Bitch (short story)
Encyclopedia
"Bitch" is a short story
written by Roald Dahl
and is part of his short story collection Switch Bitch
. It was originally published in the July 1974 issue of Playboy
. It is the second appearance of Dahl's character Uncle Oswald
.
on a Wednesday. At the start of the diary entry, Dahl's fictitious Uncle Oswald was trying a new honey sent by his friend when someone by the name of Henri Biotte called him and told him to go over to the latter's house. Uncle Oswald then introduces Henri Biotte in a flashback
, whom he met 3 years ago in Provence
where he went to spend a summer weekend with a lady. Biotte was a fellow guest in Provence like Uncle Oswald.
It is then discovered that Biotte was a Belgian
olfactory chemist
with an amazing sense of smell. He approached Uncle Oswald with the intention of asking for funding to continue his research
and cultivation of the 8th and last smell that humans are supposedly able to sense. Biotte said that humans have a total of 8 types of olfactory nerves and cells, but only 7 of them are used actively, while the last one is dormant due to lack of use. He wanted to cultivate a smell to unlock the last nerve in the hope of using it to control the world. The last smell is the smell related to the sexual psychology
of humans.
Biotte then goes on to explain the system of smell to Uncle Oswald.
The flashback ends with Uncle Oswald reaching Biotte's laboratory. Biotte had finally cultivated the wanted smell called Bitch, named by both the author and himself. However, only a minute amount is produced. After lending him some nose plugs and a face mask, Pierre Lacaille, a boxer that Biotte hired to be a test subject turns up. The desired result of this test is that the male gets aroused by the new smell and unconsciously has sex with the female test subject Simone (Biotte's assistant and girlfriend) without exhaustion and control until the effects wear off. Biotte must also not be able to stop the male from continuing the sexual intercourse
as a desired result. The test is successful and the boxer is paid. However, the boxer was not able to recall doing anything for the past 6 minutes when he was having sex with the female. The effective distance of the smell was also recorded. The smell is ineffective on a female.
The next morning, the author discovered that Simone had sprayed herself with the remaining dose of Bitch and having had Biotte smell her, he erupted into a sexual frenzy that killed him before he could write out the formula of the smell. He had a weak heart
, which caused him to die easily. As the formula was not written down, the author was left with only 1 cc of the liquid that Biotte had given him the previous day. He decided to make full use of it and humiliate the President of the United States of America
His plan was to plant a capsule made by his friend Marcel Brossolet around the ribbon of a stalk of flowers meant for Mrs Elvira Ponsomby. She will be appearing on television with the President regarding a policy statement at a dinner given in his honor by the Daughters of the American Revolution
in the ballroom of Waldorf Astoria. The author would first buy a bouquet of orchids from a local florist. He would then hide his capsule beneath the ribbon holding the flowers together. He would deliver it to Mrs Ponsomby's suite
with the claim that it is for the President. During the broadcast, the capsule will burst open and the liquid will flow into Mrs Ponsomby's bosom. The President will be aroused by the smell and begin having sex with all the females present, leading to his humiliation.
When the author went to Mrs Ponsomby's suite to deliver the flowers, she decided to wear the flowers on her dress. However, she had to unpin the smaller flower pinned onto her dress. Due to her being incredibly fat with a huge bosom, she had difficulty doing it. After getting the author to remove the smaller flower, they discovered that they did not have another safety pin
to attach the orchids. Finally, Mrs Ponsomby decided to use the safety pin from the first flower and before the author could stop her, she drove it into the stalk of the orchids, bursting the capsule hidden there unintentionally.
The author was affected by the smell and for a few minutes, he was in a trance-like state and was hallucinating. He was in a psychedelic
mood. When he woke up, the suite was in a big mess and he was naked. The story ends with Mrs Ponsomby telling the author that he has done her a power of good, having just had heavy sexual activity with her. The author was not happy as Mrs Ponsomby was exceptionally fat.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
and is part of his short story collection Switch Bitch
Switch Bitch
Switch Bitch is a 1974 short story collection for adults by Roald Dahl. The book is made up of four stories: "The Visitor," "The Great Switcheroo," "The Last Act," and "Bitch"....
. It was originally published in the July 1974 issue of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
. It is the second appearance of Dahl's character Uncle Oswald
Uncle Oswald
Uncle Oswald is a literary character, born in 1895, created by Roald Dahl, who features in the short stories "The Visitor" and "Bitch" and the novel My Uncle Oswald....
.
Plot summary
This story starts with Dahl introducing his Uncle Oswald's diary. He then goes on to the story, which begins in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on a Wednesday. At the start of the diary entry, Dahl's fictitious Uncle Oswald was trying a new honey sent by his friend when someone by the name of Henri Biotte called him and told him to go over to the latter's house. Uncle Oswald then introduces Henri Biotte in a flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
, whom he met 3 years ago in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
where he went to spend a summer weekend with a lady. Biotte was a fellow guest in Provence like Uncle Oswald.
It is then discovered that Biotte was a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
olfactory chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
with an amazing sense of smell. He approached Uncle Oswald with the intention of asking for funding to continue his research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and cultivation of the 8th and last smell that humans are supposedly able to sense. Biotte said that humans have a total of 8 types of olfactory nerves and cells, but only 7 of them are used actively, while the last one is dormant due to lack of use. He wanted to cultivate a smell to unlock the last nerve in the hope of using it to control the world. The last smell is the smell related to the sexual psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
of humans.
Biotte then goes on to explain the system of smell to Uncle Oswald.
The flashback ends with Uncle Oswald reaching Biotte's laboratory. Biotte had finally cultivated the wanted smell called Bitch, named by both the author and himself. However, only a minute amount is produced. After lending him some nose plugs and a face mask, Pierre Lacaille, a boxer that Biotte hired to be a test subject turns up. The desired result of this test is that the male gets aroused by the new smell and unconsciously has sex with the female test subject Simone (Biotte's assistant and girlfriend) without exhaustion and control until the effects wear off. Biotte must also not be able to stop the male from continuing the sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
as a desired result. The test is successful and the boxer is paid. However, the boxer was not able to recall doing anything for the past 6 minutes when he was having sex with the female. The effective distance of the smell was also recorded. The smell is ineffective on a female.
The next morning, the author discovered that Simone had sprayed herself with the remaining dose of Bitch and having had Biotte smell her, he erupted into a sexual frenzy that killed him before he could write out the formula of the smell. He had a weak heart
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
, which caused him to die easily. As the formula was not written down, the author was left with only 1 cc of the liquid that Biotte had given him the previous day. He decided to make full use of it and humiliate the President of the United States of America
His plan was to plant a capsule made by his friend Marcel Brossolet around the ribbon of a stalk of flowers meant for Mrs Elvira Ponsomby. She will be appearing on television with the President regarding a policy statement at a dinner given in his honor by the Daughters of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in the ballroom of Waldorf Astoria. The author would first buy a bouquet of orchids from a local florist. He would then hide his capsule beneath the ribbon holding the flowers together. He would deliver it to Mrs Ponsomby's suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
with the claim that it is for the President. During the broadcast, the capsule will burst open and the liquid will flow into Mrs Ponsomby's bosom. The President will be aroused by the smell and begin having sex with all the females present, leading to his humiliation.
When the author went to Mrs Ponsomby's suite to deliver the flowers, she decided to wear the flowers on her dress. However, she had to unpin the smaller flower pinned onto her dress. Due to her being incredibly fat with a huge bosom, she had difficulty doing it. After getting the author to remove the smaller flower, they discovered that they did not have another safety pin
Safety pin
A safety pin is a simple fastening device, a variation of the regular pin which includes a simple spring mechanism and a clasp. The clasp serves two purposes: to form a closed loop thereby properly fastening the pin to whatever it is applied to, and to cover the end of the pin to protect the user...
to attach the orchids. Finally, Mrs Ponsomby decided to use the safety pin from the first flower and before the author could stop her, she drove it into the stalk of the orchids, bursting the capsule hidden there unintentionally.
The author was affected by the smell and for a few minutes, he was in a trance-like state and was hallucinating. He was in a psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
mood. When he woke up, the suite was in a big mess and he was naked. The story ends with Mrs Ponsomby telling the author that he has done her a power of good, having just had heavy sexual activity with her. The author was not happy as Mrs Ponsomby was exceptionally fat.