CHAPTER IX: THE BALL

1 (p. 76) “but being a younger son, that is all he is good for”: As a younger son, under the system of primogeniture, Harry Meltham will inherit nothing, so to the venal Rosalie he is useful only for flirting and not a serious prospect for marriage.

CHAPTER X: THE CHURCH

1 (p. 79) “praying, earnestly and sincerely from his own heart”: Mr. Weston’s sincere faith shines forth in everything he does, in sharp contrast to the shallow, High Church pretensions of Mr. Hatfield, who always prefers show to substance, thus betraying his lack of true Christian belief.

2 (p. 80) the clearness and force of his style: Again, in contrast to his superior’s attempts at grandiloquence that leave his listeners unmoved and unenlightened, Mr. Weston’s true eloquence is well suited to “the evangelical truth of his doctrine.”

3 (p. 82) bind heavy burdens ... fingers; make the word of God ... commandments of men: See the Bible, Matthew 23:4 and 15:6, 9, respectively. Agnes uses scripture here to portray Mr. Hatfield as one who needlessly complicates the divine message, and also one who uses hellfire and brimstone to frighten his lower-class parishioners into obedience.

CHAPTER XI: THE COTTAGERS

1 (p. 84) occasionally, I went to see them on my own account: It was expected that middle-class women, especially in the country, would visit the poor, take them small items of food and clothing, and in general be of assistance. Even though she is poor herself, Agnes performs this duty regularly.

2 (p. 88) “‘He that loveth not... the Law”’: These are difficult verses from 1 John and Romans 13, respectively. The point is that Mr. Hatfield quotes such passages but then fails to interpret them in a way that promotes faith, emphasizing fear instead.

3 (p. 89) “till I was weary to bear it”: Mr. Hatfield’s behavior—kicking Nancy Brown’s cat across the floor as he chases after Rosalie Murray—is contrasted to the depressed state of the old woman’s mind after she had listened earnestly to his sermonizing.

4 (p. 90) “‘If there be ... open his grief’”: This is a quotation (apparently from memory) of an exhortation read on the Sunday preceding Communion. Though Mr. Hatfield likes the pomp and circumstance of observance, it is clear from his behavior a moment later that he has no interest in the meaning of the words he speaks.

5 (p. 92) “a cat to know manners like a christian ”: Ironically, Mr. Hatfield has shown very un-Christian behavior to the cat; Mr. Weston’s concern for the cat marks him as a true Christian.

6 (p. 93) “”God IS LOVE’”: See the Bible, 1 John 4:8, 16. Mr. Weston can turn the same scripture that Mr. Hatfield uses to inspire fear into a message of love and forgiveness.

7 (p. 96) a silver watch: Mr. Hatfield has a gold one, needless to say; Agnes, we know, has no watch at all, since she must listen to a clock striking to know the time.

CHAPTER XII: THE SHOWER

1 (p. 102) “I can’t make the tea as I like it”: Typically, servants would bring a kettle of hot water and the tea caddy into the room so the hostess could measure the tea leaves, pour the water, and brew to taste. Significantly, Matilda is so ill-prepared for marriage that she cannot even make a pot of tea to her own liking.

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 731