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Khashdrahr Miasma
Doctor Halyard works for the State Department as a tour guide for foreign officials. A reserved but self-important man, he takes important visitors on long trips across the country, all the while singing the praises of technological advancement. This is what he does for the Shah and Khashdrahr, showing them things like a military parade, a centralized computer network called EPICAC, a barbershop in Miami, and Cornell University. Despite his best efforts, though, he has trouble convincing the Shah of certain things, such as that the social structure in the United States is egalitarian. Still, Halyard is very invested in the social system at work in the United States, wholeheartedly believing in the benefit of machines replacing human laborers. This is a relatively easy thing for him to think, considering that he—as someone with a PhD working in a position that can’t be automated—doesn’t have to worry about getting replaced. However, the central machines that run the country eventually discover that Halyard never passed his college’s physical education test, meaning that his diploma is illegitimate. Halyard travels with the Shah to Cornell to retake the test, which he fails miserably. He is thus stripped of his title, a fact that demonstrates just how petty and bureaucratic this system really is.
Doctor Ewing J. Halyard Quotes in Player Piano
The Player Piano quotes below are all either spoken by Doctor Ewing J. Halyard or refer to Doctor Ewing J. Halyard. 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:
).
Chapter 2 Quotes
“[…] we’ve raised the standard of living of the average man immensely.”
Khashdrahr stopped translating and frowned perplexedly. “Please, this average man, there is no equivalent in our language, I’m afraid.”
“You know,” said Halyard, “the ordinary man, like, well, anybody—those men working back on the bridge, the man in that old car we passed. The little man, not brilliant but a good-hearted, plain, ordinary, everyday kind of person.”
Khashdrahr translated.
“Aha,” said the Shah, nodding, “Takaru.”
“What did he say?”
“Takaru,” said Khashdrahr. “Slave.”
“No Takaru,” said Halyard, speaking directly to the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.”
“Ahhhhh,” said the Shah. “Ci-ti-zen.” He grinned happily. “Takaru—citizen. Citizen—Takaru.”
“No Takaru!” said Halyard.
Khashdrahr shrugged. “In the Shah’s land are only the Elite and the Takaru.”
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Doctor Ewing J. Halyard Character Timeline in Player Piano
The timeline below shows where the character Doctor Ewing J. Halyard appears in Player Piano. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...two men are on a tour of the United States led by Doctor Ewing J. Halyard. The Shah has come to see what he might learn from the United States, and...
(full context)
Disgusted, the Shah calls this economic structure “Communism,” but Halyard fervently refutes this. He believes the country has greatly improved the lives of the “average...
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...Reclamation and Reconstruction crew doing roadwork. Their wheelbarrows are in the only open lane, so Halyard yells at them to clean up. When they finally listen to him, he chides them...
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Chapter 7
The Shah of Bratpuhr goes with Halyard and Khashdrahr to visit the US Army. The Army company marches before him, saluting him...
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Chapter 11
Doctor Halyard, the Shah of Bratpuhr, and Khashdrahr are at the Carlsbad Caverns, which is home to...
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The President of the United States, Jonathan Lynn, arrives to give a speech, and Halyard sits with the Shah and Khashdrahr in the audience in one of the caverns. The...
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Chapter 17
Doctor Halyard brings the Shah and Khashdrahr to Chicago so they can visit the family home of...
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Chapter 20
Doctor Halyard sits in a barbershop in Miami while the Shah gets an American haircut. The barber...
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As the barber talks, Halyard looks at a letter he received from the State Department. According to the letter, the...
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Chapter 24
...At a stoplight, he gets out and approaches a beautiful woman, saying, “Fit-fit, sibi Takaru?” Halyard tries to apologize, but the woman takes the Shah’s arm and gets into the limousine....
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...woman starts crying, explaining that she’s not used to getting in the car with strangers. Halyard tells her they’ll drop her off somewhere, but she insists on “going through with it.”...
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Halyard is appalled that the woman’s husband would put her in such a precarious situation just...
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Chapter 28
...their way out of the bar to speak privately. On their way out, though, Doctor Halyard stops them to introduce himself. He is at Cornell to take the physical education test....
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After Halyard skims the letter and awkwardly leaves, Roseberry turns to Buck and asks whether or not...
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Chapter 33
Halyard rides through Ilium with the Shah and Khashdrahr, who can sense that his social status...
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...to his neck and forces him to keep driving the limousine through the angry mob. Halyard tells him to go to the courthouse, but when they arrive, they find the building...
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Before the Ghost Shirts leave, two of them yank open the limousine door and knock Halyard unconscious. When he regains consciousness, the limousine is parked in front of the local bar,...
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Chapter 35
The sun rises over Ilium, which is littered with broken machinery. Halyard wakes up on the floor of the limousine to find Finnerty driving the four leaders...
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