‘Mr Loveday’s Little Outing’ by Evelyn Waugh | Study Guide

Mr Loveday’s Little Outing by Evelyn Waugh is a short story that revolves around the theme of madness. Visiting her father, who has been in an “asylum” (mental hospital) for many years for trying to take his own life, Angela meets Mr Loveday, her father’s caretaker. The story follows the character of Mr. Francis Loveday, a patient at a mental hospital who is granted permission to go on a day trip with his daughter, Angela.

The story was first published in 1936. The story is set in England in the 1930s, and it highlights the harsh and dehumanizing treatment of mentally ill individuals during that time period.

Although Mr Loveday is also an “inmate” (patient) for having killed “a young woman quite unknown to him, whom he knocked off her bicycle and then throttled.” Angela thinks that the thirty-five years Mr Loveday has spent in the “asylum” cured him, so she arranges for his release.

What happens in the story?

The story begins with the narrator, a young man who works at the mental hospital, describing Mr. Loveday as a “quiet, harmless, rather pathetic” patient who spends his days knitting and reading romantic novels. The narrator then goes on to describe the harsh and dehumanizing conditions of the mental hospital, where patients are often treated as little more than animals.

One day, Mr. Loveday’s daughter, Angela, comes to visit him and asks the hospital’s superintendent, Dr. Basil Grant, if she can take her father on a day trip. Dr. Grant agrees, and the two set out on their little outing.

As they travel through the countryside, Mr. Loveday becomes increasingly anxious and confused, and Angela becomes frustrated with him. Eventually, Mr. Loveday disappears, and Angela is forced to search for him. She eventually finds him in a church, where he has taken refuge with a group of homeless men.

The story ends with Mr. Loveday being returned to the mental hospital, and Angela expressing her disappointment that her father has not been cured. The narrator reflects on the sad and often futile attempts to treat mental illness, and the difficulty of reconciling the needs of the individual with the demands of society.

Overall, “Mr Loveday’s Little Outing” is a powerful commentary on the treatment of mentally ill individuals during the 1930s. Waugh highlights the dehumanizing conditions of mental hospitals, and the desperate attempts of family members to help their loved ones. The story is also a reminder of the importance of treating mental illness with compassion and understanding, and the need to create more humane and effective treatments for those who suffer from it.

What are the themes of the story?

The main theme of the book is, of course, humor. But, that isn’t the only theme. There are themes of madness represented by Mr. Loveday himself. His behavior, attitude, and apparent sanity interestingly exaggerate his madness the further on the book goes. As the story progresses we realize more and more that Mr. Loveday is certainly NOT now sane from being in the asylum.

How does the short story portray positive relationships?

Angela, aptly named, tried to build a relationship with her father despite her emotional problems. She also has blind faith in Mr. Loveday and is immediately willing to trust him. She sees and wants to believe the best of people despite what logic would dictate. Is she so blindly positive because she is so depressed herself? Perhaps.

How does the story portray negative relationships?

There is one common sub-theme about negative relationships throughout the book. We don’t initially realize, as we take Mr. Loveday at face value. But in fact, he has been manipulating Angela since their first meeting. There has always been a struggle for power and control, even if it wasn’t immediately apparent. Angela’s father may not have intended to affect her negatively, but their relationship is a net loss for Angela. She gains very little from visiting him.

Why did Angela’s father try to kill himself?

Angela’s father recently returned from fighting in World War 2. The horror and stress of what he went through, what he saw, and how he struggled to deal with it all contributed to his attempted suicide. The story may be satire, but this is an accurate representation of what happened to veterans of this ghastly war. Soldiers all suffered from horrendous PTSD, though there was such a huge worldwide problem with the post-war traumas of the everyday man very little time, effort, or money was put into combating it.

Is Angela sane?

 Truthfully, probably not. It is hard to say when the story is so obviously satire whether she is clinically mentally unwell or if she was just naive to drive the story. The arguments to be made in favor of her being sane are few and far between. She made the conscious decision to trust a clinically insane murderer, so whether or not she too suffers from insanity can rightfully be called in to question.

Is Angela’s name important?

Her name is derived from “angel,” just as the other characters are not so subtly named after their traits. Lady Moping, who spends her time moping, Mr. Loveday, who would love to spend the day out of the asylum. Lord Moping spends his time moping, not that he is fully aware of that. Angela spends her time, during the story, doing angelic deeds. Visiting her father, spending the day with Mr. Loveday, etc.

How are social classes shown in this story?

The biggest example of social classes are shown is in the names. Lord and Lady are not titles that just anyone can have. As mentioned above, mental health care was not in abundance post-war. The very fact that they could afford to house Lord Moping in a country estate/asylum is a great show of wealth. Comparatively, Mr. Loveday is not a Lord so this difference in social classes immediately puts Mr. Loveday below the others.

Conclusion

Once released, Mr Loveday goes on his outing and does the “one thing I often wish I could do. You mustn’t ask what… It wouldn’t take long.” Find out what Mr Loveday’s plans were by reading the short story.

Evelyn Waugh was a British satirical novelist and short story writer born in London in 1903. He died in 1966.