Short Stories

The Telegram

Background

Author

Iain Crichton Smith was a Scottish writer and poet known for his works in both English and Gaelic. He lived from 1928 to 1998 and was a prominent figure in Scottish literature.

Cultural Context:

• "The Telegram" is set in a small Scottish rural community during World War Two.
• This period was marked by significant social and emotional turmoil due to the impact of the war on families and communities.

Summary

• The story opens with two main characters, Sarah, a fat woman, and another thin woman, having tea and gazing out of the window in a quiet Scottish village during World War Two.
• The impact of the war is felt keenly in the community, and the villagers dread the arrival of the titular telegram, which brings news of a son killed in the conflict.
• These telegrams are delivered by a local church elder, and his presence is feared as he approaches the villagers' homes.
• Sarah and the thin woman, though neighbours, are not friends, and their relationship is tense, with jealousy and contempt playing a significant role.
• The fat woman envies the thin woman's son, who has gone to university and become a naval officer, while her own son is just an ordinary seaman.
• The thin woman looks down on other mothers in the village, believing they could have worked harder to provide better education for their children.
• As the elder approaches the final two houses in the village, it seems certain that the telegram is meant for one of them.

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Short Stories

• The fat woman realises the sacrifices endured by her neighbour for her son, but in a surprising twist, the elder walks past the thin woman's house. It is revealed that the telegram was addressed to the elder himself, who couldn't face telling his wife that their son had drowned.

• The elder walks six miles to the next village, still clutching the crumpled, yellow telegram, in shock and unable to deliver the devastating news.