*Topic: Two Gentlemen of Verona*
Author: Archibald Joseph Cronin
Genre: Prose
Themes: Love, sacrifice, sincerity, devotion and maturity
*Characters:* - Nicola- Jacopo- Lucia- The Narrator (A.J. Cronin)- Luigi
*Synopsis:*
- Introduction
- Two boys of Verona
- Next meeting of the narrator
- Waiting for the last bus
- Visit to Poleta
- An unexpected story
- Conclusion
*Introduction:*
A.J. Cronin was a Scottish novelist, dramatist and physician. He wrote a number of novels and
short stories. His short story "Two Gentlemen of Verona" is about how two sincere and selfless
young boys face hardships for the treatment of their sister suffering from tuberculosis of the
spine.
*Two boys of Verona:*
One day, the narrator and his companion were driving through the foothills of Alps. They were
stopped by two young boys (Nicola and Jacopo) who were selling wild strawberries on the
outskirts of Verona. The boys looked decent and attractive by their behaviour but they were not
dressed properly. Though the narrator warned the narrator not to buy strawberates, he bought the
biggest basket from them.
"You will get much better fruit in Verona. Besides, these boys....."
Next meeting of the narrator:
The next morning, the narrator found the boys sitting in a public square. When he asked, the boys
told him that besides selling fruit and shining shoes, they worked as tour guides. Then they
proved extremely useful to the narrator and his companion. They could buy a pack of American
cigarette or a ticket for the opera. They could be relied upon to satisfy his needs.
"Often we show visitors through the town...... to Juliet's tomb...... and other places of interest."
Waiting for the last bus:
One night the narrator saw both the brothers resting on the stone pavement. It was nearly
midnight. Nicola told the narrator that they were waiting for the last bus from Padua to sell their
unsold newspaper. The narrator thought that they must earn quite a lot and perhaps they were
saving up to immigrate to America. But the boys did not want to discuss anything on this topic.
"You must be saving up to emigrate to America," I suggested."
Visit to Poleta
The narrator told the boys that they would leave Verona on Monday. He asked the boys if he
could do anything for them before leaving. The younger one asked the narrator to drive both the
boys to Poleta, 20 kilometers away from there. He added that they could visit the place every
Sunday. The narrator agreed and drove himself both the boys to their destination. Their
destination was a large-roofed villa, surrounded by a high stone wall. When they reached the
destination, the boys asked the narrator to wait for an hour. And then they disappeared beyond
the corner of the wall.
"However, I answered, 'I'll drive you out myself'"
An unexpected story:
After a few minutes, the narrator followed them with curiosity. There he met a nurse. He enquired
the nurse about the boys. The nurse told him that the boys were there to meet their sister (Lucia).
She added that their father, a well-known singer, had been killed in the early part of the war. She
told that a bomb had wrecked their house and thrown the three children into the streets. They
built their own bands amidst the rubble. They hated the Germans who brought all these troubles.
When the resistance movement was formed secretly, they were among the first to join. When the
war was over, they came to see their sister suffering from tuberculosis. Due to that, the boys
were earning to pay the fee of hospital regularly since 12 months.
"There is every hope that one day she will walk and sing -again "
*Conclusion:*
The narrator was shocked to know the story of the boys and their sister and then he hurriedly
came out from the hospital. He waited outside until the boys rejoined him. He drove them back to
the city. The boys sat beside him and spoke nothing. The narrator also did not say a word to
them. He felt that the boys had kept this as a secret. He thought that their devotion brought a
new nobility to human life and gave a new hope for humanity.
"Their selfless action gave promise of a greater hope for human society."
*Moral:* Love is all about sacrifice and selflessness