Major Themes

River

George made to work

Harris assigns work to George and says that for a change George should work as a change is good for everyone. George is given the tow-line (a rope to tow the boat). J thinks that to work with a tow-line is not an easy task as it gets entangled very easily. Moreover, the person at the bank thinks that the fault lies with the man who rolled it up; and the man up the river thinks that the man on the bank created the mess.

Funny incidents of towing a boat

J narrates some funny incidents related to towing of  boats. One of the most common and funny, he says, is of two towers walking briskly and having a deep animated conversation while the man in the boat is shouting and shrieking to stop them. Another incident cited by George was that of a young-man and a young-woman who towed a wrong boat while they were in a thoughtful sadness. So, the narrator suggests that it is always bette…