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Vole Is Found Not Guilty, Explained

Vole is discharged and free to leave, beaming and thanking everyone. But Wilfrid, nursing his cocoa, refuses to celebrate: "We've disposed of the gallows, but there's still that banana peel somewhere, under somebody's foot." Outside, the crowd turns on Christine, while Wilfrid keeps joking about staying beyond his nurse's jurisdiction.

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Key moments

Start here, then watch the full scene
  1. The Banana Peel Warning

    1:28–2:05
    37s

Vole Is Found Not Guilty, explained

What happens

The judge discharges Vole, who is now free to leave the court. Vole beams, thanks Wilfrid and the lawyers, and hurries to sign for his belongings. But Wilfrid is not triumphant; sipping the last of his cocoa, he warns that "there's still that banana peel somewhere, under somebody's foot." Outside, the crowd shouts at Christine, and Wilfrid tells Carter to clear them away before he leaves.

What's really going on

The verdict is a victory, and nobody enjoys it less than Wilfrid. He lets the applause wash over while he goes on thinking like a defence barrister: something is still unaccounted for. His line about the banana peel — "We've disposed of the gallows, but there's still that banana peel somewhere, under somebody's foot" — is the film's own warning that the case is not closed. Vole, meanwhile, is a picture of relief, right down to a small grievance about manners: '"Mr Vole." They didn't call me Mr when they charged me.' Even his jokes are about being seen as respectable. The crowd outside blames Christine instead, and Wilfrid only asks to have them cleared away — a hint that he is already thinking past the verdict rather than celebrating it.

Key lines & what they mean

“Chipper, isn't he? An hour ago, he had one foot on the gallows and the other on a banana peel.”
A wry comment on how quickly Vole's mood changed: a man facing execution an hour ago is now cheerful, as if nothing had happened.
“Not yet. We've disposed of the gallows, but there's still that banana peel somewhere, under somebody's foot.”
Wilfrid's warning that the danger is not over: the gallows is dealt with, but some unseen risk is still waiting to slip someone up.
“You ought to be very proud, Wilfrid. Aren't you?”
The nurse expects him to take satisfaction in the win; instead he brushes the praise aside, because he does not yet see this as finished.
“"Mr Vole." They didn't call me Mr when they charged me.”
Vole's first concern after freedom is respect: he notices that he is suddenly "Mr" again, and the change says a lot about him.

Theme

  • Justice — The trial ends in acquittal, yet Wilfrid treats the verdict as unfinished business rather than a moral victory.
  • Pride — Vole's first reaction is pleasure at being called Mr again, not gratitude for the man who saved his life.

Qué aprendes en este capítulo

Puntos de enseñanza

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Mi nivel3/8

A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.

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Ideas clave

Lo que te llevas
  1. The joke lands because the danger was real minutes ago.
  2. Being discharged is a formal word for walking free.
  3. The verdict ends one risk but not every risk.
  4. Signing a receipt is what finally lets him go.

Preguntas frecuentes

La pregunta, luego la frase
Why does Wilfrid say the case isn't over?

He talks about a banana peel still lying under someone's foot. Even after the acquittal he senses an unseen danger, as if the real trouble has not played out yet.

Why does Vole mention being called "Mr"?

He notices that people only call him "Mr Vole" now that he is free; while he was charged, they did not. The small complaint shows how much respect and status matter to him.

Why does the crowd turn on Christine?

After the verdict, people outside shout that every word she said was a lie and call her a liar, so a guard has to keep her back until the crowd is cleared.

Is Wilfrid pleased with the acquittal?

Not really. He stays calm, finishes the last of his cocoa, and warns about the banana peel, so his mood is cautious rather than triumphant.

What does "beyond her jurisdiction" mean here?

Wilfrid jokes that as long as he is still in the courthouse he is outside his nurse's control, so he can finish his cocoa before she takes charge of him again.