Lord Dunsany's work The Book of Wonder implicitly criticizes twentieth-century life and society. His short story The Hoard of Gibbelins seems to play on human selfishness and greed. Alderic, the main character, superficially acts as the storybook hero. His popularity among the townspeople, however, is founded entirely on their own desire for the Gibbelin's riches.
Now there was great rejoicing at the rumor of Alderic's quest, for all folk knew that he was a cautious man, and they deemed that he would succeed and enrich the world, and they rubbed their hands in the cities at the thought of largesse; and there was joy among all men in Alderic's country. . . And there was rejoicing because men hoped that when the Gibbelins were robbed of their hoard, they would shatter their high-built bridge and break the golden chains that bound them to the world. . . There was little love for the Gibbelins, though the men envied their hoard.
So they all cheered, that day when he mounted his dragon, as though he was already a conqueror, and what pleased them more than the good that they hoped he would do to the world was that he scattered gold as he rode away; for he would not need it, he said, if he found the Gibbelins' hoard, and he would not need it more if he smoked on the Gibbelins' table.
The abrupt conclusion of the tale condemning Alderic to a simple and unexpected death differs from most fantasy works wherein the hero triumphs in the end. "And, without saying a word, or even smiling, they neatly hanged him on the outer wall." Dunsany's sinister departure from traditional fantasy writing forces the reader to leave behind their expectations for the hero, and reassess his morals and intentions. Further analysis of the text reveals Alderic's disregarded greed and corruption. Although Alderic exhibits the courage and bravery characteristic of a storybook hero, he lacks the typical altruism and moral honesty. He bases his quest on his desire for the emeralds after he "pondered so long upon the Gibbelins' hoard that by now he deemed it his." The townspeople consider him a hero for his courage even though his intentions seemed cruel and corrupt. Furthermore, by exposing the greed of the anticipated hero and his followers, Dunsany reveals the inherent avarice in men.
Questions
The townspeople are quick to commend and admire Alderic. Why do they do this if he is simply planning to steal the Gibbelins riches? Are the townspeople governed by greed as well? What makes Alderic a believable hero?
Is assuming that this story is commentary on human morality reading too far into the text? If so, what is the purpose and effect of the unexpected ending? What does this ending suggest about paying for your sins? Religion?
What role do the Gibbelins play? Do they represent anything in particular? Greed in general? Are they corrupt, or just hungry?
Why is "or even smiling" in italics? How does this change the sentence?
Last modified 5 April 2004