Jubilee

The fact that he chooses to tell the Queen his story suggests that he needs an emotional connection with someone and that he feels that the Queen can empathize with him. 

The Queen’s reaction to his story, however, proves that Arthur misjudged what the Queen is like and how she feels. Arthur expects the Queen to empathize with his situation and “console him or comfort him in some way” (l. 106), but he realizes that the Queen is not interested in what happened next (l. 112). Instead, the Queen’s reaction suggests that she is thrilled that someone has finally told her something interesting. This may suggest that the Queen’s sadness was not related to the loss of her partner, but perhaps related to her sheltered life, where everyone around her shields her from the colorful realities of the world.

As the story ends, Arthur Pritt returns to his “empty house” (l. 126) just as sad and disappointed as he was before. He does not develop in any way throughout the narrative, and he is still lonely and grieving the loss of his wife