A Warning to the Curious

by

M. R. James

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on A Warning to the Curious makes teaching easy.
The Crown Symbol Icon

The crown represents the tempting yet dangerous human desire for material possessions. Paxton is enticed by the crown immediately upon learning about it, but it is the superficial quality of the crown’s mystery that intrigues him, not necessarily its protective properties or history. Upon hearing that there is nobody currently guarding the crown, Paxton seizes the opportunity to dig it up himself. Whereas the townspeople value the crown for the tradition and safety it brings them, Paxton is merely fascinated by the novelty and excitement around it. The story doesn’t explicitly detail Paxton’s exact motives, but it’s clear that he’s attracted to the enigmatic lore surrounding the crown, regardless of whether or not he believes it. It’s also reasonable to assume that the crown’s beauty and monetary worth contribute to its allure. Paxton’s desire is proven to be superficial by the fact that he gains no fulfillment or satisfaction once he possesses the crown—in fact, he is worse off than he was before. In contrast, the story suggests that the crown plays a crucial role to the community that values it for its practical and cultural importance. Therefore, the crown’s role in the story is twofold—it has a superficial allure, but it also fulfills the town’s fundamental necessity for culture, security, and tradition. Through the crown’s multifaceted appeal, the story cautions against giving in to materialistic desire while placing a higher importance on more basic and sensible needs.

The Crown Quotes in A Warning to the Curious

The A Warning to the Curious quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Crown. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
).
A Warning to the Curious Quotes

[…] them Germans would a landed here time and again, they would. Landed with their ships, and killed man, woman and child in their beds. Now then, that's the truth what I'm telling you, that is; and if you don't believe me, you ast the rector. There he comes: you ast him, I says.

Related Characters: The Old Man (speaker), Paxton, The Rector
Related Symbols: The Crown
Page Number: 308
Explanation and Analysis:

“You see,” he said, “anybody would call it the greatest bit of luck. I did, but I don’t know. Of course I asked the shopman about William Ager, and of course he happened to remember that he lodged in a cottage in the North Field and died there.”

Related Characters: Paxton (speaker), The Narrator (speaker), Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 310
Explanation and Analysis:

You see, he’s light and weak, but all the same I daren't face him. Well, then, when I was making the tunnel, of course it was worse, and if I hadn't been so keen I should have dropped the whole thing and run. It was like someone scraping at my back all the time.

Related Characters: Paxton (speaker), The Narrator, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown
Page Number: 313
Explanation and Analysis:

We looked out of the window: there was a brilliant full moon—the Paschal moon.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:

Well, we were pretty regular customers of the hotel, and did not give much trouble, and were considered by the servants to be not under the mark in the way of tips; and so the boots was propitiated, and let us out on to the sea-front, and remained, as we heard later, looking after us.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long, The Boots
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 314
Explanation and Analysis:

But under observation we felt we were, as I have never felt it at another time. Specially was it so when we passed out of the churchyard into a narrow path with close high hedges, through which we hurried as Christian did through that Valley; and so got out into open fields.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:

Yet, in all this quiet, an acute, an acrid consciousness of a restrained hostility very near us, like a dog on a leash that might be let go at any moment.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Crown, The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Crown Symbol Timeline in A Warning to the Curious

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Crown appears in A Warning to the Curious. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
A Warning to the Curious
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Community vs. Individualism Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
...openly and easily to the young man about the local legend. He says that the crowns were all buried in different locations to fend off various invaders (“the Danes or the... (full context)
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
The young man is fascinated and becomes determined to find the crown. He rides away on his bike after talking to the rector and happens to catch... (full context)
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Community vs. Individualism Theme Icon
...young man scopes out the terrain and decides to dig into it to find the crown. He makes up an excuse to tell the others at his hotel why he’ll be... (full context)
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
...(they learn that his name is Paxton) tells them that he wants to return the crown. He invites them to his own room to take a look at it. Paxton seems... (full context)
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
...describes noticing a presence with him since he first began planning to dig for the crown. He could see a man in his peripheral vision, but he could never look directly... (full context)
Community vs. Individualism Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
...after finishing his account, and the narrator and Long agree to help him return the crown. It’s already 10:30 on the night of a Paschal moon, so the group starts to... (full context)
Community vs. Individualism Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
When they arrive to where the crown was originally buried, Paxton frantically digs into the earth. They are terrified, though they don’t... (full context)
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Community vs. Individualism Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
...try to console Paxton by telling him that no harm is done now that the crown is back in the ground, but Paxton is unconvinced. He feels that the harm is... (full context)
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Community vs. Individualism Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
...what really happened. They agree not to tell the press what they know about the crown. Since Paxton was so socially isolated, the investigation into his murder never gains traction. The... (full context)