Chapter 2
Wit an Humour
Answer the following questions.
1. What qualities of Mrs. Slater have you noticed?
Answer: Mrs. Slater, in The Dear Departed, is portrayed with several strong and revealing qualities. Here's a breakdown of what we can observe about her character:
1. Greedy and Materialistic
- She is more concerned about claiming her father's possessions (like the bureau and clock) than mourning his death.
- She quickly takes the liberty to use his slippers and furniture before confirming his death.
Example:
"I'm not going to have them wasted." (Referring to the slippers)
2. Hypocritical
- She pretends to grieve over her father's death but is secretly more interested in what she can get out of it.
- She talks about her sorrow but doesn't act like someone truly grieving.
Example:
"My heart's fit to break..." (said while plotting to take the bureau)
3. Manipulative
- She convinces her husband to help her move the bureau to make it look like it's theirs.
- She tries to deceive her sister, Mrs. Jordan, into thinking the furniture always belonged to her.
4. Dominating
- She often bosses around her husband Henry and her daughter Victoria.
- She takes charge of the situation and tells others what to do.
2. Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from her father's room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Answer: Mrs. Slater decides to shift the bureau from her father's room to the sitting room before the arrival of the Jordans because she wants to claim it as her own. She knows that her sister, Mrs. Jordan, is sharp and might also want the bureau. By moving it downstairs before the Jordans arrive, Mrs. Slater hopes to make it seem like it already belonged to her and avoid any arguments over it during the division of her father's belongings.
Henry's reaction is one of discomfort and hesitation. He feels uneasy about the idea, thinking it is not "delicate" or respectful, especially since their father has just died. However, despite his initial reluctance, he gives in to his wife’s insistence and helps her move the bureau.
This moment highlights the selfishness and greed that dominate the characters’ actions in the play.
3. Why do the Jordans take a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters' attitude towards each other?
Answer: The Jordans take a long time to arrive at the Slaters' house because there is clear tension and bitterness between the two sisters, Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan. In fact, Mrs. Slater herself mentions that after a quarrel, Elizabeth (Mrs. Jordan) had vowed never to set foot in her house again. Their strained relationship causes the delay, as Mrs. Jordan likely hesitated before deciding to come.
This delay highlights the lack of genuine affection and unity between the sisters. It shows that their relationship is marked by rivalry, resentment, and selfishness. Even the death of their father is not enough to bring them together with sincerity — they are more interested in what they can gain from his passing than in supporting each other emotionally. Their interaction reflects a cold, competitive attitude rather than a loving or cooperative one.
4. Ben appreciates his father-in-law saying, 'It's a good thing he did. Later, he calls him a 'drunken old beggar'. Why does he change his opinion about his father-in-law?
Answer: Ben first appreciates his father-in-law by saying, "It's a good thing he did," in reference to the belief that the old man had gone out to pay his insurance premium that morning. Ben sees this as a responsible and thoughtful act, especially since the insurance money would now benefit the family after his death.
However, Ben changes his opinion and angrily calls him a "drunken old beggar" when Victoria reveals that Grandpa did not go to pay the premium, but instead went off with a friend. This means there’s a chance the insurance was not paid and the family would receive nothing.
Ben's shift in attitude reveals his selfishness and hypocrisy. His respect and praise for his father-in-law were only based on the financial benefit he expected. The moment that benefit seems unlikely, he becomes disrespectful and insulting, showing that his concern was never genuine — it was purely driven by money and personal gain.
5. What made Mr.Henry feel shocked to hear Victoria saying 'Are you planning to pinch it??
Answer: Mr. Henry felt shocked when Victoria asked, "Are you planning to pinch it?" because she directly accused her parents of stealing her grandfather’s bureau — a serious and inappropriate thing to say, especially about a deceased family member.
Henry was already uncomfortable with Mrs. Slater's plan to move the bureau from the grandfather’s room to the sitting room before the arrival of the Jordans. He knew it wasn’t honest, and when Victoria used the word “pinch” (which means to steal), it exposed the immorality of what they were doing in blunt terms.
Her innocent but straightforward remark made Henry feel guilty and embarrassed, especially because it reflected exactly what they were doing — taking something that didn’t belong to them without agreement from the rest of the family. It also shows that Victoria, though a child, understood the wrongness of the act more clearly than the adults.
- Both men hardly express personal opinions throughout the play. They follow their wives' commands without questioning, showing no independent thinking.
- For example, Henry wears Abel’s slippers just because Amelia tells him to, even though it's highly inappropriate.
- Ben and Henry remain passive during conflicts, especially when the women argue. Even when Ben finds out he’s being accused of having a dead brother (which he never had), he doesn’t strongly object or clarify — he simply stammers and looks confused.
- They are shown to be easily manipulated by their wives. Instead of leading or standing up for what is right, they go along with the deceit about Abel’s possessions.
4. Comic Relief and Symbol of Weakness:
Houghton uses them for comic effect and as a symbol of weak moral backbone, which contrasts with the strong (although selfish and quarrelsome) personalities of their wives.
Conclusion:
Henry and Ben lack individuality because they don’t think or act for themselves. Their characters serve to highlight the dominance of their wives and the moral decay of the middle-class family structure that Houghton is satirizing.
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Where's the Irony?
1. “Dear” – But Not Loved:- The word "dear" suggests that the departed person (Abel Merryweather) was loved and cherished by his family.
- However, the play shows the exact opposite — his daughters are more interested in his possessions than his well-being. They don't show genuine grief; instead, they rush to divide his belongings before he's even confirmed dead.
2. “Departed” – But Still Alive:
- “Departed” refers to someone who has died — yet Abel is very much alive!
- This creates dramatic irony, as the audience knows he’s alive while the characters initially believe he’s dead and behave shamefully.
3. Fake Mourning:
- The family wears mourning clothes and speaks in solemn tones to appear respectful, but it’s all pretend. Their real concern is inheritance, not loss.
- This adds a layer of satirical irony, as they act sad but are actually being opportunistic.
Conclusion:
The title “The Dear Departed” is ironic because it mocks the false affection shown by the family. Instead of mourning a “dear” loss, the play exposes greed and hypocrisy, making the title a sharp and effective contrast to the reality of the story.
In their anger, they stop pretending and accidentally reveal the truth — that they thought he was dead and had already started dividing his property.
Here’s how it happens:
1. Abel Notices His Clock and Bureau Are Missing:- He sees the bureau and clock downstairs and asks how they got there.
2. Sisters Argue and Blame Each Other:
- Mrs. Jordan accuses Amelia of “robbing” their father by taking the items from his room.
- She says it was done “after you were dead”, which shocks Abel and makes him realize what they believed.
- Through their fight, it becomes clear to Abel that they assumed he was dead, dressed in mourning clothes, and immediately started dividing his things.
Conclusion:
The sisters’ quarrel unintentionally exposes their greed and lack of genuine affection. It is through this fight that Abel learns the truth about how little they actually care for him — a turning point that leads him to change his will and announce his marriage.
Would you like a summary in bullet points for quicker revision?
- The entire family believes Abel is dead — but he walks in alive and well!
- The daughters are mourning... just to grab his things.
- The humor comes from serious situations, like death and inheritance, handled in a ridiculous and selfish way.
- Amelia makes Henry wear Abel’s slippers before the body is even taken away.
- The sisters start arguing over who should get what, even in front of Abel once he returns.
- Everyone is shocked and confused when Abel returns — but their reactions are over-the-top and funny, like Ben blurting, “I’ll be hanged!”
- Abel has many sarcastic and witty lines, like:
“It’s a good thing you brought that bureau downstairs, Amelia.”
6. Reversal at the End:
- Instead of the daughters getting his wealth, Abel plans to marry and leave everything to his future wife, turning the situation upside down — a classic comic twist.
- Henry and Ben are portrayed as weak and clueless husbands, which adds to the humor.
- The two sisters behave like children, bickering and tattling, which is both ridiculous and funny.
Conclusion:
The play uses satire, irony, and exaggerated characters to make fun of greed, hypocrisy, and the loss of true family values — all wrapped up in clever comedy.
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Here’s how the play highlights this:
1. Lack of Genuine Grief:
- When Abel is believed to be dead, his daughters don’t mourn his loss — instead, they immediately start dividing his belongings.
- This shows that their concern is not for their father, but for what he leaves behind.
2. Fake Affection:
- Both daughters pretend to be caring, but once Abel talks about his will, they suddenly become eager to keep him — proving their love is based on self-interest.
3. Greed Over Blood:
- The sisters fight over trivial things like a clock, slippers, and a bureau, showing how materialism has replaced emotional bonds.
4. Disrespect for the Living:
- Amelia even has her husband wear Abel’s slippers while thinking he's dead — a symbol of how disposable and disrespectful their relationships are.
5. Selfish Intentions:
- Once Abel announces he’ll marry and leave his things to someone else, the sisters quickly try to win him back, not out of love, but out of fear of losing his property.
Conclusion:
The play is a powerful commentary on how human relationships can become hollow when they are driven by greed, selfishness, and pretension rather than love, respect, and sincerity. Houghton mocks this moral decay with humor, but the message is serious and timeless.
Instead of grieving, Mrs. Slater began planning to take over his belongings, like his clock, slippers, and bureau. She called her sister, Mrs. Jordan, not to mourn, but to discuss the division of property. This shows her greedy and insensitive nature.
However, the situation takes a comic and dramatic turn when Abel wakes up, perfectly alive — shocking everyone and exposing their selfish intentions.
At first, the adults didn’t believe her, thinking it was just a child’s imagination. However, soon they realized that Abel was not dead at all — he was very much alive, just sleeping heavily after a night out drinking.
Victoria’s innocent observation shocked everyone and created a turning point in the play. It exposed the false mourning, hypocrisy, and greed of the two sisters and led to a comical yet dramatic climax.
Their concern was not for their father’s life, but for financial gain. This showed their selfishness and greed, highlighting how materialistic and hollow their relationship with Abel truly was. They treated his supposed death as an opportunity, not a tragedy.
He saw how quickly they put on mourning clothes, took his clock, slippers, and bureau, and even discussed insurance money. This made him understand their true nature — that they cared more about his property than about him.
Angry and disappointed, Abel declared that he would change his will. He decided to leave his possessions only to the person he was living with at the time of his real death, as a way to ensure that he would be cared for out of genuine affection, not greed.
This decision was his way of punishing his daughters and exposing their selfishness.
Amelia justified this by saying they had a right to take what they liked, and she didn’t want her sister to claim those valuable items. This act clearly showed their greed, selfishness, and lack of respect for the man they believed had just died.
This sneaky behavior was later exposed when Abel returned alive and recognized his belongings, leading to a dramatic and humorous confrontation.
This act highlights how eager and impatient the Slaters were to claim his possessions, even before any proper arrangements were made. Involving a child like Victoria in such a greedy and sneaky act also shows how twisted their priorities had become.
It adds to the comic and ironic tone of the play, showing how the characters were more focused on property than on the person they thought they had lost.
This declaration comes after he realizes how greedy and uncaring his daughters are. Feeling unwanted and disrespected, Abel decides to live with someone who genuinely cares for him and treats him with kindness.
This announcement also serves as a final blow to his daughters, who were only interested in his wealth and belongings. It adds a humorous twist and a sense of justice, as Abel chooses to take control of his life and property.
The telegram was meant to call them over quickly, not for mourning, but to discuss the division of Abel’s property. This shows how mechanical and emotionless the communication was — treating their father’s "death" like a routine task.
It highlights the coldness and materialistic attitude of the family, as the focus was not on grief, but on what they could gain from his passing. The telegram becomes one of the many comic and ironic elements in the play, especially when it turns out that Abel is actually alive and well.
