Insanity In Roal Dahl's Man From The South

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The struggles of mental illness can be located anywhere, at any time. The short story ‘’Man From the South’ ’ definitely demonstrates insanity throughout its whole plot. The author Roal Dahl is excellent for disturbing the reader’s mind with his highly creative imagination. Generally, this story that is taking place in Jamaica is about an elderly man questioning another one about his abilities to use a lighter. Consequently, the man comes up with a bet. This crazy bet consists of going up to his hotel room and to watch the young man light his lighter ten times. If the young man succeeds, he wins a brand new Cadillac, but if he doesn’t, the man must condemn his left pinky immediately. In this short story, there are many indicators that the elderly man has some kind of mental issues. …show more content…

For ten minutes I leave him alone to go and have my hair washed and I come back and he is at it again (cutting fingers).’’ She is basically saying in subtle words that the man needs to be watched at all times. Commonly, no perfectly healthy seniors require to be supervised at all times. However, the need to be watched isn’t the only thing hinting that the man is insane. His strange obsession also confirms a lot about him and his personality. Secondly, the senior can be categorized as insane by considering his present actions. After all, he is ready to bet a Cadillac worth so much on something simple as the odds of a lighter flaming up 10 times. Even though toward the end we learn the car is not his, it’s obvious that not everyone would bet on such a thing. In addition, we can see by the way he talks and acts that he feels everything about this bet is appropriate, fair and totally normal. Talking about that bet, the man was ready to cut a pinky without

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