A Reader's Response: The Old Man From The South

Roald Dahl's "The Old Man From the South": man, what a crazy short story this one is!

The story is narrated by a man who tells about his meeting with a strange old man in Jamaica. When they notice teenagers in a pool, the old man speaks with one of them: a young man who has a lighter that, he believes, never goes out. This assumption makes the old man concoct an insane bet: if the lighter lights 10 times in a row, the young man wins the old man's Cadillac. If the lighter misses a flick, his pinky finger will be chopped off. Despite the mad nature of the bet, the young man agrees.

The contest takes place in the old man's suite. With his arm tied to the table, the young man makes a successful amount of lights. Unfortunately, his 9th light is interrupted by the old man's wife. As it turns out, the old man was actually sent to the suite by her to get psychological help. Also, the guy has made the bet with other people before, and has collected each of their chopped finger.

This story shows how dangerous the art of gambling can be. For example, in today's society, there are casinos that allow people to bet their house for money! It's amazing what lengths people would do to get something, and with this story, Dahl sends the message loud and clear. The young man knew that the bet was risky, yet he put his pinky finger on the line to get a luxury car.

Some people might argue about gambling being called a sin. However, if they read this story, chances are the arguments will fade.