Notes

Though Carol is bored by the out dated ideas of the Perrys, she feels a sense of loyalty towards them. She worries about the gossips of the town when Guy Pollock invites her. Yet she goes to his room because she is curious about Guy Pollock. She finds out that he leads a very simple life. She is impressed by the collection of books on his bookshelf, which includes volumes of poetry, German novels and the books of Charles Lamb. She has great hopes of getting his help to transform the town but is disappointed that even he feels that there is no need to change anything. While the others adore Gopher Prairie and are blind to its flaws, Guy Pollock is aware of the flaws. He believes that every town has its drawbacks and Gopher Prairie should be allowed to have some.

Carol had always wondered why an intelligent man like Guy Pollock should settle down in Gopher Prairie. He explains that it is because of the village virus. He was initially taken in by the peopleÂ’s friendliness. As the days passed he found that he was way behind in his professional knowledge compared to the city lawyers. He found life to be very undemanding in Gopher Prairie. He explains that life without any challenges, without having to make any efforts to be better, is called the village virus. He asserts that nobody can escape it.

This chapter gives an account of Guy Pollock’s antecedents. It also elaborates on his attraction towards Carol. He adores her and longs for her company. He considers her to be the spirit of rebellion. Therefore when she talks about her efforts to become dull like the others, he compares her cynicism to ‘blood on the wings of a humming bird’. Carol also finds out that Guy Pollock is 47 years old, smokes too much and has no ambition.

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