Mr Know All by Somerset Maugham Summary of

Mr Know All by Somerset Maugham Summary of the Story Created by Judi Granit

The Setting n The story is set on board an ocean liner. n The liner is sailing from USA to Japan n The story takes place after WWI in the period of the USA’s Prohibition law.

The Characters n The protagonist in the story is Mr Kelada n The story is written in the “first person” by the narrator who is one of the characters in the story and cannot be trusted as we see the story unfold through his prejudiced eyes. n There is another minor character “Doc” who remains silent throughout the story.

Before meeting Max Kelada…. The narrator is “prepared to dislike” Max Kelada before he knew him. There are four reasons for this: 1. His name. The narrator’s “heart sank” when he heard it - it “suggested” closed portholes, no air. n He would have felt less “dismay” if his companion’s name had been Smith or Brown.

The 3 other reasons were found in the cabin: 2. His wardrobe trunk was too big 3. There were too many labels on his suitcase 4. His brushes looked like they need a “scrub”

The narrator meets Max Kelada n He is short with a sturdy build. He has a large hooked nose, large liquid eyes, long black curly hair, is clean-shaven with dark skin. n Mr Kelada introduces himself - he is chatty and his gestures are exuberant. n He speaks using very British expressions and words like “bit of luck” “jolly” “rather” n Although he has a British passport, the narrator suspects he was born “under a bluer sky” than a typical British grey one. n The narrator thinks he is from the Middle East and says the Union Jack loses “dignity” when it is waved by someone from Alexandria or Beirut.

Mr Kelada annoyed the narrator by: n being too ‘familiar” and not using “Mr” in front of his name. n interrupting his game of “Patience” n telling the narrator where to put the cards n saying he will show the narrator only one card trick (after the narrator says he does NOT like them) but actually goes on to show him three. n announcing that he has already booked a seat for the narrator in the dining room so they can sit together for all their meals.

Mr Kelada was “named” Mr Know All by everyone on the ship. n n n In 3 days he knew everyone on board He organized all the games, sports and entertainment on the ship. He was “everywhere and always” It was impossible to “snub” him because it never occurred to him that someone might not like him. He was intolerable at meal times because he was argumentative and thought he knew everything better than everyone else. He had interminable and bitter arguments with Mr Ramsay who also sat at the table.

We meet the Ramsays n n n Mr Ramsay was so fat he seemed to “bulge out” of his ready-made clothes. He was as dogmatic as Mr Kelada. He was “ill paid” as he worked for the American Consular Service and was stationed in Japan. He was returning to Japan with his wife who had been alone in New York for the year before this. Mrs Ramsay was a “pretty little thing” who knew how to wear her simple clothes well. The narrator said she was so modest that it “shone in her like a flower on a coat”.

The climax of the story…. n At the dinner table there is an argument about pearls and the new “cultured pearls” that the Japanese were creating. n Mr Kelada reveals that this is his reason for traveling to Japan. n He claims to be an expert at identifying cultured and natural pearls, pointing out Mrs Ramsay’s necklace as a fine example. n Mr Ramsay “knowing” his wife bought it for only 18 dollars challenges Mr Kelada to a bet of 100 dollars, to prove that he is wrong and that the necklace is an imitation. n Both the narrator and Mr Kelada notice Mrs Ramsay’s discomfort but Mr Ramsay does not. n Recognizing Mrs Ramsay’s terrified panic and how white her skin was, Mr Kelada made a huge effort to hold himself back and admit in public that he was mistaken (while he clearly knew he was not). The narrator notices that he flushed and his hands trembled.

Resolution of the story…. n n n The next morning a letter was pushed under the door of Mr Kelada’s cabin Nobody was outside and there was no letter inside the envelope, only a 100 dollar bill. Mr Kelada tore up the envelope and asked the narrator to throw it out of the window On answering whether the pearls were real, Mr Kelada said if he had a pretty wife he wouldn’t have let her stay in New York alone for a whole year. The story ends with the narrator saying “At that moment I did not entirely dislike Mr. Kelada”.

Theme of the story n People cannot be judged by their appearance. n Stereotypes are often false and misleading.