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The Verger. W. Somerset Maugham. 4.17. 129 ratings23 reviews. Genres Short Stories Classics Fiction Humor. Book details & editions. About the author. W. Somerset Maugham. 1,400 books5,528 followers. William Somerset Maugham was born in Paris in 1874.
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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. The new vicar dismisses the verger for being illiterate.
Though some critics might suggest that being a verger is an important role in the church. That it has an element of prestige. It is not the same as being self-sufficient something that Albert now is with his ten shops.
- 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 ConcernedRising 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 PleasedClimax: 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:InspiredFalling Action: The bank manager questions what Albert would be if you had been able to read and write. Mood:IntriguedThe 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...
Aug 3, 2010 · Wow! THE VERGER. by W. Somerset Maugham. There had been a christening that afternoon at St. Peter’s, Neville Square, and Albert Edward Foreman still wore his verger’s gown.
Nov 17, 2023 · William Somerset Maugham: The Verger Summary And Analysis With 5 Amazing Lessons. The Verger is a fascinating writing involving a man named ‘ ’Albert’ ’ who worked at a church. He does his tasks with zeal and zest but the new vicar annoyed him. He was tagged as illiterate.
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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 fires him. Foreman...
