Laura by Saki
"Laura" by Saki (H.H. Munro) is a short story structured in three distinct parts that revolves around the themes of reincarnation and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. The narrative begins with Laura discussing her belief in reincarnation with her friend, Amanda, sharing her expectation that after her imminent death, she will be transformed into an appealing animal, such as an otter. As the story progresses, Laura's prediction comes true when she dies, prompting Amanda to confront a series of uncanny events involving an otter that seems to mimic Laura's past behavior and targets Amanda’s husband, Egbert. The otter's antics culminate in its death at the hands of hounds, leaving Amanda in a state of guilt and nervous breakdown.
In the final segment, while on holiday in Egypt, Amanda dismisses the otter's actions as coincidence, only to be confronted again by a situation that evokes memories of Laura's mischievousness through the antics of "a little beast of a naked brown Nubian boy." This story explores Amanda’s evolving belief in Laura’s theory, transitioning from skepticism to a paralyzing conviction. The connections between the characters, particularly the complex relationship between Laura, Amanda, and Egbert, introduce intriguing questions about familial ties and motivations, which remain ambiguous throughout the narrative. "Laura" invites readers to reflect on themes of belief, guilt, and the nature of relationships amid an unsettling backdrop of supernatural implications.
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Laura by Saki
First published: 1912
Type of plot: Wit and humor
Time of work: The early twentieth century
Locale: England and Cairo
Principal Characters:
Laura , an English woman who is reincarnatedAmanda , her confidanteEgbert , Amanda's irritating husband
The Story
"Laura" is a story in three parts. The first part consists entirely of a conversation between Laura and her friend (or possibly relation) Amanda, in which Laura expresses her belief that once she has died—which she expects to happen in about three days—she will be reincarnated in some shape appropriate to her nature and her behavior in previous lives. She thinks that her present life has probably earned for her demotion to the status of an animal, but an attractive animal, such as an otter; and that her behavior as an otter may earn for her promotion back to a "primitive" rank of humanity, such as being "a little, brown unclothed Nubian boy."
Amanda is reluctant to believe any of this, but the first part of Laura's prediction comes true, in that she dies on time, indeed slightly early. In the second stage of the story, Amanda is brought to complete belief in Laura's theory by the depredations of a marauding otter, which does exactly the kind of irritating things that Laura did when she was alive, and which seems to be conducting a vendetta against Amanda's husband, Egbert, with human skill and foreknowledge. This stage ends with the killing of the otter by an imported pack of hounds, and Amanda's collapse from nervous prostration—evidently caused by her guilt at having taken part in a kind of murder.
The third stage of the story functions almost as a coda. Amanda has been taken on a holiday to Egypt and has recovered, now dismissing the otter episode as mere coincidence. Then she hears her husband yelling in rage at some malignant prankster who, like Laura and the otter, knows exactly how to irritate him most. Who is the culprit? "A little beast of a naked brown Nubian boy." With that Amanda relapses.
In a sense, the center of the story is Amanda's growing conviction, which the reader is invited to share. She moves from utter doubt of Laura's theory (in itself mildly preposterous), to fear that it may be true, to total and crippling belief. Around this center, though, there are several unexpected questions. The reader is told that Laura's motivation in all of her shapes is dislike of Amanda's husband Egbert. Egbert, however, is never more than irritated by the killing of his hens or the spoiling of his shirts. Laura's true victim is Amanda, who appears to be, if not her friend, at least someone to whom she talks. Why is Amanda singled out? How are the two ladies connected? They do not seem to be related, for Amanda can ask cautiously if there is madness in Laura's family, like someone who does not know, but Laura certainly lives in Amanda's house. Conceivably they are relatives by marriage, in which case the animosity of Egbert and Laura could be familiar, familial, even that of brother and sister, while the handling of Amanda would contain a touch of scorn or contempt. This is left unexplained, however, like so much in the story—the nature of Laura's illness, the mechanics of the metamorphoses, and the source of Laura's insight.