Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

Bluffing- Gail Helgason

Plot summary

Gabriella and Liam were living together in the same rented house, though not married. Gabriella
was a teacher who seemingly couldn’t afford to rent the house all by herself. The rent seems
expensive and for time being, she made both ends meet as, Liam was sharing the rent with her.
However, Liam’s stay with her was uncertain as most of the time he was away on hiking
expeditions. Moreover, the time had come for Gabriella to sign a lease as a tenant for one more
year. The land owner held her responsible for signing the lease. To decide that she needed a
courage and surety; a commitment from Liam to stay with her and share the rent for another one
year at least. She was hesitant to ask him directly in the crowded place where they were staying.
Gabriella wanted some privacy where she can freely talk to Liam and know his further plan. So
she proposed for a hike with Liam to Jasper Lake.

Liam was ambitious man with unpredictable character traits. Although they weren’t legally
settled, Gabriella was wanted to continue her living with Liam. But it seemed one sided. Their
relationship couldn’t be strong unless there was commitment from both the sides. At times
Gabriella felt Liam was coming closer to her through his activities such as giving astonishing
surprises and extravagant gestures for her. She was encouraged further when Liam agreed to go
for the hike along with her for the day. The day they started hiking towards the lake, everything
seemed to be conducive. Gabriella remembered teaching Liam about wild life, though he was
reluctant to learn from people who knew more than him. The duo had few amazing experiences
on their way. Liam was selfish as he bluffed with a mention of an elk carcass and the grizzly,
discouraging other two young tourists found going towards the lake. The youngsters were
frightened when they were informed that the lake is infested with Grizzly bears. In fact, it was
the false alarm given by Liam as he didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone, once they reach the
lake.

Both reached the lake by noon and settled down for lunch. Liam gave a pleasant surprise to
Gabriella by taking out some scrumptious food items from his lunch pack. Gabriella too intended
to surprise him with egg sandwiches, but she decided not to reveal it. Gabriella was encouraged
by all the favorable things she experienced at that juncture. Just then, Liam disclosed his plan to
go South along with Clive for three months during winter. The news shattered her dreams of
signing the lease accord. Gabriella started feeling helpless and got aggravated. Annoyed, she
simply walked away without uttering a word to Liam. At one instance she turned back and saw
Liam pursuing her. Gabriella didn’t pay any heed to him and kept on walking until she came face
to face with a Grizzly bear standing just twenty paces away. Meanwhile Liam unaware of the
situation approached from behind and called her.

Gabriella cautioned him not to come forward but to go back as slowly as possible. She froze in
the same spot. The Grizzly watched her movements. Gabriella knew that if she ran, the Grizzly
would have come and pounced upon her. At no cost she could afford to do that. Liam on the
other hand, didn’t listen to her and started retreating. The bear instead of pouncing on Gabriella
started pursuing Liam. She on the other hand thought the bear was coming straight for her.
Gabriella fell on the ground and bundled herself in order to protect her vital organs, where upon

SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’

Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 1 of 8
 Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

she only felt the bear hurtling past her. The rest of the story remained unknown to her until she
met Liam.

Later she came to know that Liam had been attacked by the bear. He had been airlifted and
hospitalized. No major damage had been done to his vital organs. However his face was badly
bruised with plenty of cuts all over his face and body. Liam was under medication for three
weeks. After three weeks when Gabriella went to the hospital to meet Liam, his bandage was to
be removed. Finally, when Gabriella sees Liam’s face she was horrified by the sight and was
unable to look straight into his face. Liam puts a false smile on his face and says that had
sacrificed himself for her. Gabriella on the other hand feels he is bluffing. She too keeps smiling
at him as long as she was present there. This she does in order to make him believe that inwardly
she is hurt and had no faith in him. Gabriella pays backs Liam’s insincerity by simply smiling as
a mere formality.

The whole story boils down to the commitment, sincerity, and attitude of young couple before
marriage.
Commitment plays an important role in the life of young couples. In this story we don’t see any
commitment either on the part of Liam or Gabriella. Such couples can never make their conjugal
life meaningful.

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction

‘Bluffing’ deals with the relationship of two twenty – something people and an encounter they
have with a grizzly bear in Canada’s Jasper National Park. The story provides excellent
examples of the use of flashback and foreshadowing.

 Bluffing means trying to deceive somebody by pretending to be stronger, braver, clever, loving
etc. than one really is. (pretending -Chambers Dictionary)
The Setting:
1. Place: Jasper Hospital and Jasper National Park.
Conflict
1. Internal
- Person V/S Person (Gabriella V/S Gabriella).
2. External
- Gabriella V/S Liam.
- The couple V/S Nature.

Liam
 He is egoist (does not want to learn from other people)
 He is jealous (Clive) as he was not invited for a big expedition.
 Extravagant- in spending all his money to buy boots, jackets etc,(outdoor gear)
 Ambitious- wants to see his pictures in the glossy Magazines.
 Clever and selfish- trick the two young men.
 Jolly type
 Very determined, serious, silent and not trustable (in the face of great danger he ran
away).

SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’

Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 2 of 8
Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

 Lacks dedication and sincerity and commitment in life.

Gabriella
 Gabriella was not sure- why Liam ran away, whether to save her or himself.
 Gabriella failed to understand Liam.
 One minute he behaves like a stranger-does not care anything.
 Another minute he surprises her through surprising small deceits
Or sometime extravagant gestures.
 Gabriella’s dream gets shattered.
 Very sincere, committed and a dedicated wife.
 A biology teacher.
 She is very clever and resourceful.
 In front of the grizzly, she exhibits her presence of mind and courage.
 She is very practical minded and good at bluffing.

Liam
 On the other hand not committed in the beginning.
 He is careless and carefree.
 Always away from her.
 Does not show his feelings and affections.
 He does not spell out his feelings.

Gabriella
 Gabriella plans to break her commitment and may leave him (they may separate which
will result in loss of faith and loss of love for Liam).
 Gabriella feels – Liam will be a great burden (wounded Liam).
 Gabriella thought- just to stay for the rest of the afternoon.

Gabriella/Liam
 Two different persons having two different characters.
 In the beginning Gabriella is very much committed to Liam and their relation.
 She always finds a way so that they can be together.
 She takes care of him and always worries about uncertainty in their commitment.

But at the end

 She sees his distorted face.
 She charges and backs off from the commitment (even if she knew that his condition is
due to his love towards her).
 He sacrifices his life for her.

Example of Bluffing in the story

Gabriella
- hiding her egg sandwiches from Liam.
- disposing the cleaning solution suggested by Liam.
- getting angry and running away from Jasper park-example of bluffing.
SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’
Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 3 of 8
Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

- mentioning about her continuous visit to the hospital for three successive weeks.
- stretching her lips to smile when she saw Liam’s wounds.

Though Gabriella cannot stand and she sees Liam’s horrific scared face, she sits there and
smiles.
May be in heart of heart she might have expected Liam to come forward and save her from the
Grizzly. But he runs away without telling even a word.

Liam
- not mentioning about the food items he carried on the hike.
- telling the story of Grizzly and elk carcass to the teenagers going towards the lake.
- justifying his reasons for running away during their encounter with the grizzly.

Technique: Flashback & Foreshadowing

Flashback:
A term which is probably from the cinema and which is now also used to describe any scene or
episode in a play, novel, story or poem which is inserted to show events that happened in an
earlier time. It is frequently used in modern fiction. In other words, Flashback is:
- A device that shifts the narrative from the present to the past, usually to reveal a change
in character or illustrate an important point.
- A device that allows the writer to present events that happened before the time of the
current narration or the current events in the fiction. Flashback techniques include
memories, dreams, stories of the past told by characters, or even authorial sovereignty.
(That is, the author might simply say, "But back in Tom's youth. . . .") Flashback is useful
for exposition, to fill in the reader about a character or place, or about the background to
a conflict.

Flashback in the story.

Examples:
- Medicinal smell reminds homemade solution.
- Waiting in the hospital, she remembers the morning three weeks ago.
- When she sees Merlin she remembers how she taught Liam to spot wildlife.

Advantages:
 Shows a change in character or situation
 Builds suspense
 Exemplifies an important point
 Makes the story interesting

Disadvantages:
 Makes the scenes in the story unclear
 Creates confusion in the minds of the readers. The readers may lose track.

Foreshadowing:

SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’

Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 4 of 8
Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

It refers to plot technique in which a writer plans clues that hints at what is going to happen later
in the plot. Foreshadowing is used to arouse reader’s curiosity, build suspense, and help prepare
the reader to accept events that occur later in the story. In other words, it is also:
- The technique of arranging events and information in a narrative, in such a way that later
events are prepared for or shadowed forth beforehand. The end is contained in the
beginning and this gives structural and thematic unity.

- It refers to plot technique in which a writer plans clues that hints at what is going to
happen later in the plot. Foreshadowing is used to arouse the reader’s curiosity, build
suspense and help prepare the reader to accept events that occur later in the society.

Foreshadowing
Examples in the text:
- Gabriella was running to Jasper hospital foreshadowing something wrong (casualties) had
happened.
- The introduction of the character, Liam foreshadows bluffing.
- Liam’s ambitious nature foreshadows expensive/ extravagant life and broken
relationship.

Advantages:
 Arouses curiosity and builds suspense
 Prepares the readers to accept events that occur later in the story.

Disadvantages:
 Spoils the order of the story.
 Confuses the reader.
 Most often the clues of foreshadowing are not clear.

The story consists of five scenes, which alternate from the present, where Gabriella is waiting to
see Liam in the hospital, to the past scenes set three weeks earlier at a remote lake in Canada’s
Jasper National Park. Much of what happens at the lake is foreshadowed in earlier scenes.

Point of view: Third person limited

- The point of view is limited to Gabriella and anything known about Liam is filtered
through Gabriella’s perceptions.

Third Person Limited: Advantages

Third person limited is a much more familiar point of view to the modern reader. A single
character's viewpoint can carry the whole story, or viewpoint can switch carefully from one
character to another. In third person limited, the narrative doesn't stray from the details of what
the central character knows, feels and experiences.

This is the most popular technique currently in use, and there are reasons for that: it's versatile
and doesn't distract from the story. One thing to keep in mind when writing third person limited
point of view is to keep a separation between characters' narratives. It is usually best, when doing

SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’

Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 5 of 8
Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

this, not to switch between characters who are both in the same room, and to limit the total
number of perspectives in the story.

Disadvantages of Third Person Point of View

Disadvantages to third person writing are few, but they do exist: first and most noticeably, if two
characters of the same gender are fighting or romancing each other, every sentence gets crowded
fast.
"She grabbed her boots" – is our heroine grabbing her own boots, or trying to trip the villain?
"He stroked his hair" – is this nice young man putting the moves on his boyfriend, or grooming
his own coiffure?
And these confusions lead to the clunky sentence constructions that often get red-lined in a
writer's workshop, because the author is tempted to put in an identifier on each sentence, so as
not to use the characters' names too often: the raven-haired chef, the bulky brawler. Avoid the
temptation, if caught in a similar quandary. There are other less distracting ways to show the
difference between two characters: "the other man" (taller man, slimmer man, or, if you're
writing SF, go by species) or an elaboration of the action: "She reached out and grabbed at the
quickly moving boots."

Another difficulty of third person is that it does poorly at telling the stories of characters who are
neither male nor female. There are a few people like that in the real world, and more still on
imaginary worlds. If the main character in a story is one of them, consider telling the story from
first person.

The theme of the story is commitment.

When Gabriella was in dire need of his company and help at home, Liam was always planning
for hike and trip, failing to commit himself.
When Liam was strong, healthy and capable, Gabriella seems to be committed. However, after
the accident, seeing his distorted face, she is likely to break the commitment.
Indeed, Liam is desperately in need of her care and support after the attack but she seems to back
off. Where is the commitment?

Conflict:
Gabriella versus Liam - Man versus Man
Gabriella versus Gabriella - Man versus Man [Self]
Liam and Gabriella versus the Grizzly - Man versus Nature
Irony
A mode of expression, through words (verbal irony) or events (irony of situation), conveying a
reality different from and usually opposite to appearance or expectation. A writer may say the
opposite of what he means, create a reversal between expectation and its fulfillment, or give the
audience knowledge that a character lacks, making the character's words have meaning to the
audience not perceived by the character. In verbal irony, the writer's meaning or even his attitude
may be different from what he says:

"Why, no one would dare argue that there could be anything more important in choosing a
college than its proximity to the beach." An example of situational irony would occur if a
professional pickpocket had his own pocket picked just as he was in the act of picking someone

SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’

Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 6 of 8
Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

else's pocket. The irony is generated by the surprise recognition by the audience of a reality in
contrast with expectation or appearance, while another audience, victim, or character puts
confidence in the appearance as reality (in this case, the pickpocket doesn't expect his own
pocket to be picked). The surprise recognition by the audience often produces a comic effect,
making irony often funny.

Irony is the most common and most efficient technique of the satirist, because it is an instrument
of truth, provides wit and humor, and is usually at least obliquely critical, in that it deflates,
scorns, or attacks.
The ability to detect irony is sometimes heralded as a test of intelligence and sophistication.
When a text intended to be ironic is not seen as such, the effect can be disastrous. Some students
have taken Swift's "Modest Proposal" literally. And Defoe's contemporaries took his "Shortest
Way with the Dissenters" literally and jailed him for it. To be an effective piece of sustained
irony, there must be some sort of audience tip-off, through style, tone, use of clear exaggeration,
or other device.

Study questions:
1. Who is telling the story?
2. Is Gabriella to be trusted? What can we infer from her reports of Liam about her attitude
to him?
3. Discuss the meaning of the word ‘Bluffing’. What are some of the connotations of the
word?
4. What is the role of commitment in a relationship? How do people show commitment
before marriage? Is there commitment before marriage? Is there commitment without
marriage?
5. What are some challenges that young couples face? How might they resolve these
challenges?
6. List and explain any examples of foreshadowing you can find in the story.
7. How would you categorize Gabriela and Liam (flat, round, or stock, and static or
dynamic) and why?
8. Do the characters seem plausible (believable)? Why or why not?
9. Find an example of “bluffing” in the story. What motivates the character to bluff?
10. Do you think Liam tells the truth about his reasons for running from the grizzly? Why or
why not?
11. From what point of view is the story told?
12. Consider how this perspective affects the story. Can you detect any bias? Explain.
13. What are some things that would change if the story were told from Liam’s perspective?
14. Compare and contrast the character of Liam and Gabriella.
15. Discuss the technique employed by the author.
16. Give your personal response to the story. You may want to consider some of these
questions in your response:
17. Were you able to relate to characters or situations in the story?
18. What did you like/dislike about it?
19. What else do you know about Grizzly attacks, or other Grizzly stories (true or fictional)?
20. What do you think might happen next if the story were to go on?

SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’

Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 7 of 8
Short Story: Bluffing XII English-II No: 2019E2T1-03

For Critical Reading:

Elements Questions

Plot and 1. What is the climax of this story?

Conflict 2. List the ideas and situations that support the conflict in the story?
3. Predict what will happen in the future to
4. Gabriella and Liam. Explain your prediction.
Character 1. In the first three paragraphs, what concrete information do you learn
about Gabriella?
2. Sketch the character of Liam?
3. What can you infer from the story about their relationship?
Point of View 1. What is the literary term for this point of view?

Setting 1. Describe the setting of the story?

2. How does the setting influence the story?
Symbols 1. Explain how the title is important to understanding the future of
Gabriella and Liam.
Theme 1. Explain the theme of the story?
2. What is the role of commitment in family relationship in the modern
world?
3. What is the nature of commitment in modern Bhutan?
Irony 1. What is ironic about meeting of the two climbers?

SCS-2019 ‘Explore, Learn & Grow’

Compiled by Gayleg Namgyal--- Page 8 of 8