An Adulteration Act : The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 10.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark), 1863-1943.

Contributor:

Greiffenhagen, Maurice, 1862-1931

Richards, Amy, active 1896-1918

Sullivan, James Frank, 1853-1936

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"An Adulteration Act" by W. W. Jacobs is a humorous short story written in the early 20th century. This piece unfolds its comedic narrative through the misadventures of Dr. Frank Carson and his friend, solicitor Harry Thomson, who unexpectedly find themselves aboard a ship under dubious circumstances. The story cleverly satirizes issues surrounding class and authority, illustrating how two professional men can be reduced to the status of mere ship hands due to their drunken misbehavior. In the story, Dr. Carson and Mr. Thomson awaken to discover they have been mistakenly shanghaied onto a vessel, believing themselves to be the esteemed doctor and solicitor of Melbourne. The captain, furious at their appearance and behavior, forces them to work aboard as cook and able seaman, a role they are ill-suited for. With each humorous encounter with the ship's crew, Carson's wit leads him to take control of the situation by pretending to care for the captain's health while opportunistically charging fees for his "services." Eventually, the story culminates in their return to land, where Carson cheekily hints that the captain's ailments were likely a result of his poor cooking, leaving a comedic impression of mastery amid chaos. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by David Widger

Notes:

Reading ease score: 83.5 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 2004-04-01