Those Who Smiled, and Eleven Other Stories

"Those Who Smiled" by Perceval Gibbon is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The opening story introduces complex themes of war, morality, and human emotion, depicting the interactions of two military officers—Captain Hahn, a robust German captain epitomizing authority and control, and Lieutenant Jovannic, a more introspective young Austrian officer. As they observe the arrest of a forced-laborer, the story explores the juxtaposition of brute force and the tragic, silent resistance of those subjected to violence. The beginning of "Those Who Smiled" sets the stage with Captain Hahn and Lieutenant Jovannic as they prepare to capture a deserter from a forced labor camp. They observe a scene charged with tension as the villagers react to the violent arrest. Gibbon delves into the detached mindset of Captain Hahn, who prides himself on systematic control over the situation, whereas Jovannic’s discomfort grows as he witnesses the prisoner’s calm acceptance of fate and the villagers' oddly tranquil smiles, which suggest a deeper gravitas to their suffering. Through this opening, Gibbon hints at themes of complicity, the moral weight of authority, and the unfathomable depths of human resilience in the face of tyranny. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Perceval Gibbon was an author and journalist, serving for the Rand Daily Mail in South Africa, as well as for other publications. Gibbon had travelled to South Africa in 1898, moved to the war front and became the representative of a syndicate of colonial newspapers at the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War. He is best remembered for his short stories, which often contained an ironic twist at the end. Gibbon's influence on the work of later South African authors has been acknowledged. For instance, the fictional narrator of Vrouw Grobelaar's Leading Cases (1905) is said to be a forerunner of Herman Charles Bosman's character Oom Schalk Lourens.