Anniversary Gift story
Hermie Jenkins buys a coral snake for his animal-loving wife Myra, in the hopes that it will bite and kill her. The snake, which is actually a harmless kingsnake, bites Hermie instead and he dies of a heart attack. Directed by: Norman Lloyd. Story by: John Collier, Harold Swanton.
7 total · 1 choice · 4 major · 2 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| spouse murder | choice | Hermie conspired to bring about his wife's premature expiration. |
| controlling partner | major | Myra doled out a measly allowance and dictated what her husband Hermie should or must not do. He could not drink as much beer as he would otherwise like to. |
| husband and wife | major | The story follows Hermie in his efforts to do in his loving but difficult to deal with wife, Myra. |
| poetic justice | major | The story concluded with Hermie dying from a heart attack after he'd been bitten by the very snake he'd purchased with a view to it administering a lethal bite to his wife. |
| zoology | major | The story concerned assorted critters and their behaviors. In his monologue, Alfred Hitchcock presented his carnivorous plant to the audience. |
| compassion | minor | Myra was overly concerned about animals and their welfare and less so with the welfare of her husband. |
| coping with the death of a spouse | minor | George lamented his late wife's departure. |