"Are we pinching it before Aunt Elizebeth comes?" What were they pinching? How was that pinching? What does this reveal about Victoria’s character?
from the story,the dear departed
Answers
Answer:
Introduction
Dear Departed is a satire that criticises the peripheral relations and showy love between parents, siblings and children. Though the title itself appears to be an emotional one, it soon becomes clear that the dear departed is not Mr. Abel, father of Amelia and Elizabeth. What departed them dearly was their father’s assets and belongings. What the two daughters and their husbands had waited for was the death of Mr. Abel, not his well being. They never loved him. The two daughters fought with each other not for making their father feel at home, but to get him rid off. The poor old man learnt the true nature of his children’s love too late but was able to escape their cruel hospitality and cunning care for him.
Characters
Mr. Abel Merryweather – An aged widower
Mr. Abel is an easy going old man. A widower for some long time, he has learnt the world and its multiple faces. He is a practical man yet a little given to drinking and jollity. Even at the age of seventy he is jovial and active. There is nothing that could stop him from his ways. He is proud of being Abel Merryweather. It has been a pain for him to accept the fact that he is just a lot unwanted. When he saw in front of his eyes how much despised he was and how quarrelsome his daughters were and how cunningly they have hidden their hatred for him for long. Abel Merryweather was a man of his forebodings – he appears to be iron hearted for a while in destroying his will and shameless in getting married at the age of seventy. Surprisingly, it is hard to see why this amiable old man was equally despised/hated by all his dear ones.
Amelia – Mr. Abel’s daughter, married to Henry Slater
Amelia Slater was evil incarnated. The prime villain of the play, she had been taking care of her father for his possessions. She had been looking after her father for the last three years and was just waiting for the most wonderful happening in his life – his death. It is amazing that a daughter goes without any feeling for her father’s death. Not only that she didn’t get a doctor for her father on finding him ‘dead’ but also she left him to die there and went for her mourning costumes. It is the height of hypocrisy that she blames Victoria for being gallivanting while she was herself breathing the air of her father’s bereavement. Her pinching the bureau, the slippers and the clock are the least examples of her hardheartedness.
Victoria – The Slaters’ daughter
Victoria Slater appears to be the only character in the story with a heart. She is not entirely innocent yet there are glimpses of goodness in her. She was happy to see her grandfather alive for some hazy reasons while it is she whom her mother blames for being gallivanting. If the mother, Amelia, were right in blaming her, Victoria too was a product of the same prototype. One thing is however certain that Victoria had a delicate heart that had soft and gentle feelings for her grandfather. She asks her parents, ‘are we stealing them?’ which means she was not as evil as her mother nor as faceless as her father.
Other Characters
Elizabeth – Mr. Abel’s daughter, married to Ben Jordan. As greedy and hardhearted as her sister Amelia.
Henry Slater – A weak, short man. Not really commanding. He doesn’t appear to be as heartless as his wife, Amelia.
Ben Jordan – A flat, funny man. He doesn’t know what to speak and when to speak. He makes you laugh.
Jimmy – The Jordans’ son.
Explanation:
Answer:
Introduction
Dear Departed is a satire that criticises the peripheral relations and showy love between parents, siblings and children. Though the title itself appears to be an emotional one, it soon becomes clear that the dear departed is not Mr. Abel, father of Amelia and Elizabeth. What departed them dearly was their father’s assets and belongings. What the two daughters and their husbands had waited for was the death of Mr. Abel, not his well being. They never loved him. The two daughters fought with each other not for making their father feel at home, but to get him rid off. The poor old man learnt the true nature of his children’s love too late but was able to escape their cruel hospitality and cunning care for him.
Characters
Mr. Abel Merryweather – An aged widower
Mr. Abel is an easy going old man. A widower for some long time, he has learnt the world and its multiple faces. He is a practical man yet a little given to drinking and jollity. Even at the age of seventy he is jovial and active. There is nothing that could stop him from his ways. He is proud of being Abel Merryweather. It has been a pain for him to accept the fact that he is just a lot unwanted. When he saw in front of his eyes how much despised he was and how quarrelsome his daughters were and how cunningly they have hidden their hatred for him for long. Abel Merryweather was a man of his forebodings – he appears to be iron hearted for a while in destroying his will and shameless in getting married at the age of seventy. Surprisingly, it is hard to see why this amiable old man was equally despised/hated by all his dear ones.
Amelia – Mr. Abel’s daughter, married to Henry Slater
Amelia Slater was evil incarnated. The prime villain of the play, she had been taking care of her father for his possessions. She had been looking after her father for the last three years and was just waiting for the most wonderful happening in his life – his death. It is amazing that a daughter goes without any feeling for her father’s death. Not only that she didn’t get a doctor for her father on finding him ‘dead’ but also she left him to die there and went for her mourning costumes. It is the height of hypocrisy that she blames Victoria for being gallivanting while she was herself breathing the air of her father’s bereavement. Her pinching the bureau, the slippers and the clock are the least examples of her hardheartedness.
Victoria – The Slaters’ daughter
Victoria Slater appears to be the only character in the story with a heart. She is not entirely innocent yet there are glimpses of goodness in her. She was happy to see her grandfather alive for some hazy reasons while it is she whom her mother blames for being gallivanting. If the mother, Amelia, were right in blaming her, Victoria too was a product of the same prototype. One thing is however certain that Victoria had a delicate heart that had soft and gentle feelings for her grandfather. She asks her parents, ‘are we stealing them?’ which means she was not as evil as her mother nor as faceless as her father.
Other Characters
Elizabeth – Mr. Abel’s daughter, married to Ben Jordan. As greedy and hardhearted as her sister Amelia.
Henry Slater – A weak, short man. Not really commanding. He doesn’t appear to be as heartless as his wife, Amelia.
Ben Jordan – A flat, funny man. He doesn’t know what to speak and when to speak. He makes you laugh.
Jimmy – The Jordans’ son.