Deception In The Landlady And The Umbrella Man

Anaxagoras once said, "Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen." It is impossible to understand a person by their appearances; you must get to know them first. In the short stories, "The Landlady" and "The Umbrella Man" by Roald Dahl, the characters learn through dialogue, chronological order, and characterization that being deceived doesn't have to do with words but with actions. "The Landlady" and "The Umbrella Man" both share the theme of deception.

In the short story "The Landlady" by Roald Dahl, a young man learns that face value is not always the true package of a person. When the man arrives to Bath, England, he gets help from someone about where he should stay. He is wearing a navy blue overcoat, brown trilby hat, and a brown suit.

In "The Landlady", deception is shown through the narrative structure of chronological order and characterization, while in "The Umbrella Man" deception is shown through the narrative structure of dialogue and characterization. In "The Landlady", Roald Dahl shows chronological order in the story so that the reader can see how the lady and Billy act in the beginning, middle, and end. For example, at first Billy acts cluelessly and doesn't suspect a thing, but by the end he grows suspicious of the lady and the names in the book. Also, the lady tries to act normal and kind, but by the end the reader can infer that she is deceiving Billy. On the other hand, in "The Umbrella Man", Roald Dahl shows dialogue in the story so that the reader can understand how the man tricked and deceived the woman into giving him what he wanted. For example, the man speaks to the woman genuinely until she gives him the money, but the woman is constantly suspicious. Without dialogue the reader wouldn't know why the woman would be hesitant into giving him the money and how the man achieved the money. In addition, in "The Landlady" the characterization of the lady is shown by using her words and behaviors in the beginning, middle, and end, such as when she said, "Everyone has to do that because it’s the law of the land, and we don’t want to go breaking any laws at this stage in the proceedings, do we?” The characterization of the man in "The Umbrella Man" is shown by using his dialogue to show his deception and trickery, such as when he said, "If only you would give me in return a pound for my taxi-fare just to get me