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“He was called Little Chandler because, though he was but slightly under the average stature, he gave one the idea of being a little man. His hands were white and small, his frame was fragile, his voice was quiet and his manner was refined. He took the greatest care of his fair silken hair and moustache and used perfume discreetly on his handkerchief.”
The narrator from “A Little Cloud” describes how Little Chandler got his name. His build and his features bespeak a physical fragility that extends to his personality. His careful grooming of his hair and mustache indicate a precarious sense of self-worth. His reserved manner of speaking and unobtrusive use of cologne characterize a person intent on escaping notice and indicates a guarded insecurity. As he meets with a long-absent friend, however, his fragile self-confidence will begin to be questioned and tested.
“It was his habit to walk swiftly in the street even by day and whenever he found himself in the city late at night he hurried on his way apprehensively and excitedly. Sometimes, however, he courted the causes of his fear. He chose the darkest and narrowest streets and, as he walked boldly forward, the silence that was spread about his footsteps troubled him[.]”
The narrator reveals that while Little Chandler often feels timid, he challenges his own timidity. Recognizing his own fears, he puts his bravery to the test. He seems to have flashes of wanting to be a different, more exciting, or braver person, but he performs these exercises of bravery without expecting them to lead to any change in his true nature.
