A Warning to the Curious

by

M. R. James

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History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Analysis

Themes and Colors
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon
Community vs. Individualism Theme Icon
Folklore, Religion, and Belief Theme Icon
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Warning to the Curious, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
History, Culture, and Disrespect Theme Icon

In “A Warning to the Curious,” the fact that Paxton steals an object imbued with such cultural and historical value shows how overpowering selfish desire can be. To that end, his eventual death suggests that disrespecting culture and history is highly disruptive and can sometimes come at a great cost.

Though the story’s title—“A Warning to the Curious”—seems to imply that curiosity is Paxton’s offense, he’s ultimately punished (by the ghost and by his own guilt) for his disrespect, not just his curiosity. Of course, he’s initially curious upon hearing about the mysterious hidden crown, but this curiosity goes too far when he decides that he needs to find the crown himself—simply listening to the old stories like everyone else in town is, apparently, not enough for him. The old man at the church tells Paxton that without the crown, invaders would have “killed man, woman and child in their beds.” The emphasis with which the old man talks about the crown makes its cultural and historical importance obvious, and Paxton later says that he “didn’t disbelieve” this legend. And yet, he goes in search of the crown anyway. Even though he recognizes that the surrounding community views the crown as a form of protection, he pompously sets out to dig it up, thus defiling an important cultural object. In turn, his transgression is not mere curiosity, but a selfish desire to possess this precious piece of history as his own.

Once Paxton successfully uproots this cultural treasure, his need to possess it gives way to intense guilt. What’s more, there are tangible consequences to his selfish behavior, as the ghost of William Ager—the former protector of the crown—haunts him and intensifies his guilt. Paxton feels deep regret and resolves to return the crown, but he knows the ghost won’t forgive him. He’s right, and the ghost kills him the following day. That the story ends this way suggests that certain transgressions can’t simply be undone: even Paxton’s attempt to correct his wrongdoing cannot bring relief, and this is because his misbehavior upended a longstanding cultural legacy. The consequences of such disruptively selfish behavior, the story implies, can be catastrophic.

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History, Culture, and Disrespect ThemeTracker

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History, Culture, and Disrespect Quotes in A Warning to the Curious

Below you will find the important quotes in A Warning to the Curious related to the theme of History, Culture, and Disrespect.
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:

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:

You'll wonder why we didn't insist on accompanying him to his home and seeing him safe into the care of brothers or someone. The fact was he had nobody. He had had a flat in town, but lately he had made up his mind to settle for a time in Sweden[...]

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 316
Explanation and Analysis:

His tracks showed that he had run along the side of the battery, had turned sharp round the corner of it, and, small doubt of it, must have dashed straight into the open arms of someone who was waiting there. His mouth was full of sand and stones, and his teeth and jaws were broken to bits.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Paxton, Henry Long
Related Symbols: The Ghost of William Ager
Page Number: 319
Explanation and Analysis: