My Uncle Jules is a story within a story. Set around the Paris culture and lifestyle and drawing a lot on the social norms of the time, the story conveys the standards expected from the rich and their preferences for friends and family who follow the very same standard.
The narrator's family builds high hopes around one member of the family, which is the narrator's uncle Jules. Jules was considered a worthless young man who squandered the family money and was finally shipped off to America so that he can work and understand the value of money. The family members waited for his return in Havre.
One day, the family is on a ship for a trip.
In the ship there was a ragged old sailor who was selling oysters. The narrator’s father and sisters liked eating oysters on a moving ship and therefore they went near the old sailor. The narrator’s father recognized the sailor who was none other than his own brother, Jules. The whole family was upset. They did not want to talk with him as he was very poor they also did not want their son-in-law to know about it. They reached the place Jersey. The narrator wanted to talk with him. But the old man left the place as no one was eating any more oysters the family members were disillusioned and frustrated when the reality turns out to be quite different from what they had anticipated. They had expected a bright future for Jules but all their hopes were dashed.
Their disappointment was not so much that Jules did not learn a lesson of hardwork, rather that they now have a member who they will be reluctant to talk about in their parties and social circles.
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