Tobias Smollett's The Adventures Of Peregrine Pickle

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In the short story “The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle”, Tobias Smollett presents a conflict between Mr.Gauntlet, a well-intentioned brother, and Mr.Pickle, a man pining for Mr.Gauntlet’s sister, Emilia. the story starts with an immediate quarrel that slowly gets more intense leading to a battle that leaves an enraged Mr.Pickle at the mercy of the much more humble Mr.Guantlet, in order to convey that overconfidence The excited tone at the beginning of the story pushes the story along, starting with a series of questions. The questions are direct but not outright disrespectful, but they get there through a series of instigating each other. At the beginning of the short story, Mr.Pickle is being interrogated for inappropriately communicating …show more content…

When arguing, there is a distinct point of no return. When the tension swells and becomes too much, it must be unleashed. The narrator states that “The soldier's wrath was inflamed by this ironical repetition” about Mr.Pickle’s insistence that he should be with Emilia, Mr.Gauntlet’s sister. The soldier’s wrath being inflamed implies that this is not the first occurrence of a man of lower status attempting but failing at properly courting Emilia. This adds salt to Mr. Guantlet’s wound, at this point he is already aware of his status, hence his need to hide his courtship, and is why Mr. Guantlet is openly berating him while still trying to be civil. But by saying Mr.Pickle’s love for Emilia is ironic is an insult to Mr.Pickle as a man and a human to have his love reduced to an insult and unworthy of time and consideration. This is a point of no return where Mr. Pickle offers an official battle between them. Right before the battle Mr.Guantlet gives Mr.Pickle the opportunity to duel with pistols instead of swords because of his upper hand but still refuses the opportunity even after knowing that Mr.Guantlet was a skilled swordsman in the Army because of his arrogance and

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