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  1. Jan 28, 2021 · Maugham’s short story The Verger” is a tale about a simple man Albert Edward Foreman. He has been a verger in St. Peter’s Neville Square Church, doing his duties with great enjoyment and dedication. His routine work is disturbed with the arrival of new vicar in the church.

    • Setting
    • Point of View and Tone
    • Themes
    • Characters and Conflicts
    • Dramatic Structure and Moods
    • Examples of Literary Techniques

    The Vergeris set in an unnamed part of London. The story develops over four locations: a fictitious church (St. Peter’s, Neville Square) in “a very good neighbourhood”, a long city street, the verger’s home, and a bank. Over half of the story takes place in the church. In addition to providing the background to the remaining stages of the story, th...

    The story is a narrative told in the third person by a limited omniscient observer. He/she can tell us the thoughts and feelings of the verger (Albert Foreman), but none of the other characters. At first, the language (tone) of the story is formal and objective. The narrator reports the events at St. Peters in a matter-of-fact way, allowing readers...

    appearance: The new vicar is concerned about how his “classy congregation” might perceive the church having an illiterate verger. He takes no account of the fact that Albert has performed his dutie...
    hypocrisy: The vicar is from the “East End”, the historically poor area of London. One would expect him, of all people, to recognize what Albert has achieved in life and support him to continue as...
    indifference: Albert may have faced a different (if much poorer) future if the two churchwardens, who appear to be uncomfortable with the vicar’s decision, had stood up for him. Given their titles...
    opportunity: Albert’s achievements, both as a verger and a businessman, demonstrate that being illiterate and/or having a low level of education are not necessarily barriers to success. All it take...
    The Protagonist: Albert Foreman. We can see from events in the church that he is: 1) dedicated and meticulous – he busied himself quietly, replacing the painted wooden cover on the marble font, tak...
    The Antagonist: Illiteracy (a state of being).
    The Vicar: The vicar is: 1) new to the church and, coming from the East End, ambitious to prove himself in this prestigious ministry; 2) controlling – this new man who wanted to have his finger in...
    Minor Characters: The churchwardens, Albert’s wife, the bank manager.
    Exposition: The events inside St. Peters where the vicar passes on the news that Albert must learn to read and write within three months or leave. Mood:Disenchanted and Concerned
    Rising Action: Albert comes up with the idea of opening a tobacconist shop and goes on to develop a successful chain of them. Mood:Hopeful at first, then Pleased
    Climax: The bank manager learns that Albert cannot read or write. The manager was so surprised that he jumped up from his chair. “That’s the most extraordinary thing I ever heard.” Mood:Inspired
    Falling Action: The bank manager questions what Albert would be if you had been able to read and write. Mood:Intrigued

    The Vergeris widely known as a wonderful example of situational irony. Albert, having failed to meet the new vicar’s literacy requirement for a job he loved and been written off as possessing “lamentable ignorance”, becomes independently rich over the next ten years… so much so that he could now match many of St. Peter’s well-off parishioners! Maug...

  2. Maugham's "The Verger" is about a church verger named Foreman who loves his job and does it well, until a new pastor is hired, discovers Foreman cannot read, and essentially...

  3. On the vicar's red face was a look of resolute benignity, but the others bore an expression that was slightly troubled. `He's been naggin' them, he 'as,' said the verger to himself. `He's jockeyed them into doin' something, but they don't 'alf like it. That's what it is, you mark my words.'.

  4. The Verger, a short story by Maugham, is the story of the unassuming Albert Edward Foreman. He served as a verger at St. Peter's Church in Neville Square, doing his responsibilities with enthusiasm and devotion. The new vicar's entry inside the church interrupts his normal duties.

  5. This story by W Somerset Maugham is about man named Albert who has worked hard as a church official for 16 years. When a new vicar learns Albert cannot read or write, he tells him that he must leave the job. Rather than go home immediately, Albert walks the streets trying to think of what he can do.

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  7. The eponymous verger in Maugham's short story is illiterate, which causes him to lose his job in the church. Despite his abrupt dismissal, there's no sense that not being able to read and write...

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