The Day the
Dam Broke
Introduction
The Day the Dam Broke is a
fascinating, captivating, remarkable humorous story written by the great
American humorist James Groves Thurber. He has written a number of witty and
humorous articles.
In this story, the writer has
depicted the mob mentality with great dexterity. He has narrated the
experiences of his Aunt Edith Taylor and his own experiences about the “Great
Run” of the afternoon in Columbus city. This short story is a good example of
Thurber’s sardonic but affectionate view of human behavior.
“Humor is an emotional chaos recollected in tranquility.”
- James Thurber
- James Thurber
Summary
James Thurber recalls an interesting
incident of his early childhood when he lived in Columbus City, situated near
the Ohio River in the U.S.A. All of a sudden, on March 12, 1913 a rumor spread
that the River Ohio was in flood and the water would rush towards the city as
the dam had broken. The people became panicky after hearing the rumor and came
out on the High Street. They started running towards the East for safety with
out confirming the news about the flood. In calamity ever rumor is believed.
Men, Women and children were running helter-skelter towards the East.
Normal business was going on in the
market, but when the rumor spread about the flood, the people who were busy in
selling and buying, started to run in utter confusion for saving their lives.
Two thousand people were abruptly in full right. Go East! Go East! The Dam has
Broke was the clarion cry, being heard everywhere.
The writer’s aunt Edith Taylor was in
a movie theatre, she wrote:
“When I reached Grant Avenue, I was so spent that Dr. H.P Mallory
passed me, there was a boy behind him on roller-skates and Dr. Mallory mistook
the swishing of the skates for the sound of rushing water. He eventually
reached the Columbus School for Girls where he collapsed.”
The panic-stricken people ran out for
safety leaving fires burning and food cooking and doors wide open. Some of the
people covered the distance 12 miles in order to save their lives. At last the
military men riding through the city in motor-lorries announced that the news
about the flood was false and that the dam had not broken. At first the
announcement added to the confusion and increased the panic, for many stampedes
the militiamen were announcing, The Dam has now Broken! Thus setting an
official seal of authentication on the calamity. But after repeated
announcements the misunderstanding was removed and order was restored. The
people heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that the dame had not broken.
The people returned to their homes and started their normal business the next
day, but they did not joke about the happenings of the previous day. It is
rightly said:
“How much have cost us the evils that never happened.”
- Jeferson
Conclusion
This story is a good study of human behavior.
It shows that men lose all there wit and wisdom in a panic. In fact, this
humorous story is also a satire on human follies.
“The mob has many heads but no brains.”
- Rivarol
Through all the funny references
Thurber has tried to point out that all of us no matter how serious and sober,
behave in one and the same idiotic manner when we are thrown in a trying
situation
“Stuffing the ear with false report.”
- William Shakespeare
Thurber has presented, in this story,
his sardonic but affectionate view of life. It is a commendable effort to tell
something serious through fun and laughter. But in fact the author has tried to
study human characters thrown in difficult and trying circumstances because:
“Man alone suffered so cruelly in the world that he was compelled to
invent laughter.”
- Nietzche
- Nietzche
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