1. H. H. Munro (Saki)

2. Saki-A Brief Biography
Hector Hugh Munro, better known by the pen name Saki, was born in Burma.
Munro’s reputation as a writer rests on his short stories which satirize the social conventions, cruelty and foolishness of the Edwardian era.
Munro’s stories, with twist endings, are often compared to the stories of O.Henry. However, his stories are not innocent or sentimental, but mix wit with outrageousness, humour with seemingly justified malice.

3. Brief Introduction to “Sredni Vashtar”
“Sredni Vashtar” is a story concerning a 10-year-old boy called Conradin, who lives with his strict cousin and guardian, Mrs. De Ropp. Conradin rebels against her and invents a new religion for himself, which centres around idolising a polecat-ferret he calls Sredni Vashtar; a vengeful and merciless god. Conradin keeps the polecat hidden in a cage in the garden shed, and worships the idol in secret. In the end, Mrs. De Ropp is killed by the ferret while investigating the tool-shed, apparently to the pleasure of the child.

4. Themes Imprisonment Family relationships Gods and Religion Death
Supernatural Power/Superstition
Appearance vs Reality

5. Imprisonment Conradin’s view: no freedom to live out fantasies
Compare his liberties to other boys his age
Mrs de Ropp: protector or jailor?
“she represented those three fifths of the world that are necessary and disagreeable and real”
The metaphor/personification of windows:
“ready to open with a message not to do this or that”
Conradin was terminally ill – does this change the reader’s thoughts about how Mrs de Ropp treats him?
Difference between adults and children?

6. Family relationships Importance?
How does Conradin’s relationship shape hope/despair in his life?
Saki himself lost his parents and was raised by ‘sadistic’ aunts.
Importance affection – the Houdan Hen: symbol of need for affection
Re Ropp sees her “job” as his guardian as such and nothing more, leading to her being “dull and cheerless”
Lack of family relationship increases Conradin’s loneliness and adds to his increasing feeling of being doomed.
Had De Ropp acted in a way that fostered a positive relationship, do you think the end result would have been the same: her death?

7. Gods and Religion
Religion was exceptionally strong in early 20th century
Conradin does not turn to a traditional god
He invents one and a religion that surrounds it
“the cult of Sredni Vashtar”
Conradin finds solace in Sredni Vashtar – gives him hope
Places trust in the perceived destructive force of the polecat-ferret.
Mrs De Ropp is said to have “engaged in religion” once a week, which is only one of the many stark contrasts between her and Conradin

8. Social Issues/Questions
Child Loneliness
Child depression
Role of Religion in coping with trauma

9. Question 1
Conradin is believed to have only five more years to live. What is significant about this detail?

10. Answer 1
Conradin is allocated to the category of the weak and the ill. Plus he is only ten years old, he is the object of oppression and control. The fact that his guardian accepts the doctor’s opinion readily reflects her cruel and dominating nature.

11. Question 2
In the first two paragraphs how many times is Conradin’s imagination metioned? What can we learn about the relationship between the boy and his guardian?

12. Answer 2
Conradin’s imagination is mentioned three times in the first two paragraphs:
1) Mrs. De Ropp was Conradin’s cousin and guardian, and in his eyes she represented those three-fifths of the world that are necessary and disagreeable and real; the other two-fifths, in perpetual antagonism to the foregoing, were summed up in himself and his imagination.
To Conradin, Mrs. De Ropp represents the real world which is unpleasant. He finds comfort in his imaginative world. Obviously, he does not like Mrs. De Ropp.

13. 2) Without his imagination, which was rampant under the spur of loneliness, he would have succumbed long ago.
From this sentence we can learn the boy is very lonely and imagination is his only comfort and solace.
3) …from the realm of his imagination she was locked out-an unclean thing, which should find no entrance.
We learn that Mrs. De Ropp derives pleasure from merely getting an upper hand of the boy, who in turn hates her with “a desperate sincerity”, and reduces her to “an unclean thing”, forbidden to his imaginative world.

14. Question 3
Read the descriptions below and find out all the words with religious connotations. In which sense is Conradin’s religion a parody of his cousin’s religion for example?

15. Answer 3
The words that have religious connotations are worship (v.), mystic (adj.) and ceremonials, shrine, offering, festivals. (n.)
Conradin’s religion is obviously a parody of the traditional religion. His offerings are bright-colored, “red flowers” and “scarlet berries”, for his god stresses “the fierce impatient side of things”. For big festivals the offering will be nutmeg, which has to be stolen. His three-day celebration is his cousin’s acute toothache. All these show that the boy invents his own religion to protect himself from, and revenge against his cousin.

16. Question 4
How did Conradin react after his hen was sold? How did he react when offered toast as a compensation? Did Mrs. De Ropp expect such reaction? If you were Mrs. De Ropp, how would you feel?

17. Answer 4
Conradin did not show his anger or sorrow. Instead, he hid his feelings. When offered toast in the afternoon tea, he did not touch it at all. To Mrs. De Ropp’s remark “I thought you liked toast”, he only replied “sometimes”.
All these were contrary to Mrs. De Ropp’s expectation. She was used to rebuking him, to preying on his vulnerability. Now she must feel shocked, injured and very angry.

18. Question 5
Do you like the ending of the story? In which sense is it ironical?

19. Answer 5
The ending is ironical because while people assume that the boy would be devastated by the death of his cousin, he is serenely celebrating his freedom.