough the cheese purchased by his friend from Liverpool. During his train journey, the other passengers moved out of the compartment due to the bad smell. When he brought the cheese to his friend’s house, his wife went away until the cheese was disposed. Finally, the cheese was buried in the sea shore.
Wit and Humour
“The Packing Episode” is a classic example of Jerome's wit and humour. He uses the episode to poke fun at the men's disorganization and their inability to agree on anything. However, the episode also serves a more serious purpose. It foreshadows the challenges that the men will face on their journey. The description of the oil, the process of purchasing and disposing cheese, the action of the dog create laughter. The men's disorganization and lack of preparation will make their trip more difficult, but it will also provide them with opportunities to learn and grow.
Conclusion
This “Packing Chapter” illustrates how packing can be a tiring and tricky job. If it is not done properly, the entire journey will be affected. The author presents the failings of the human beings with his minute power of observation and wit.
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