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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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