Mr. Know-All ( W/ Outline) Essay, Research Paper
Thesis Statement:
Too often we perceive a person to be something that they aren t ad destroy the chance of making for ourselves a life long friend.
Introductory Paragraph:
Often in our self-indulged lives we don t take a moment to step back and look deeply at the true characters of the people around us. Instead we are happier with making our unsupported judgments on people and continuing to go about our own concerns. Mr. W. Somerset Maugham wrote a story called, Mr. Know-All, that shows us how too often we tend to act judgmental towards others, but later, When we pause to take a closer look, we may find that they are truly greater in character then we are.
Out Line:
A. Intro Paragraph
B. Body
1. Give first Example of prejudice towards Mr. Kelad
a. I was pre pared to dislike Max Kelada even before I
knew him. …When I went on board I found Mr.
Kelada s luggage already below. I did not like the
look of it; there were too many labels on the suitcases, and the
wardrobe trunk was too big. (Pg. 303-304)
b. Give personal insight on the matter
2. Give second Example of prejudice towards Mr. Kelada
a. I do not wish to put on airs, but I cannot help feeling
that it is seemly in a total stranger to put mister
before my name when he addresses me. Mr. Kelada,
doubtless to set me at my ease used no such
formality. I did not like Mr. Kelada. (Pg. 305)
b. Give personal insight on the matter
3. Give third Example of prejudice towards Mr. Kelada
a. I did not like Mr. Kelada. I not only shared a cabin
with him and ate three meals a day at the same table,
but I could not walk round the deck without his
joining me. It was impossible to snub him. It never
occurred to him that he was not wanted. He was
certain that you were as glad to see him as he was to
see you. In your house you might have kicked him
down the stairs and slammed the door in his without
the suspicion dawning on him that he was not a
welcome guest. (Pg. 305-306)
b. Give personal insight on the matter
4. Share the story of the Pearls and how Mr. Kelada
acted (Pg. 306-308)
a. Tell about Kelada being right but lieing to be nice.
b. Tell of narrator s feelings towards Mr. Kelada
changing.
C. Conclusion and closing statements
MR. KNOW-ALL
Often in our self indulged lives we don t take a moment to step back and look deeply at the true characters of the people around us. Instead we are happier with making our unsupported judgments on people and continuing to go about our own concerns. Mr. W. Somerset Maugham wrote a story called, Mr. Know-All, that shows us how we too often tend to act judgmental towards others, but later when we pause and take a closer look, we may find that they are truly greater in character than we are.
The story starts with the narrator already expressing his dislike for the character, Mr. Max Kelada. He hasn t even met the man before and he has already chosen to disassociate him. I was prepared to dislike Max Kelada before I knew him. When I went on board I found that Mr. Kelada s luggage was already below. I did not like the look of it; there were too many labels on the suitcase, and the wardrobe trunk was too big. (Pg. 303-304) Here we can defiantly see a dislike for Mr. Kelada, before he even has a chance to show who he is, he isn t liked. He hasn t even received the chance to say one word of greeting or small talk, yet he is looked down upon as a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe because of his luggage.
When the narrator finally meets Mr. Kelada he is set on the fact that he does not like him. He searches for the smallest reason not to like him and decides that Mr. Kelada isn t formal enough with the way he addresses him. I do not like to put on airs, but I cannot help felling that it is seemly in a total strange to put mister before my name when he addresses me. Mr. Kelada, doubtless to set me at my ease used no such formality. I did not like Mr. Kelada. (Pg. 305)
After a few days the narrator is sure that he does not like Mr. Kelada, and that no one else does either. I did not like Mr. Kelada. I not only shared a cabin with him and ate three meals a day at the same table, but I could not walk round the deck without his joining me. It was impossible to snub him. It never occurred to him that he was not wanted. He was certain that you were as glad to see him as he was to see you. In your house you might have kicked him down the stairs and slammed the door in his face without the suspicion dawning on him that he was not a welcome visitor. (Pg. 305-306) The narrator has now stated that he would resort to violence to show Mr. Kelada that he did not like him. Now there is a visible prejudice towards Mr. Kelada with out a particular reason.
Now that feelings are set and walls of prejudice built high a story starts to unfold that surprises the narrator on his views towards Mr. Kelada. One evening at dinner the subject of pearls came up. Mr. Kelada rushed on the subject and started to tell all that is to be known about pearls.
On board the ship was a man named Ramsay who worked for the American Consular Service. He did not seem to know anything about pearls, but he could not resist the opportunity to try and show Mr. Kelada up.
Mr. Kelada became very upset when Mr. Ramsay questioned his knowledge on pearls. At last something that Ramsay said stung him, for he thumped the table and shouted: Well I ought to know what I am talking about. I m going to Japan just to look into this Japanese pearl business. I m in the trade and there s not a man in it who won t tell you what I say about pearls goes. I know all the best pearls in the world and what I don t know about pearls isn t worth knowing. (Pg.307)
After stating this Mr. Kelada pointed to a chain of pearls around Mrs. Ramsay s neck and said that the pearls would never be worth a cent less then they were now. Mr. Ramsay said that he didn t buy them, but was interested in how much Mr. Kelada believed them to be worth.
Mr. Kelada told Ramsay that they were worth about fifteen-thousand dollars, but that if they were bought on Fifth Avenue then some where around thirty-thousand. Mr. Ramsay got a look of triumph on his face and said that Mrs. Ramsay had purchased them from a department store the day before they left for eighteen dollars.
Mr. Kelada didn t believe him and so they made a wager of a hundred dollars on it. Mr. Ramsay asked his wife for the chain and handed it to Mr. Kelada to have a closer look. He handed the chain to Mr. Kelada. The Levantine took a magnifying glass from his pocket and closely examined it. A smile of triumph spread over his smooth and swarthy face. He handed back the chain. He was about to speak. Suddenly he caught sight of Mrs. Ramsay s face. It was so white that she looked as though she were about to faint. She was staring at him with wide and terrified eyes. They held a desperate appeal; it was so clear that I wondered why her husband did not see it. Mr. Kelada stopped with his mouth open. He flushed deeply. You could almost see the effort he was making over himself. I was mistaken, he said. It s a very good imitation, but of course as soon as I looked through my glass I saw it wasn t real. I think eighteen dollars is just about as much as the damned thing is worth. He took out his pocket book and from it a hundred-dollar note. He handed it to Mr. Ramsay with out a word. (Pg. 308-309)
The narrator now realized that Mr. Kelada was truly a gentleman, for the pearls had been real, but another man gave them to her. At that moment I did not entirely dislike Mr. Kelada. (Pg. 309) Mr. Kelada said they were imitation pearls to save Mrs. Ramsay from humiliation.
Truly the narrator now realizes that a quick to judge attitude can blind you from the good within people all because you choose not to like them with no particular reason as to why you feel the way you do. We must learn that everyone is different and that our judgments towards others can be completely wrong. When we discover this problem and put all the pieces together, then we will live happier lives, because we have the satisfaction of truly knowing one another s true character.