I Want Something in a Cage

Chapter Summary

The story ‘I Want Something in a Cage’ revolves around Mr Purcell who runs a pet shop. There in the shop had many types of pets like various birds, monkeys, fish and many more. Mr Purcell also sold the cages of the pets the seeds for the birds and food for the fish. There in his shop always remained the noises of the various birds and many types of animals. The noises of the various animals always filled the environment of the shop. Many customers came to the shop of Mr Purcell every day. They also loved the environment of the shop and the sounds of the animals in the shop. The customers always showed hearty love to the animals in the shop and called the pets cute.

Mr Purcell loved his job from the core of his heart and always did his job professionally. He devoted his whole life for look after and caring for the animals and pets in his shop. Not only he sold the pets and their cages but also he sold the seeds for the birds and food for the fish. Besides this, he also prescribed medicines and remedies for the sickly animals. Mr Purcell wore a large magnifying glass in his eyes.

The author compared him to an owl for his type of looks. Mr Purcell had a daily routine of work after the opening of his shop and he did those works very carefully. Whenever the customers came into his shop, the bell that was over the door of the shop was jingled. The customers who came into his shop did not ever mind the sound. One day in hostile weather a strange man came into Mr Purcell’s shop. The dresses that the man wore were villainously fitting to him. His eyes were always unsteady. But it did not seem very vivid what the man wanted. He wanted something in the cage.

The man was a prisoner who just had been freed from jail. So he wanted to give the taste of freedom to a caged animal. After that, suddenly he saw a pair of doves that he wanted to buy. He wanted to buy the doves, not for his love for those birds but he wanted to free them into the sky. Therefore, he bought the doves with a cage and as soon as he went out of the shop he freed the doves from the cage. Mr Purcell watched all the matters and felt very insulted.

Mr Purcell compared to an Owl

Mr Purcell was a shopkeeper of the pets. He looks like a small man, fussy; red cheeks and tight, melon stomach. He always wore a glass in his eyes that magnified his pair of eyes. For this type of his look, Mr Purcell appeared as a wise and genial owl to the readers.

What does ‘it’ refer to in – “Mr Purcell heard it no more than he would have heard the monotonous ticking of a familiar clock?”

Mr Purcell ran a pet shop for years. There were various types of birds and animals in his pet shop. There remain different types of sounds in his shop that filled the environment of the shop for all the days. The sounds were like the chirping, squeaking, and mewing of the various birds and animals. So here in the story, it refers to those sounds of the animals and the birds.

Why did the man set the doves free?

One day a strange man came into the pet shop of Mr Purcell. The man wanted to buy something from the shop but he could not make decide what he bought. At last, he bought two doves with a cage. But as soon as he went out of the shop he set the dove free to the open sky. Actually, the man was a prisoner who just had been freed from jail. So he knew the taste of the joy of freedom. He wanted that the doves also should feel the taste of freedom. So he set them free from the cage.

Why Mr Purcell felt vaguely insulted?

A strange man who came to the pet shop of Mr Purcell bought two doves with a cage. After he bought those two doves, Mr Purcell started to advise the man about how to cherish and care for the doves and about feeding the doves. But the man showed any interest to listen to the advice of Mr Purcell. As soon as he went out of the shop he set the doves free from the cage to the open sky. Mr Purcell watched all the matters and felt vaguely insulted.

The atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop

The atmosphere of Mr Purcell’s shop might be cheerful for a few people and it might also be depressing for others. It always remains cheerful to those people who love pets from the core of their hearts and want to stay with them all day. On the other side, this type of atmosphere might be depressing for those who never want to stay with the animals and birds and does not love their appearance.

The stranger who came to the pet shop

Mr Purcell had a shop for pets. One day a strange man came into the shop. The man wore shiny shoes and a suit that was cheap. The dresses that the man wore were villainously fitting to him. His hair was closely cropped and he unsteadily looked at all the things present in the shop.

At first, the man could not decide what he wanted to buy from this shop. But finally, he wanted to buy two doves within a cage.

Man insisted on buying the doves because he was fond of birds

The man wanted to buy the doves, not for his love for them but he wanted to free them into the open sky to give them the taste of freedom.

The man was a prisoner who just had been freed from jail. The amount five dollars, earned through the hard work that he did in jail for long ten years.

FAQs

Q1. Why does the strange man have not any interest in the advice of Mr Purcell?

Ans . Mr Purcell advised the person about the nourishing of the doves. But the man has no interest in the advice because he bought the doves, not for his love for them but he wanted to free them.

Q2. How did Mr Purcell look?

Ans. Mr Purcell owned a pet shop. He was a small, fussy man with red cheeks and tight, melon stomach. He always wore a magnifying glass in his eyes.

Q3. What did Mr Purcell sell in his shop?

Ans . Mr Purcell had a pet shop where he sold various birds and animals. Besides them, he also sold cages and food or seed for those animals and birds.