What Is the Main Message of "A Question of Trust"?
Theme of the Story
The theme of the story, ‘A Question of Trust’ is based on the robbery committed in a house at Shotover Grange. Two professional thieves come face to face while on the same mission of robbing a safe in the house. Both the burglars made a complete preparation to make the theft a big success. Horace Danby, the protagonist of the story was tricked by the other robber, which he realized much later. The real culprit in the story was the woman who pretended to be a member of the family living at Shotover Grange. Horace Danby believed her and indirectly helped her in robbing the jewels from the safe.
Summary of A Question of Trust Class 10 English
The story of ‘A Question of Trust’ Class 10 is a story of two burglars who wanted to rob the same safe. The protagonist of the story Horace Danby is the first burglar. He was fifty years old, unmarried, and a good man. He was a locksmith by profession and he was doing very well in his business. He also had two assistants to help him in his business. He was a good and respectable man but he was not completely honest.
He had a fascination for rare and expensive books. He bought them at any cost. In order to buy these books, he robbed one safe every year to earn extra money. He secretly bought the books he loved from an agent with the robbed money.
Horace Danby made thorough research and planned well before making a theft. All his previous robberies were completely successful. This time, he studied the house at Shotover Grange for two weeks. He studied every minute detail about the house like its rooms, electrical wiring, paths and its garden. The family was in London. He also observed that the two servants who looked after the house had gone out to the movies.
It was the perfect time to enter the house from behind the garden. Horace Danby took the key from the kitchen door hook. He put on the gloves and opened the door. He always wore gloves while robbing to ensure that he did not leave any fingerprint behind. As he entered the house, he was greeted by a small dog but Horace knew how to make friends with dogs. He arranged his tools carefully and cut-off the wires of the burglar alarm.
There was a big pot of flowers on the table, which was tickling his nose. He was allergic to certain kinds of flowers. He sneezed repeatedly. Horace Danby thought that his sneezing could create a hindrance in his mission. He buried his face in his handkerchief.
Suddenly, he heard the voice of a young lady from behind. She advised him to cure his allergy with special treatment. She spoke very kindly to Horace. She said that she was the wife of the owner of that house. She said that she came down to take out her jewels from the safe to wear them at the party that night. She said that she never expected a burglar at home. She threatened him to call the police. Horace Danby requested her to let him go home. He did not want to go to prison and also promised her that he would never sob again in his life.
The lady decided to let him go if he opened the safe for her. She said she wanted to take her jewellery from the safe but she forgot the passcode of the safe. Danby agreed to help her and opened the safe without wearing gloves. The lady got her jewellery and she let him go.
Horace Danby kept his promise to the young lady for two days. On the third day, he gave in to his temptation and decided to rob some other safe. Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to execute his plan because he was arrested by the policeman for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange.
The policeman found his fingerprints everywhere in the house and that they traced and arrested him. Horace Danby confessed that he had opened the safe but for the wife of the owner of the house. The owner’s wife who was sixty years old disapproved of the story. No one believed his story and he was sent to jail.
Horace Danby was serving his sentence as an assistant in the prison library. He often thought of the young lady who deceived him. It became clear that the real culprit was the lady in red who was a thief like Horace Danby.
About the Author - Victor Canning
Victor Canning was a famous British writer of novels and thrillers. His books are famous for their romances, mysteries, and unexpected thrilling climaxes.
FAQs on A Question of Trust Summary: Plot, Characters & Themes
1. What was Horace Danby's motive for robbing a safe every year?
Horace Danby's primary motive was his love for rare and expensive books. Although he was a successful locksmith, his business income was not enough to fund his passion. To supplement his income, he would meticulously plan and execute one safe robbery each year, using the stolen money to secretly purchase the books he desired through an agent.
2. What makes Horace Danby's character different from that of a typical criminal?
Horace Danby is not a typical criminal because he doesn't fit the hardened stereotype. He was a respectable, fifty-year-old man with a successful business as a locksmith. He wasn't driven by greed or malice; his thefts were carefully planned, infrequent, and solely aimed at financing his passion for rare books. He saw robbery as a means to an end, not a lifestyle, which contrasts sharply with the ruthlessness of a professional criminal.
3. How did the lady in red manage to trick Horace Danby, an experienced thief?
The lady in red successfully tricked Horace Danby through clever manipulation and by exploiting his assumptions. She used several tactics:
- Confidence: She acted with the authority and calmness of the lady of the house, not a fellow intruder.
- Plausible Story: Her claim of forgetting the safe's combination to get her jewels for a party seemed believable.
- Creating Urgency: By threatening to call the police, she put Horace under immense pressure, forcing him to make a quick decision.
- Exploiting his Fear: She preyed on his fear of prison, offering him an escape in exchange for his help.
By appearing as an owner in distress rather than a rival thief, she outwitted him completely.
4. Who is the real culprit in 'A Question of Trust', and what makes them so?
The real culprit in the story is the young lady in red. While Horace Danby was also a thief, he was ultimately framed for a crime he didn't fully commit. The lady is the true culprit because she not only intended to steal the jewels but also cleverly manipulated Horace into opening the safe for her. She left no fingerprints and ensured all the evidence, like Horace's fingerprints, pointed directly at him, making her getaway clean.
5. What is the central message or theme in Victor Canning's 'A Question of Trust'?
The central theme of 'A Question of Trust' is that appearances can be deceptive. The story demonstrates that one cannot judge a person's honesty or intentions based on how they look or act. Horace, who appears respectable, is a thief. The young lady, who appears charming and authoritative, is a far more cunning and ruthless criminal than Horace. The story also explores the idea that there is no "honour among thieves."
6. What is the significance of the irony in the story 'A Question of Trust'?
The central irony in 'A Question of Trust' is that Horace Danby, a locksmith and an expert at breaking safes, is tricked into opening a safe for another thief. He is arrested for leaving his fingerprints all over the scene, a mistake he made only because he trusted the lady's story and removed his gloves. The ultimate irony is that a thief who prided himself on meticulous planning was outsmarted by someone who played on his emotions and fear of being caught.
7. Why is the title 'A Question of Trust' suitable for this story?
The title 'A Question of Trust' is highly suitable because the entire plot revolves around the concept of trust, both placed and misplaced. It questions whom we can trust:
- Horace Danby trusts the young lady, believing she is the owner's wife, which leads to his downfall.
- The story implicitly raises the question of whether a person like Horace, who is otherwise "good and respectable," can be trusted.
- It highlights the misplaced trust Horace has in his own ability to judge people, ultimately making it a story about the consequences of blind trust.
8. How does the story challenge the saying "honour among thieves"?
The story directly challenges the idea of "honour among thieves" by showcasing a complete lack of it. Horace and the lady in red are both criminals, but instead of a shared understanding, there is betrayal. The lady shows no solidarity; she exploits Horace's skills for her own gain and then leaves him to be arrested. Her actions demonstrate that in the world of crime she inhabits, self-interest and cunning triumph over any unwritten code of honour.
