The climax arrives with a devastating twist. After Dr. Ganderbai finally manages to lift the sheet with a special hook—no snake is there. There never was a snake. The krait exists only in Harry Pope’s hysterical imagination.
But Dahl adds a final, brutal layer. Instead of relief, Pope explodes in racist fury. He accuses Dr. Ganderbai of incompetence and mockery, screaming:
“You… you educated filthy Indian… You shouldn’t be allowed to touch a white man.” roald dahl poison pdf
The real “poison,” Dahl reveals, is not the reptile’s venom but the poison of prejudice festering inside Harry Pope.
Set in colonial India during the British Raj, the story is narrated by a British man named Harry Pope. He calls his friend Timber Woods to his bungalow one night, claiming a poisonous krait (a small, deadly snake) has slithered onto his stomach and is lying still under his bedsheet. The climax arrives with a devastating twist
Timber and a local doctor, Dr. Ganderbai, attempt to help. Dr. Ganderbai prepares a serum and carefully cuts away the sheet to expose the snake. After intense, sweaty minutes of searching, they find no snake at all. The story ends with Harry screaming that Dr. Ganderbai’s hands smell of chloroform — an accusation implying racist paranoia. Dr. Ganderbai leaves quietly, deeply insulted.
“Poison” is often read as a critique of British colonial arrogance. Dr. Ganderbai is clearly more rational and competent than Harry, yet Harry — even while helpless — sees himself as superior. The “snake” functions as a symbol for the British fear of the “other” in colonial spaces. By the end, the real poison is Harry’s own prejudice. “You… you educated filthy Indian… You shouldn’t be
| Title | Author | Why It’s Helpful | |-------|--------|-----------------| | The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (also by Roald Dahl) | Roald Dahl | Shows another of his dark, twist‑laden short stories. | | A Little History of the World (Chapter on colonial India) | H.G. Wells | Provides historical context for the setting. | | Postcolonial Short Stories: An Anthology | Various | Offers scholarly essays that can be used to frame a deeper analysis of “Poison.” | | The Psychology of Fear | Various (e.g., Michael G. A. 2020) | Useful for linking the story’s theme of fear to psychological research. |
| Element | Details |
|---------|---------|
| Setting | A hot, humid night in colonial India (the story is told from the perspective of a British officer, Harry Pope). |
| Main Characters | Harry Pope – the nervous officer who believes a snake is on his chest.
Dr. Ganderbai – the Indian doctor who tries to help. |
| Inciting Incident | Pope feels a “creeping” sensation on his chest and becomes convinced a krait (a highly venomous snake) is lying there. |
| Rising Action | Pope calls for help; Dr. Ganderbai arrives with a lamp, a torch, a blanket, and a small knife. They wait in tense silence while Pope tries to keep still. |
| Climax | After a long, suspenseful wait, the doctor finally lifts the blanket—nothing is there. |
| Resolution | Pope is embarrassed and angry, accusing the doctor of a trick. The doctor calmly replies that the “poison” was actually Pope’s own fear and that he will have to “take his medicine” by confronting it. |
| Theme | Fear can be more deadly than any actual poison; the story explores colonial attitudes, prejudice, and the psychological power of anxiety. |