Privilege, Arrogance, and Consequences
In “How it Happened,” the narrator’s privileged arrogance endangers both his own life and that of his chauffeur, Perkins. Despite having no experience driving his new car, the narrator insists on driving himself, knowing full well that this might put his and Perkins’s lives in jeopardy. As a person of wealth and status who does not “often have to pay the full price” for his “foolish” actions, the narrator disregards the danger and…
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Humans and Technology
One of the central themes in “How It Happened” is the relationship between humans and their technology. In particular, while machines are often seen as beneficial for their human users, this story suggests that there might be a darker side to the relationship. The narrator’s enthusiasm for his new 30-horsepower Robur, for instance, leads him to drive a car which he is not able to operate safely. Because he forgoes safety precautions, his…
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Loyalty, Selfishness, and Inequality
In “How It Happened” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the narrator fails to reciprocate the loyalty and respect of his chauffeur, Perkins, suggesting that the narrator does not see Perkins as an equal. In the beginning of the story, for instance, the narrator disregards Perkins’s warning about the dangers of driving the new car, revealing a lack of respect for Perkins’s counsel in addition to his wellbeing. Later, when they are in a dangerous…
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Death and the Supernatural
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “How It Happened,” the narrator experiences a seamless transition into death. Not only is there no pain, but the narrator emerges much the same as before. Though other humans can no longer see or hear him, he can still see and hear them, and he still inhabits the same body and world as before he died. Nor is the narrator alone in the afterlife—his friend Stanley warmly welcomes him…
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