Stumetz 1

Nicholas Stumetz
Mr Wolfe
E.L.A 10
27 August 2018

A Grapple with tolerance

In this short tale written by Saki, Saki exhibits the theme of how pride can lead to the downfall

and failure in one’s life through the use of character’s traits and perspectives in this thrilling-yet

fruitful narrative. To illustrate, Saki’s excellent writing can be seen when he develops an

intriguing character named Bertha, in which he reveals the downfall of one’s pride, utilizing her

state of mind in the story as a precedent for readers. Saki embellishes Bertha as a good person,

although he notes how her sense of pride is what lead her to her death when he writes, “ if I had

not been so good I should have been safe in this town..left of her were her shoes, bits of

clothing, and the three medals of goodness” ( Saki 52 ). Saki elucidates Bertha's pride by

revealing to the reader how her hubris led to her own downfall, in that event illustrating how

pride led to her demise. With this in mind, Saki applies Bertha's immodesty to the audience, to

exhibit how pride can lead to the destruction and downfall of others. For instance, Saki further

writes about Bertha’s self-pretentious behavior, which has led her to an unexpected yet a grim

situation when Bertha encounters the wolf as he writes, “ As she trembled the medal for

obedience clinked against the medals for good conduct and punctuality… devoured her to the

last morsel ” ( Saki 52). According to the text, Saki denotes how the medals of goodness have

had an unwanted outcome for Bertha as she is engulfed by the wolf. Nevertheless, Saki expertly
Stumetz 2

crafts a precedent instance for all to follow through the usage of character elements and

characteristics. In brief, Saki concocts a wonderful tale about the tragic downfalls of pride and

destruction, in which he crafts a wonderful narrative through the use of character elements in

this mesmerizing tale.