"A Little Cloud" Analysis

“A Little Cloud” emphasizes the theme of being trapped in one’s own life. Gallaher forces Little Chandler to realize that he has trapped himself. Gallaher and Little Chandler caught up in a bar one night and chatted for a while about life. While Gallaher talked about the multiple adventures he had encountered, it made Little Chandler realize that he is envious of Gallaher’s free, exciting, romantic life. Ever since Little Chandler married his wife Annie, he has been trapped in a stressful, hard relationship. As all of this came flooding back to him, he realizes Annie doesn’t act passionately towards him, and there is hardly any love in their relationship. At one point, Gallaher says, "I'm going to have my fling first and see a bit of life and the world before I put my head in the sack - If I ever do." Gallaher compares marriage to "putting your head in the sack" (76). He wants to be able to explore the world before he gets married, because once he marries he will be confined and devoted to their life together. Towards the end of the conversation, Gallaher cries out, "But I'm in no hurry. They can wait. I don't fancy tying myself up to one woman, you know" (77). Gallaher is trying to point out to Little Chandler that he is stuck with one woman for the rest of his life, and he has no room for thrill and excitement. Gallaher has freedom, adventure, romance, escape, and Little Chandler is stuck wanting what he doesn’t have. At one point in the story, Little Chandler gets so frustrated with his life that he yells at his infant to be quiet. Annie overhears this and they get into yet another fight. As Little Chandler questions their marriage, he wonders what could have been if he had remained “free” of marriage.