Summary of Somerset Maugham’s The Verger

Introduction

            Somerset Maugham is a famous English writer.  He has written many novels and short stories.  This short story is about a verger, who is an illiterate.  This story shows how an illiterate man can earn more money and wealth, because of his smart thinking.

Introduction of the Verger

Albert Edward is a verger of a small church.  A verger is someone who takes care of the church.  Albert has been working in the church for a long time.  He takes care of the church very well.  He takes great care of his uniform.  The story opens with the end of christening ceremony in the church.  The verger waits for the vicar to move, but the vicar is staying there. 

The Past and the Present Vicar

            The vicar of the church has taken his position in the recent past.  He is new to the church and to the position.  The verger is not comfortable with the new vicar.  He considers the old vicar as someone better than the new one.  The old vicar had never complained him and had always been good to him.  Though the new vicar is good in controlling the child who has come to christening, the verger is not comfortable with him and his manners.

Happenings between the Vicar and the Verger

            The vicar calls the verger to his office.  Two wardens of the church also come to the vicar’s office.  The vicar says that he and the church management are not comfortable with the performance of the verger.  They consider him an illiterate, who cannot read and write.  The two wardens support the vicar.  The verger is helpless.

Verger’s Illiteracy

            The verger accepts the fact that he is an illiterate.  He had joined the church when he was twelve and had not attempted to educate himself since then.  The previous vicar did not mind about his education.  The verger is also able to execute his job in the best way possible, even without proper education.  He assures the new vicar that he can continue to do his job well.

Verger Coming out of the Church

            The vicar and the wardens do not accept his plea.  They almost threaten the verger.  Out of compulsion and repulsion, the verger moves out of the church.  He resigns his job as a verger.  He is confused about the future.  He does not know how to earn his living thereafter.  In utter confusion, he takes an unusual road to his house.  He is hopeless.

Verger a Wealthy Man

            After sometime, he finds that he has taken the wrong route.  He is frustrated and he wants to ease himself.  He approaches a few shops and asks for a cigarette.  No shop sells him a cigarette.  It is then he strikes with an idea of opening cigar shops.  He opens a shop where there are no shops.  His business throngs well.  He sells more cigars and he becomes wealthy.  Later he approaches a few other places where they do not sell cigars and he puts up a new shop there.  He becomes a prospective business man.  He becomes very wealthy.  He hoards more money in the bank.

Conclusion

            The verger deposits all his money in the bank.  One day the bank’s manager invites him for a meeting.  He informs the verger that he has save more than 10 thousand pounds in the bank.  This is a huge money.  The manger asks him to sign a few documents and the verger says that he is uneducated.  This surprises the manager and others.  They question him what he would have done if had not started this business.  The verger says that he would have remained a verger till the end of his life.