1.

Characteristics of Short Story (The Lair)

2. Who is liar in Short Story ‘The Lair’

Subject: Short Story

Submitted to: MA’M AMREEN KAUKAB

Submitted by: Touheeda Ashraf

Roll No: Eng-M-17-44

Course: MA English (Morning)

Dated: 03-04-18

Ghazi University, D.G.Khan

Submitted by: Touheeda Ashraf, Roll No. Eng-M-17-44, M.A English, Subject: Short Story
Submitted to: MA’M AMREEN KOKAB 1
 Who is the Liar in short story “The Liar”?
The short story ‘The Liar’ is written by Henry James which first appeared in The Century
Magazine in May–June 1888, and in book form the following year (Macmillan and Co., London).

The theme of the story is ordinary and confrontation between the lies and truths. It is the story of a
young man’s dilemma when he meets a woman he used to love, and finds her married to a man of
a vile, dishonest nature. Concerned that her own purity has been spoilt, he tests her to see whether
she is only shielding her husband out of love, and is shocked to find that she will go even to the
lengths of sacrificing an innocent victim rather than admitting her husband’s true character.

To explore who is Liar in short story, we have to deliberate on each character presented in
the story.

Oliver Lyon

Oliver Lyon, a successful artist and he saw a half dozen portraits in Europe including portrait
of ‘young tailor’ in white jacket at National Gallery which he called them immortal and supreme.
Lyon wanted to create his masterpiece of subtle characterization, of genuine treachery. As story
describes ‘He had dreamed for years of producing something which should bear the stamp of the
psychologist as well as of the painter.’ This was his intention.

When at diner on the night of his arrival to paint sir David Ashmore at Ashmore, he meets a woman
with whom he used to be in love. He has not seen her for twelve years, and knows her to be
married. Her husband, Colonel Clement Capadose, he at first admires the Colonel, but when he
narrates a good many improbable stories that Lyon cannot believe, his opinion of him is rather
altered. However, he is rather startled by what appears a plain lie when the colonel tells him of a
recent occurrence in the house, which his host Arthur Ashmore, the son of Sir David, states to be
completely false.

Then he requested his love Mrs. Capadose that he wanted to paint her husband. Lyon says ‘Let it be
a favour, a service I ask of him. It will do me a lot of good to paint him and the picture will remain
in my hands.’

‘How will it do you a lot of good?’ Mrs. Capadose asked

‘He has such an expressive face’ said Lyon

Well his nature is very noble Mrs. Capadose remarked.

Submitted by: Touheeda Ashraf, Roll No. Eng-M-17-44, M.A English, Subject: Short Story
Submitted to: MA’M AMREEN KOKAB 2
‘Ah trust me, I shall bring it out’ Lyon exclaimed, feeling a little ashamed of himself.

All above discussion and dialogue from story shows that Lyon wanted to paint his
masterpiece, so he completed his intentions when he found his love’s husband not to expose him
but to make his masterpiece. And moreover he also lied to Mrs. Capadose when he says ‘I shall
make Colonel’s a great portrait.’ But Lyon portrayed her husband’s vile and dishonest character. So
Lyon is the biggest liar in story.

Colonel Capadose

Mr. Capadose is a brilliant and handsome gentleman with whom Everina appeared to be
very much in love. Throughout the story we observe that Mr.Capadose as a compulsive lair. Some
incidents in the story “The Lair” proves that he is a habitual lair and his nature is vile and dishonest.

However, he is rather startled by what appears a plain lie when the colonel tells him of a
recent occurrence in the house, which his host Arthur Ashmore, the son of Sir David, states to be
completely false.

While painting Sir David’s portrait, the baronet explains to him that Colonel Capadose is a
compulsive liar. “That there is no harm in him and no bad intention; he doesn’t steal nor cheat
nor gamble nor drink; he’s very kind – he sticks to his wife, is fond of his children. He simply can’t
give you a straight answer.”

He extenuates his fault, saying that he has no bad intentions, but merely cannot give a
straight answer. His wife, Lyon realizes, tries to shield him by not revealing his lies, and even
supporting what he says.

On one occasion a poor model, Geraldine, comes into the studio seeking work. Lyon sends
her away, but Colonel Capadose falsely tells him that she is not a model at all, but a mad woman
with a vendetta against him who has been perusing him for years.

To capture the spirit of the Liar more fully, Lyon encourages Colonel to talk as much as
possible during the sittings, painting his portrait, and is given in return a vast amount of invented
facts and anecdotes.

Colonel Capadose spoils portrait at studio of Lyon and make Geraldine scapegoat that she
spoilt portrait.

All above lies of Colonel Capadose proves him liar.

Submitted by: Touheeda Ashraf, Roll No. Eng-M-17-44, M.A English, Subject: Short Story
Submitted to: MA’M AMREEN KOKAB 3
Mrs. Capadose/ Everina Brant

Everina is the wife of Mr.Capadose and the lover of Lyon. She is a beautiful lady with noble
nature and always defends her husband lies at some extent she is also a lair.

When Lyon and Everina met at Ashmore’s, she always tried to overlook her husbands lies.

In the portrait, Lyon attempts to express the Colonel’s deceitful nature fully, hoping that he might
awaken his wife’s moral sense. He tries to draw Mrs. Capadose out about her husband's character,
but she only says that his nature is noble, and hopes that Lyon will express no more than this in his
picture.

Sometime later the season ends, and the Capadoses leave with the portrait nearly finished.
Lyon also leaves the town, but returning briefly to see his unfinished picture, find that the
Capadoses have come unannounced into his rooms. Coming upon them unnoticed, Lyon realizes
that Mrs. Capadose has seen in the picture what he hoped she would, her husband's vile nature,
and that she is ashamed of him. She terms the portrait 'cruel' but tries to leave before her husband,
in a passion. Everina says that every thing he has seen? But Capadose replied he has made me
rather handsome.’ Mrs. Capadose sprung up again; ‘Handsome? Hideous, Hideous! Not that -
never never ’ ‘What he has made of you – What you know! He knows- he has seen. Every body
will know – every one will see. Fancy that thing in the Academy!’ They depart without knowing
that Lyon saw them.

Lyon waits to see how the couple explain events. When they return to the town soon after,
they act as if nothing has happened, and ask for the sitting to recommence. When Lyon tells them
what has happened, they feign ignorance and Colonel Capadose, who also met Geraldine on the
day, instantly accuses her of the deed.

And she also lied that Geraldine spoilt picture but this was not the case. Colonel spoilt the picture.

At the end of the story Averina confessed by saying, ‘Yes; you would have saved the picture.’ ‘For
you I am very sorry. But you must remember that I possess the original.’

At the end Lyon finds that Everina loved her husband much. Because of that she was always
defending her husband.

'she was still in love with the Colonel - he had trained her too well’

Mrs. Capadose (Everina) was in great love with her husband. This feeling insisted her to lie
to Lyon about her husband. So Mrs. Capadose is also Liar in the story.

________________________________

Submitted by: Touheeda Ashraf, Roll No. Eng-M-17-44, M.A English, Subject: Short Story
Submitted to: MA’M AMREEN KOKAB 4
 Characteristics of a Short Story

We observe in the short story ‘The Lair’ have Modern period (20 th century) characteristics
of a short story. After world war-I there was breakdown in everyday life. High sense of disillusion
was there. Highly symbolic literature was produced. In which no external dealings were found but
internal. And it focus on man’s psyche and psychological world.

There are following characteristics of a short story in “The Lair”.

1.Theme:

The theme of the story ‘The Lair’ is ordinary and belongs from everyday life. It goes to the
nature of man and woman. A good nature woman of England as depicted by Henry James in the
story, who always defends her husband even knowing all his vile nature. The theme of the story is
not extraordinary and have no supernatural elements. We find common people like painter, colonel
etc.

2. Psychological Factors:

‘The Lair’ is a keen psychological analysis of human conscience, morality and the inevitable
deceitful elements in family and society. Some other Psychological factors are present in the short
story. Lyon thinks that his lover still love him. And she cannot disclose her feelings for Lyon. She
always hide her husband negative aspects of his personality. As her husband Colonal Capadose
trained her well. Lyon wanted to paint her husband to express his character. So that Mrs. Capadose
should feel that to marry Colonal Capadose was wrong choice. She should married Lyon and she
must feel sorry upon this at least. This is Lyon internal conflict. And there is no focus on outside
world.

3. Plot Construction:

The plot of the story is believable and beautifully woven by linear structure although at
some point memory recall of Lyon is presented. Culmination of plot occurs when the artist begins
painting a portrait of lair, attempting to reflect on the canvas the letter’s deceitful personality. The
portrait turns out a shocking surprise to many of the story’s character and causes a violent
confrontation between lies and reality. Also plot is reduced to its minimal level. The exposition of
the story start when Lyon meets Everina he used to love at dinner party at Ashmor’s. There are not
direct moves to conflict. The Climax of the short story ‘The Lair’ comes when Mr. and Mrs.

Submitted by: Touheeda Ashraf, Roll No. Eng-M-17-44, M.A English, Subject: Short Story
Submitted to: MA’M AMREEN KOKAB 5
Capadose broke into the house of Lyon to have a look at unfinished portrait of Mr. Capadose
painted by Lyon. The abrupt ending we also find. No final resolution and no results we observe in
the story.

4. Techniques:

Henry James is best known for marital interplay between Americans English people. In the
short story ‘The Lair’ he uses his art beautifully. He uses nice expressions like ‘cursory inspection’, ‘
least spoiled beauty’, thumping lair’. Sometimes he fills his text by provoking thoughts. As he
writes ‘woman have no faculty of imagination with regard to a man’s work beyond a vague idea
that it doesn’t matter’. He also uses French language such as ‘Famais de la viel’.

(a) Narration: Author is narrator of the story. The story is being told by the eyes of Henry James the
writer. The story is narrated in present and past tenses. The voice is external to the story. In other
words we can say story is written in detached third person ‘he/she’ point of view. As Henry says,
‘our hero…..’. Tone of the story is rather cold. Flashback is not use in the story. Figurative language
and symbolism is rarely used in this story. The Writer used different techniques in narrating the
short story.

(b) Interior Monologue: we observe that in the story sometime character thinks in their minds.
And also some action taking place in character’s mind. So we can say writer uses interior
monologue also in the story.

(c) Stream of Consciousness: The writer writes everything whatever comes to in his mind to
convey each and every particle of mind. He also jumps from one points to another. Images appears
as to be coherent.

(d) Focusing: The writer didn’t focus on a particular day or time but he focuses on a single moment
of experience for sudden perception.

5. Contemporary Age:

The story is the mixing of reality and illusions. It shows the reality, imagination and myth of
the world.

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Submitted by: Touheeda Ashraf, Roll No. Eng-M-17-44, M.A English, Subject: Short Story
Submitted to: MA’M AMREEN KOKAB 6