The Switchman

The Switchman Summary | Detailed Summary

"The Switchman" is Juan Jose Arreola's satiric short story about a railway passenger and a switchman. The latter provides confusing information about the train system, symbolizing not only the inefficiency of the Mexican railroad system, but also the mysteries of life.

The story begins as a stranger carrying a large suitcase hurries breathlessly to a railroad station and arrives just at the time that his train bound for a town identified only as T_____ is scheduled to depart. As the man speculates about his train, he feels a touch on his shoulder and turns to see an old man dressed like a railroader and carrying a lantern, small enough to be a toy.

When he asks if the train has left, the old man wonders if the traveler has been in the country very long. He advises him to find lodging at the hotel nearby, preferably for a month. The stranger is baffled at this advice, because he has no plans to stay overnight, let alone for an extended period. The switchman admits that he should leave the stranger to his fate but decides to provide some information, much to the stranger's relief.

The switchman tells the stranger that the country is famous for its railroad system, and although the organization of the system is not efficient, there have been many tickets and timetables produced. The switchman feels that the only thing that is necessary now is for the trains to actually follow the timetables and destination guides. The residents accept this flawed system, for now, but always hope for a resolution to the problems.

The stranger wants to know if a train passes through this station, and the switchman cannot provide a direct answer. There are clearly rails laid down for a train, but there is no system in place to dictate that a train pass through. This station is more progressive than some, though, which have only chalk lines where rails should be. The switchman cannot promise that the stranger will be able to board a train to T_____, but the switchman will be happy to accommodate the stranger should another train come by.

The switchman does not understand why the stranger insists on going to T_____, when it is a privilege to board any train. Then, a man's life has some direction. The stranger argues that he should be able to go to T_____, since that is the destination marked on his ticket. The switchman tells the stranger that the hotel is filled with people who had made the same assumption regarding their own tickets and have purchased large quantities of tickets in the hopes that they will someday be able to reach their destinations.

The switchman tries to convince the stranger that the system is not as flawed as it may seem, because there are many trains that can take people to many different places. The only caveat is that boarding a train will not assure that a person will reach his intended destination.

The switchman presents the case of the railroad management, which, in its eagerness to serve customers, has devised an elaborate system that could keep a passenger on board a train for many years. The system even accommodates death on these long trips and will professionally embalm anyone who expires onboard.

In some remote areas, there is only one rail on which a train can travel, so the railway's customer service program seats first class passengers on the side of the train riding on the rail. In areas where no rails exist, all passengers are equally disadvantaged until the unavoidable wreck that eventually occurs. The switchman tells the stranger that a town named F_____ was established as the result of one of these unfortunate accidents.

The switchman shares another incredible story with the stranger in which a train reaches an abyss with no bridge leading to the other side. The train conductor was able to convince the passengers to join together and transport the train, piece by piece on their backs, to the opposite side. The railroad management was so pleased that they proclaimed the building of a bridge to be unnecessary and gave the passengers discounts on their fares.

The stranger is fixed on his arrival in T_____ tomorrow, and the switchman is pleased to see such perseverance. He advises the stranger to get a room at the hotel and take the next train possible. The switchman also advises about the possibility of riots breaking out, as all the other hotel guests will also clamber to board. In an attempt to avoid such situations in the future, the railroad management has instituted an etiquette school to teach people how to appropriately board trains in riot situations.

The switchman tells the stranger that if he is lucky enough to board a train, he must also be vigilant about his point of departure. The railroad has implemented a system of relieving the passenger congestion on trains and has created false train stations in remote locations, where people exit, and the trains speed off before the passengers realize the ruse.

According to the switchman, there are those rare occasions where a passenger buys a ticket to T_____ and actually is transported to T_____ the next day. Of course, the stranger is interested in this scenario. The switchman encourages him to try his luck and hope for the best, when he boards the next train. The switchman also advises the stranger not to talk to other passengers. He says that railroad management has spies infiltrated among the travelers, who may use any conversation to thwart an individual's itinerary and force him into a prison car on a trumped up charge.

As the stranger knows no one in T_____, the switchman tells him to take extra precautions and not fall for the mirage of what looks like a railway station or the false movements of a stopped train. These conjure the illusion of travel, making the passenger think that he has arrived at a new station, when he has not moved at all.

The stranger asks the switchman about his experience with train travel. The old man tells him that he is a retired switchman, who just visits train stations to reminisce. The switchman has never traveled on a train and does not wish to, given the precarious nature of the railroad's duplicitous motives of making money and expediently relieving passenger congestion with questionable strategies.

Suddenly, both men hear the whistle of a train. The switchman begins to signal wildly with his lantern and runs along the track toward the oncoming train. The switchman turns to yell at the stranger that he is lucky. He asks the stranger to name his destination, and the stranger confirms that it is X_____.