Critical Analysis of The Telegraph Relay Station
Critical Analysis of "The Telegraph Relay Station"
The Telegraph Relay Station, a short story written by Norman Lavers, focuses on the plight of a stranded traveler. The traveler, referred to as the narrator in this essay, is stranded for the winter in a telegraph relay station. His only companion is the operator of the station who teaches him Morse code. When the narrator learns that the operator has been tampering with messages and has created his own little world, the narrator is shocked. He is appalled that the operator could interfere with so many people’s lives with such ease. The narrator is quick to point out the operator’s mistake. Realizing his error, the operator disappears into the blinding snow. The narrator is left alone to transmit messages. Shortly after the operator’s departure, the narrator finds himself considering whether or not a message should be changed. Soon, he is altering messages and has created his own world; he abandons his role as the created and becomes the creator. In this paper, I plan to show that the evolution of thought and actions of the narrator demonstrate that though the narrator acknowledges and respects the existence of some divine being whose role is to control the world and its destiny, when presented with the opportunity to exercise that same power, he cannot resist the temptation of wielding that absolute power over a human life.
The narrator is not happy about being trapped in the relay station, but the lonely host is obviously thrilled to have company. The two make small talk to pass their time and the operator, eager to have a companion, “cannot seem to stop talking” (651). Eventually, the narrator begins to read the only material available in the station: a Bible, which the host has wrapped in a cloth package. The Bible is described by the narrator as a “true treasure” (652) that holds a “whole great nation’s compendium of wisdom and philosophy and morality” (652-3). His description and the reverence he shows toward the Bible shows that he cherishes it, believes its content, and believes in God (“such is the state of my spiritual nature”) (653). From the outset, the narrator acknowledges that there is a higher being that has the world under His control.
The first passage from the...