Author 

• BORN: 1874, Paris, France 

• DIED: 1965, Nice, France. 

• The story published in 1924, filmed in 1950. 

    Setting 

• Took place on an ocean-going liner. 

•  WWI just ended. 

• The accommodation was very difficult.

     Characters

•  Mr. Gray – the narrator: reserved, frigid, closed-minded 

• Mr. Kelada – Mr. Know-All: chatty, hearty, pushy, self-confident, argumentative 

• Mr. Ramsay: dogmatic, boorish 

• Mrs. Ramsay: a pretty little thing, modest, has the effect of a quiet distinction

      Plot 

•   Reserved Mr. Gray (Wilfred Hyde-White) finds himself forced to share a cabin on a liner with the hearty, pushy, supremely self-confident gem dealer Max Kelada (Nigel Patrick) who is not an ideally typical English gentleman. Kelada, however, dominates all the onboard social gatherings, much to the annoyance of his fellow passengers, who call him "Mr. Know- All”, which he takes as a compliment, because of his insistence that he is an expert on all subjects. 

•  One night, he remarks on the fine quality of the pearl necklace worn by the pretty Mrs. Ramsay (Anne Crawford), who has rejoined her husband ( Naunton Wayne) after a two-year separation caused by his work.

•  Mr. Ramsay bets him that the pearls are imitation; Kelada swiftly accepts the wager, despite Mrs. Ramsay's attempt to call it off. While examining the pearls, Kelada notices that the woman shows abject fright. He then pretentiously admits that he was wrong and pays Mr. Ramsay. • Afterwards, back in their cabin, Gray and Kelada are surprised when a banknote is slipped under their door. Gray then knows the truth: the pearls are real and very costly. Kelada adds that he would not have left such an attractive wife alone for that long. Gray begins to like his cabin-mate.

Irony 

• Whereas usually, a decent act adds to one’s reputation, Mr. Kelada’s decent act lessens his reputation.

•  Mr. Kelada who apparently lacks sensitivity to other people is sensitive to Mrs. Ramsay more than her husband is.

•  Mr. Kelada is a real “Know-All”, from all subjects to the understanding of a woman’s feelings neglected by her husband, and sacrificing his pride to save a marriage of two acquaintances.

Meaning

•  Not to judge people by their appearances. 

• Not to let prejudices and closed-mindedness defer us to see good qualities and characters in other people.

•  If we look beyond racial, cultural differences, and look at human qualities, we are able to like those who are even quite different from us.