Reginald on Besetting Sins by Saki

Name: Reginald on Besetting Sins
Author: Saki

The narrative follows a woman who gradually becomes obsessed with telling the truth, starting with minor details and escalating to significant personal revelations. Initially, her honesty seems harmless, but it alienates her friends and strains her relationships. Her elder sister retaliates against her truthfulness with a passive-aggressive gift, highlighting the social consequences of her behavior. As her commitment to truth intensifies, she loses the ability to navigate social niceties, leading to uncomfortable situations. The absence of children in her life exacerbates her honesty, as they typically serve as a buffer against unfiltered expression. The woman’s interactions with her dressmaker reveal the tension between societal expectations and her newfound honesty, culminating in a moment where she inadvertently reveals a damaging truth about her drinking habits to her cook, resulting in the cook's departure. The story critiques the notion of absolute honesty, suggesting that some deception is necessary for social harmony. The woman's journey illustrates the pitfalls of extreme truthfulness, ultimately leading to isolation and regret. The narrative employs irony and wit to explore themes of social propriety, the nature of truth, and the consequences of unrestrained honesty.

By Saki · First published 1911 · Genre: Satire, Short Story, Comedy · 878 words

First lines

There was once (said Reginald) a woman who told the truth. Not all at once, of course, but the habit grew upon her gradually, like lichen on an apparently healthy tree. She had no children -- otherwise it might have been different. It began with little things, for no particular reason except that her life was a rather empty one, and it is so easy to slip into the habit of telling the truth in little matters. And then it became difficult to draw the line at more important things, until at last she took to telling the truth about her age; she said she was forty-two and five months -- by that time, you see, she was veracious even to months. It may have been pleasing to the angels, but her elder sister was not gratified. On the Woman's birthday, instead of the opera-tickets which she had hoped for, her sister gave her a view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is not quite the same thing. The revenge of an elder sister may be long in coming, but, like a Southeastern express, it arrives in its own good time.

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Reginald on Besetting Sins is listed on Textopian as a short story by Saki, dated 1911 CE.

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Work type: Short story
Author: Saki
Date: 1911 CE
Language: English
Genres: Satire, Short Story, Comedy, Social Commentary, Fiction
Length: 878 words
Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Genres

Satire — The work critiques social norms and the absurdity of truth-telling in a humorous manner.
Short Story — The narrative is concise and structured as a short story, focusing on a single character's experience.
Comedy — The tone and situations presented are comedic, highlighting the ridiculousness of the protagonist's obsession with truth.
Social Commentary — The story comments on societal expectations and the consequences of honesty in social interactions.