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I have to say that this chapter was truly entertaining and a real treat.

"We do not eat human flesh--"-Gregory

"Shame!, why not?"-Comrade Witherspoon



From desiring a point-counter point revenge, Gregory is now locked into an intellectual death match that he didn't bargain for. I really didn't see events up to this point coming, there is the "twist" I asked about from my chapter one post Once again, I would argue that Chesterton is just having a field day with a radical movement that was alive and kicking during his time. Having his protagonist take on the very persona of a radical and using it against a foaming at the mouth radical who is pleading for sanity, is truly a powerful conduit for what is ultimately, a conservative message at its core. I'm not sure I would use the "c" word in a political sense. It sounds more likely to me that Chesterton was stressing the use of reason/moderate thinking in analyzying society and situations that a given person is in.

I think in this chapter we see Chesterton raise his satirical voice quite loudly, for example, lampooning the Council of Anarchists as they elect Syme, a Scotland Yard policeman, to the eminent position of 'Thursday' based on his oratorical ability and his complete destruction of Gregory's credibility as a candidate, using, of course, Gregory's own words as cannon fodder. The absence of any sort of background check on Syme, given only Gregory has even met the man, doesn't say much about their organizational skills. We do find out that Syme is first a poet and second a policeman and that he is a policeman partly because he is a poet. This puts Syme, the policeman, in a certain and rather unusual light.

There are many more twists coming. In fact, nearly all of your assumptions about who and what is happening will be upended by the end of the book.

Chapter Three
The Man Who Was Thursday
Chapter Summary and Observations

Gregory is prevented from killing Syme by the oath he took. Or perhaps more than that; If he kills Syme he will not be able to hide the body as the other members are arriving at that very moment. And he must hide the body or explain why Syme’s body is there just killed by Gregory. Syme is a stranger and to everyone except Gregory and if he reveals that he killed Syme because he was a policeman how will be explain why he brought him to the meeting. Gregory has not choice but to remain silent about Syme’s true identity. He reasons that the damage will be minimal.

The meeting starts and when Syme is asked who he is questioned by the leader of the branch, he identifies himself as a Sabbatarian, sent by Sunday to audit the London branch. The only people who love or even like auditors are other auditors and the group reacts apprehensively to this news revealing that the practice was not unknown. (More fun, anarchists with auditors)

The meeting continues with the only order of business being to elect a new Thursday, (since, afterall the Anarchist Council cannot function one member short). The former Thursday died from drinking chalk and water instead of milk because of his concern that cows should not be abused by giving milk*; despite the fact that he organized a failed bombing that might have killed dozens of people in Brighton if it had not failed.

Gregory is immediately nominated and seconded for the position. He is called on to give an acceptance speech and, confident in his reputation, he gives a speech implying that the group is harmless, devoid of any threat to society,

The speech’s tone infuriates the other members who begin to heckle Gregory; that they really are dangerous and hate everything good.

Just as the chairman is about to call for a vote, Syme rises and delivers a passionate speech taking issue with Gregory’s claims of nonviloence. He offers himself in nomination as the next Thursday and is elected by acclamation as Gregory stands by unable to do anything about it.

Syme then receives the documents identifying him as Thursday along with certain official implements and is taken immediately in a boat to the meeting of the Central Anarchist Council.

More fun with the anarchist group who not only have a structure but also artifacts of the offices they hold.

Another powerful chapter, with an ending to match!

From the outset Gregory was trapped. And for a moment he figures he has a way to deal with it. But even I (the reader) knows it is flawed (and I wonder, shouldn't have Gregory - given his character - also known this). Notwithstanding this, the boisterous force of dialogue and drama overtakes this minor character mishap, and Gregory is trapped even more securely at the end.

However, this chapter reveals little more about the character of Syme - except that he continues to be confident and cunning and a risk-taker. Indeed, what was going through Syme's mind at that time is what I would have liked to know.

I have many favorite quotes in this chapter. But perhaps one of the most resounding to me is:
"You, my poor fellow, are an anarchist deprived of the help of that law and organisation which is so essential to anarchy."

Next chapter please.......

Ni55a wrote:Another powerful chapter, with an ending to match!

However, this chapter reveals little more about the character of Syme - except that he continues to be confident and cunning and a risk-taker. Indeed, what was going through Syme's mind at that time is what I would have liked to know.
..

The confidence of Syme is quite something to behold early on. Not to spoil things, but it does seem to lessen considerably, most notably upon seeing the back of Sunday. The last two or three chapters see his ego shrunk to reality, if not more so. The twists and turns of finding out that virtually everyone is a policeman might have something to do with it.

Pheidippides wrote:The twists and turns of finding out that virtually everyone is a policeman might have something to do with it.

yes, that was such a great device, and absolutely hilarious, such well crafted comedy. that was one of my favourite things in the book overall.

I have finished this novel so I will be cautious as to what I say here, but while reading a huge question came up for me. The word anarchy is used often so I ask, what does the word anarchy mean in the context of this novel? I also wonder if it could mean different things to different people?

Perhaps this question should be discussed in Chapter 15, at the end of the book so those who are reading along don't get derailed. I will post something in Chapter 15 on this question.

thanks