Dip in the Pool
Encyclopedia
"Dip in the Pool" is a macabre short story
by Roald Dahl
that was originally published in the 19 January 1952 edition of The New Yorker
. It later appeared in the 1953 collection Someone Like You
.
each day where guests try to correctly guess the amount of miles that the ship will travel each day, within ten miles above or below the captain's own guess. Guests can also choose "low field" or "high field," those being any amount more than ten above or ten below. On one particularly stormy day, a guest named Mr William Botibol bids two hundred pounds on "low field", hoping that the storms will significantly slow down the ship. He is gambling largely with money he doesn't have (it represents years of his and his wife's savings), but he views it as worth the risk.
The next morning, he woke up to find that the sky is clear and the ship is moving very fast to make up for lost time. Distraught, he decides that to slow down the ship, he will jump off into the water - this way, they will have to stop and turn around to rescue him. The count of miles for each day ends at noon.
Seeking out potential eyewitnesses, Botibol ventures to the rear of the ship where he encounters a single, rather large middle-aged woman. Striking up casual conversation with her, talking about the gambling and other things (in order to ensure that she notices him and is really willing to help, and therefore, when he falls into the water), he then surreptitiously leaps off the end of the ship. Yelling "Help, Help!" as he plunges into the water beneath him, he captures the attention of the woman. Initially she seems unsure about how to react, but eventually relaxes and watches as the bobbing head of Botibol, arms waving madly and shouting something she does not hear, disappears into the distance.
A thin, commanding, matronly woman arrives on the same deck, and reprimands the larger woman. The bony woman states that she has been looking for the larger woman for quite a while, and scolds her for wandering off. The larger woman doesn't reply directly, but instead remarks offhandedly about a man that "dived overboard...with all his clothes on", a comment that earns a stern "Nonsense!" from the motherly lady. The last scene is that of the young woman "allowing herself to be led away across the deck" and offhandedly mentioning "Such a nice man. He waved to me"; the reader is left with the impression that the larger woman may be mentally handicapped or have some mental condition such as autism
.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
that was originally published in the 19 January 1952 edition of The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. It later appeared in the 1953 collection Someone Like You
Someone Like You (collection)
Someone Like You is a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl. It was published in 1953 by Alfred Knopf.-Contents:* "Dip in the Pool"* "Galloping Foxley"* "Lamb to the Slaughter"* "Man from the South"* "Mr. Feasey"* "Mr...
.
Plot summary
On a cruise ship, there is a betting poolBetting pool
A betting pool, sports lottery, sweep or office pool if done at work, is a form of gambling, specifically a variant of parimutuel betting influenced by lotteries, where gamblers pay a fixed price into a pool , and then make a selection on some outcome, usually related to sport...
each day where guests try to correctly guess the amount of miles that the ship will travel each day, within ten miles above or below the captain's own guess. Guests can also choose "low field" or "high field," those being any amount more than ten above or ten below. On one particularly stormy day, a guest named Mr William Botibol bids two hundred pounds on "low field", hoping that the storms will significantly slow down the ship. He is gambling largely with money he doesn't have (it represents years of his and his wife's savings), but he views it as worth the risk.
The next morning, he woke up to find that the sky is clear and the ship is moving very fast to make up for lost time. Distraught, he decides that to slow down the ship, he will jump off into the water - this way, they will have to stop and turn around to rescue him. The count of miles for each day ends at noon.
Seeking out potential eyewitnesses, Botibol ventures to the rear of the ship where he encounters a single, rather large middle-aged woman. Striking up casual conversation with her, talking about the gambling and other things (in order to ensure that she notices him and is really willing to help, and therefore, when he falls into the water), he then surreptitiously leaps off the end of the ship. Yelling "Help, Help!" as he plunges into the water beneath him, he captures the attention of the woman. Initially she seems unsure about how to react, but eventually relaxes and watches as the bobbing head of Botibol, arms waving madly and shouting something she does not hear, disappears into the distance.
A thin, commanding, matronly woman arrives on the same deck, and reprimands the larger woman. The bony woman states that she has been looking for the larger woman for quite a while, and scolds her for wandering off. The larger woman doesn't reply directly, but instead remarks offhandedly about a man that "dived overboard...with all his clothes on", a comment that earns a stern "Nonsense!" from the motherly lady. The last scene is that of the young woman "allowing herself to be led away across the deck" and offhandedly mentioning "Such a nice man. He waved to me"; the reader is left with the impression that the larger woman may be mentally handicapped or have some mental condition such as autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
.