Short Stories - 4. Tomorrow

Old man always gets out of control when someone made fun of him and talk about his son and in the whole story he was in search of his son. He keeps on advertising about his lost son and hope that he will definitely come someday.

When Captain Hagberd met a stranger who was actually his son but he was unknown about it. When that stranger told that I know about your son and I can give whole information about him but Captain refused to know. With this, he is confirmed that his son is still alive and he will come by tomorrow by this way Captain Hagberd prepares for Harry’s homecoming.

When that stranger asked Bessie about what’s the matter why this old man is behaving like an insane person then with a flow in the conversation Bessie started sharing that stranger that the reason of insanity of Captain Hagberd is his son. He lost his son somewhere in sea as he always used to say and he was for his son for a long time. He keeps on roaming here and there in search of his son.

Henry’s reasons to come Hagberd are:

1) He wants to know about Old Hegberd that where he is living right now.

2) He come to meet Old Hegberd to know whether he listened about the Old Hegberd frim barber is true or not.

Harry and Bessie had been very close to each other and when harry went way it broke Bessie and she turned into tears. This is only the reason Harry’s return prove to be a disappointment for Bessie.

When Bessie swiftly asked Harry ‘Are you really Harry Hagberd’? ‘Can you prove it?’Harry replied confidently yes I can prove it Harry stuck a fancy beard on his chin and asked Bessie now say am I resembling him or not? Bessie told murmuring that ‘It’s true,’ After that, he told every possible detail to Bessel that evident that he is only Harry like Mother nagged at me for being idle, and the old man said he would cut my soul out of my body rather than let me go to sea. Well, it looked as if he would do it too. These memory based details told by Harry convinced Bessie that the young man was indeed Harry.

His life was quite happening as he told Bessel that I’ve been everything you can think of almost but a tailor or soldier. I’ve been a boundary rider; I’ve sheared sheep, and humped my swag, and harpooned a whale. I’ve rigged ships, and prospected for gold, and skinned dead bullocks, —and

turned my back on more money than the old man would have scraped in his whole life.

She told Harry that your father starves himself for your sake; all he has in the world is for you. This is what she told Harry when they were talking about Captain Hagberd at morning breakfast.

Captain Hagberd calls out to Bessie from the window that ‘Send him away, my dear. He’s only a vagabond. What you want is a good home of your own. That chap has no home—he’s not like Harry. He can’t be Harry. Harry is coming tomorrow. Do you hear? One day more,’ he babbled more excitedly; ‘never have you feared—Harry shall marry you.’

Yes, it is true that “Every mental state, even madness, has its equilibrium based upon self-esteem. Its disturbance causes unhappiness.” A person who is mad even though he is aware of self-esteem and at a certain case the disturbance of mind causes unhappiness. Like in this story, the old Hagberd reached this state of equilibrium based upon self-esteemed when he lost his mind control and it causes unhappiness to him.

‘Eveline’ is one of the shortest stories that make up James Joyce’s collection Dubliners.

And Tomorrow is the story written by Joseph Conrad.

The technique was used very nicely by the Joseph Conrad in unfolding the story of Captain Hagberd’s past. He designed a plot very strongly and full of suspense. He firstly kept the past of Captain Hagberd’s past hidden into suspense and then with flow of story all goes into deep secrets and in last it was all known about his evil son.

1) I found insanity in barber as he was doing insane judgement on old Hagberd without knowing full truth and mocking. (Insanity also refers to irrationality and barber was irrational with his judgement)

2) The insanity in Mr. Carvil nature as he over reacts when he need something and shouts loud.

He wanted to turn me into a miserable lawyer’s clerk, and now he wants to make of me

a blamed tame rabbit in a cage.

In this sentence, there is a comparison made between Harry Hagberd and Rabbit.

When Captain Hagberd went out of tap-room of the New Inn near the harbour, as soon as the door was shut the barber laughed and said: “The old one and the young one will be strolling arm in arm to get shaved in my place presently.” Noticing a stranger listening to him with a vacant grin, he explained, that this queer old Hagberd, a retired coasting-skipper, was waiting for the return of a son of his. Barber said that I think he believe Colebrook is only the place in the United Kingdom for his long-lost sons. So, he sold up his old home in Colchester this is what that brought Captain Hagberd to Colebrook three years ago.

People of Colebrook not have a favourable opinion of Captain Hagberd because he is not in a state of his own mind and presence as he lost his son and after that his wife. People of Colebrook think as he is mad and no one listens to him.

Captain Hagberd had been one of those sailors that pursue their calling within sight of land.

Many sailors feel and profess a rational dislike for the sea, but his was a profound and emotional

animosity.

Wink was the hint, which Captain Hagberd hinted that made Bessie blushe. He always came across some sort of madness in Bessie, when he shared something with her and talked being excited, she laughed a little to salve her conscience and blushed faintly.

While talking about his son, Hagberd seems hopefull that he will come home soon. She had tried pityingly to throw some doubt on that hope doomed to disappointment. She got a horrible and unexpected reaction from Captain Hagberd, for a moment he seemed to her ready to go out of his mind. The sea can’t keep my son and there’s nothing to prevent him coming back. His eyes began to wander. But next day Bessie humoured him in silence, listening patiently by the fence.

Mr. Carvil was insane retired boat-builder, a man of evil repute as a domestic tyrant. He gets uncontrollable very soon and start shouting.

Both Captain Hagberd and old Mr. Carvil are impatient kind of person as they both get over-reaction on a certain level as their power to tackle things is null. Captain Hagberd when listen something about his son get out of mind and behave like a mad person and being on the same boat but being in different situation old Mr Carvil, a fat blind man had given himself up to a very lust of laziness, calls Bessie when he want something shouting loudly like he is not in control.

He advertised still in the Sunday papers for Harry Hagberd. These sheets were read in foreign parts to the end of the world, he informed Bessie. At the same time, he seemed to think that his son was in England—so near to Colebrook that he would, of course, turn up ‘tomorrow’. Bessie, without committing herself to that opinion in so many words, argued that in that case, the expense of

advertising was unnecessary; Captain Hagberd it will be better if you will spend that weekly half-crown on him. Miss Bessie called it his tantrums. She shook her finger at him angrily. These acts of Captain Hagberd sometimes make Bessie feel irritated and disgusting.

The stranger was the son of Captian Hagberd, Harry Hagberd. Captain felt nervous on meet first who was stranger for him as that stranger is talking about his son and then he suddenly got out of control when stranger said ‘The devil he is!’ The stranger marvelled greatly, Captain started shouting, his feet squelched in the puddles left by his industry. He stumbled in the holes of the ruined grass plot. He ran blindly against the fence.

Young Hagberd got a bit concerned and he was confused that if old Hangberd had identified him or not and that’s why he changed his tone from told old Hagberd that ‘You’ve

grown a beard like Father Christmas himself.’ The reason to change the tone is just if old Hegberd could not recognize young Hagberd.

The reasons that Bessie give for encouraging old Hagberd in his insane hopes are:

1) Firstly, she said Harry that he should try convincing old Hagberd that he is only his son and make him at his normal state.

2) Secondly, When Harry Hagberd said that ‘He isn’t frisky—is he? I would be afraid to lay hold of

him. Then to encourage old Hagberd insane hope she said, Harry, that “Old Hagberd was the most harmless creature that ever lived”