The Street Called Straight

"The Street Called Straight" by Basil King is a story set in the early 1900s that looks at how social class, relationships, and personal struggles affect people's lives. The main character, Peter Davenant, comes back to a group of people he used to know, after being away. He still has strong feelings about things that happened in the past. At a dinner party hosted by Olivia Guion, the woman he once asked to marry him, Peter is treated like a stranger. But he still feels drawn to her, even though she's about to marry Colonel Rupert Ashley. The dinner reveals complicated friendships and rivalries, showing Peter's difficulty in finding his place and dealing with what society expects of him. It hints at the problems and disagreements that will arise because of Olivia Guion's uncertain situation and changing social customs.