Houghton’s The Dear Departed

Plot Summary 

    The play The Dear Departed depicts the tragic scenario of deteriorating moral values in today's middle class, where children show no care for their elderly parents and are only interested in grabbing their belongings. Initially, Abel Merryweather's daughter falsely declares him dead to quickly claim his possessions with her husband. However, the truth surfaces when Abel, still alive, confronts their greed. Shocked by their behavior, Abel decides to live independently and change his will, planning to marry Mrs. Shorrocks to ensure genuine care in his old age. The play highlights the abandonment of familial duty and the consequences of selfishness in contemporary society.

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1.     How does The Dear Departed reflect the social attitudes towards family and death?

The Dear Departed reflects the selfish and materialistic attitude of people towards family and death. In the play, the Slaters and the Jordans are more concerned about inheriting their father's possessions than mourning his supposed death. The indifference they show towards Abel Merryweather, even while dividing his belongings, mirrors the shallow familial bonds that are dominated by greed and self-interest, highlighting a lack of respect for the elderly and a detached view of death.

2.     Describe the conflict between the characters in The Dear Departed.

The primary conflict in The Dear Departed is between the Slater and Jordan families, who are both eager to claim Abel Merryweather's possessions, assuming that he has passed away. This conflict is driven by their greed and self-interest, as both families scramble to secure items of value, revealing the lack of genuine affection they have for the deceased. Their quarrels reflect their materialistic nature, with personal gain outweighing family bonds.

3.     What message does the play convey about family relationships and materialism?

The play conveys a strong message about the erosion of family relationships in the face of materialism. It criticizes how familial love and respect can be overshadowed by the desire for material gain, as shown by the Slater and Jordan families' obsession with inheritance. The play highlights the superficiality of relationships that are motivated by selfishness rather than genuine care, presenting a cynical view of how materialism can distort the very foundations of family.

4.     Discuss the character of Mrs. Slater in The Dear Departed.

Mrs. Slater is a dominant and manipulative character who plays a crucial role in driving the plot. She immediately takes charge of dividing Abel Merryweather’s belongings upon hearing of his death, without any sentiment or respect. Her greed is evident as she orders her husband to move Abel's clock and bureau to her own room. Her actions set the stage for the family conflict, and her proactive (yet self-serving) nature fuels the tension and irony in the play.

5.     How do the personalities of the Slaters and the Jordans contrast in the play?

The Slaters are depicted as more aggressive and scheming, particularly Mrs. Slater, who immediately begins taking Abel’s possessions before even informing the Jordans of his death. The Jordans, while equally materialistic, are portrayed as more passive, only expressing shock and disagreement when they arrive. Though both families are motivated by greed, the Slaters are more unscrupulous in their actions, while the Jordans initially seem more restrained, though just as complicit in their materialism.

6.     What role does Henry Slater play in the family dynamics?

Henry Slater plays a more passive and submissive role in the family dynamics. He is largely influenced by his domineering wife, Mrs. Slater, and follows her lead without question, whether it’s about moving Abel’s furniture or dealing with the supposed death. Though he does express discomfort at his wife’s actions, he lacks the assertiveness to stand up to her, which reflects his secondary role in the family hierarchy and highlights the power imbalance in his marriage.

7.     What is the significance of Abel Merryweather's actions at the end of the play?

Abel Merryweather's unexpected return from the dead exposes the hypocrisy of his daughters. His actions, particularly his decision to rewrite his will and leave his inheritance to someone outside the family, serve as a moral lesson on the consequences of their greed and disrespect. His refusal to stay with either daughter further emphasizes his disillusionment with their shallow behaviour, underscoring the play’s critique of materialism and lack of family loyalty.

8.     Discuss the use of humour in the play and how it enhances the central themes.

The humour in The Dear Departed is primarily dark and satirical, deriving from the absurdity of the characters’ greed and lack of mourning. The farcical situations, such as Mrs. Slater’s frantic attempts to claim her father’s belongings and the shock when Abel turns out to be alive, enhance the critique of materialism and selfishness. The humour exposes the characters’ hypocrisy and detachment from genuine emotion, making the social critique more impactful by framing it in a comedic light.

9.     Discuss the symbolic significance of the furniture and possessions in The Dear Departed.

The furniture and possessions in The Dear Departed symbolize the greed and materialism that dominate the relationships between the characters. Items like the clock and the bureau represent not just wealth but the characters' desire for control and status. Their eagerness to claim these items, even before Abel is confirmed dead, reflects their misplaced priorities, valuing material goods over familial bonds or respect for the deceased, making the possessions a symbol of their moral bankruptcy.

10.  How does the title The Dear Departed reflect the play’s treatment of death and relationships?

The title The Dear Departed is ironic, as there is little genuine affection or mourning shown by the characters for Abel Merryweather. Instead of treating him as “dear,” his family sees him merely as a means to an inheritance. The play uses the title to highlight the contrast between societal expectations of reverence for the dead and the self-serving reality of the characters, who are more focused on what they can gain from Abel’s departure.

11.  What does the play reveal about the societal attitudes towards inheritance and aging?

The play reveals a cynical attitude towards inheritance, where family members are seen as more concerned with financial gain than emotional connections. It also highlights the disregard for aging individuals like Abel, who are treated as burdens or opportunities for profit rather than with respect. Through the selfishness of the characters, the play critiques the erosion of familial loyalty and the exploitation of the elderly for material advantage, reflecting a broader societal issue.

 

Essays

Discuss the theme of materialism in The Dear Departed.

Stanley Houghton (1881–1913) was a prominent British playwright, best known for his plays that critiqued societal norms and explored the conflicts between traditional values and modern ideas. In The Dear Departed, Stanley Houghton critiques the destructive nature of materialism. It exposes how greed and obsession with possessions can erode familial bonds and moral values. The characters, particularly Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan, are depicted as deeply driven by their desire to secure their father Abel Merryweather’s belongings, even before they have confirmed his death. This greed for inheritance reveals how material gain can overshadow genuine affection, respect, and duty toward loved ones.

The actions of Mrs. Amelia Slater set the tone for the family’s obsession with material possessions. Upon believing that her father has passed away, Mrs. Slater immediately takes practical steps to claim Abel’s belongings. She wastes no time in instructing her husband Henry to move Abel's new slippers, valuable clock and bureau from his room into her own, without any emotional consideration for her father’s death. “I’ve been thinking about that bureau of his. I always wanted to have it after he’s gone.” This reflects her prioritization of material goods over familial bonds. Victoria, their daughter, loves her grandfather and feels uncomfortable with her parents' behaviour but reluctantly helps them.

Mrs. Elizabeth Jordan, while less outwardly aggressive than Mrs. Slater, shares her sister’s materialistic values. Upon arriving at the Slater household, her concern is not for her father’s passing but for the division of his belongings. At first, she expresses shock and disgust at Mrs. Slater’s behaviour as, “I’ve never seen such a greedy and selfish woman as you in all my life!”. But she also stands to gain from Abel’s death. Both sisters, despite their different approaches, are motivated by greed and self-interest. Their interactions are driven not by grief or familial love but by the desire to outmanoeuvre one another in securing their father’s possessions.

The men in the play, Henry Slater and Ben Jordan, while less powerful than their wives, also contribute to this atmosphere of materialism. Henry, though passive, assists in the moving of Abel’s furniture without protest. Ben Jordan, similarly, is quick to suggest that they should “divide” the possessions. “After all, it’s only fair that we should divide things up fairly now he’s gone.” The men’s submission to their wives’ scheming reveals that materialism is not confined to gender roles. Then, the family discusses Abel’s deeds and plans to announce his death in the newspaper, eager to claim his insurance money.

Suddenly, Victoria discovers that her grandfather is alive. Abel comes downstairs, surprised to see everyone and eventually learns they had already declared him dead to claim his belongings. “It seems to me that neither of you has any cause to feel proud of the way you’ve treated me.” Upset by their greed, Abel decides to live separately and announces he will marry Mrs. Shorrocks, leaving his possessions to her, as he believes she will care for him with genuine love. This end serves as a moral reckoning for the family’s materialism. His final decision reflects the consequences of their greed, as they are left with nothing, having prioritized possessions over maintaining a genuine relationship with their father.

To sum up, Houghton’s The Dear Departed offers a biting commentary on the corrosive effects of materialism within a family. Through the actions of Mrs. Slater, Mrs. Jordan, and their husbands, Houghton exposes how the obsession with material possessions can lead to the breakdown of moral values and the erosion of family bonds. Ultimately, the play serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of placing material wealth above human connection.

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