Deception In Roald Dahl's Man From The South

When one has mastered the art of deception, one can almost do anything one wants. If one is also ruthless, one will become a dangerous person. In Roald Dahl’s “Man From the South”, Carlos, a man with a gambling addiction persuades an American sailor to bet on a game that Carlos will offer his Cadillac against the sailor’s little finger. Carlos bets that the sailor cannot ignite his cigarette lighter ten times in succession. Carlos almost wins the bet, and in a nick of time, Carlos’ companion reveals his trickery and his ruthlessness to collect fingers. Through his deception and ruthlessness, Carlos is able to make a game that will physically hurt the sailor. One must not be fooled but others appearance because people might have hidden intentions.

Deception is the act of making someone think one thing, but the truth is the opposite. The narrator is sitting poolside in his Jamaican hotel when he notices Carlos expensive suit and fancy hat: “He (is) immaculately dressed in a white suit [...] He (has) on a large creamy Panama hat” (Dahl 55). Carlos’ outfit appeals to the sailor, and he surmises that Carlos must be a flashy and wealthy man. When Carlos offers the bet that if the American can light his lighter ten in a row, the American will win his car. In return, if the American loses, he must lose his little finger. Carlos impresses the sailor when he says : “I am rich man and I am sporting man also. Listen to me. Outside de hotel is my car”(Dahl 58). Again, he is showing how deceptive he is by saying he is rich and bragging about his car. His appearance tricks the sailor into accepting the bet. Carlos knows how to use deception and uses it to bait people into risking their