Question

The dear departed conversation

Answer 1

1. The  conversation of the drama dear departed is full of irony and humour...It is said that the grandfather Abel Merryweather is not a bit dear to his children and not departed also...The conversation of Mrs.Jordan and her sister Mrs.Henry was fully against the grandfather. They hate Abel and they wanted the properties of him.Only sothey both took care of him without any choice...                                                                                              
2. Its a story which tells... about the children's attitude towards their parents.. the two ladies were demanding their husbands n they had many mis understandings between each other

• Summary
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• In the play The Dear Departed, Stanley Houghton satirises the degradation of moral values in the British middle class. In trying to grab the things belonging to their father, the children completely disregard modesty, decency and obligation towards their family.
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• In the beginning of the play,Mrs. Slater goes to offer something to her father Abel Merryweather and finds him quite cold, not responding at all. He is motionless. So, she declares that her father is no more. Accordingly, her sister and her husband, the Jordans are informed about the sudden demise of their father. Mrs. Slater and her husband are busy making arrangements for the mourning. They are expecting the Jordans to join them. They start using the various belongings of their father. Victoria, daughter of Mrs.Slater does not like all this but reluctantly she is helping her parents in these matters.
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• Victoria is asked to keep a watch on the main door to inform her mother about the arrival of the Jordans. Mrs. Slater is not willing to share her father's belongings with Mrs. Jordan. When the articles are being shifted, the Jordans arrive. The family members start a detailed conversation on the deeds of their deceased father, planning the details of the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment. They start a discussion over the distribution of their father's belongings among them.
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• Surprisingly, at this point of time, the play witnesses a turn of events. Victoria who has been sent to the grandfather's room, returns very scared. She tells everyone that grandfather is alive. To everybody's surprise, grandfather is seen coming downstairs. He is surprised to find the Jordans over there too. No one dares to tell him that he had been declared 'dead'. While taking tea, the truth comes out and he gets to know how his daughters have been in a hurry to divide his possessions among them.
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• On knowing the harsh reality, the grandfather decides not to live with any of his daughters. He even expresses his final intention to change his will. He declares that he is going to give everything to Mrs. Shorrocks whom he will marry. He feels that by marrying Mrs. Shorrocks he will have someone to look after him whole-heartedly without considering him to be a burden.