“I am going to die, and, like a poisoned rat, I wish to die alone.”
When Holly tells Vincey, “if you are as ill as you think, you had better let me fetch a doctor,” Vincey replies, “No, no… Promise me that you won’t. I am going to die, and, like a poisoned rat, I wish to die alone.” Vincey’s dying wish is ironic. Customarily, he would permit Holly to find a doctor since it could enhance his probabilities of living. Vincey’s ironic insistence on the aspiration to expire like a rat emphasises that he no longer sees value in existing. He is convinced that even if he were to subsist for long, he would not find utility in life considering that his love is death and according to him it is love which would make existence valuable.
The Comradeship between Holly and Vincey
Vincey “is the handsomest man in the University, and one of the nicest too. They call him ‘the Greek god’; but look at the other one, he’s Vincey’s (that’s the god’s name) guardian, and supposed to be full of every kind of information. They call him ‘Charon.’ Comparatively, Holly is “quite as interesting in his way as the glorified specimen of humanity at his side. He appeared to be about forty years of age, and was I think as ugly as his companion was handsome.” Their relationship is mysterious considering the ‘Handsome versus Ugly’ binary. Ordinarily, Vincey would be attracted to friends who are handsome instead of Holly who is categorically unappealing.
Besides, the two react divergently when in the company of females: “Presently, however, a stoutish lady, whose name I do not remember, came along the pavement, accompanied by a pretty fair-haired girl, and these two Mr. Vincey, who clearly knew them well, at once joined, walking off in their company. I remember being rather amused because of the change in the expression of the elder man, whose name I discovered was Holly, when he saw the ladies advancing. He suddenly stopped short in his talk, cast a reproachful look at his companion, and, with an abrupt nod to myself, turned and marched off alone across the street. I heard afterwards that he was popularly supposed to be as much afraid of a woman as most people are of a mad dog, which accounted for his precipitate retreat.” Evidently, Vincey and Holly are dissimilar individuals considering that Vincey embraces female company with ease whereas Holly is categorically scared of female company. Their different personalities accentuate the irony of their friendship. Nevertheless, the variances do not impact their acquaintance because it is transcendental. In this circumstance ugliness is unqualifiedly attracted to handsomeness.
