Dickensians! discussion

THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT - Second Thread



Mark Tapley by Harry Furniss 1910

(From the Victorian Web, image scanned by Philip V. Allingham and selected by Plateresca)

This thread will be for the next four installments, all hosted by Plateresca and beginning with Chapter 11.

The timetable and links for this thread follow in the next comment.

PLEASE ALLOW PLATERESCA TO COMMENT FIRST! Thanks!

Hi, all! Here is the second part of the schedule for our read of 'Martin Chuzzlewit', which will be updated with links as we read.

[V]
15 Sept: Chapter 11 Summary, part I
16 Sept: Chapter 11 Summary, part II & Notes
17 Sept: Chapter 12 Summary, part I
18 Sept: Chapter 12 Summary, part II
---
[VI]
20 Sept: Chapter 13 Summary, part I & Notes
21 Sept: Chapter 13 Summary, part II & Notes
22 Sept: Chapter 14 Summary
23 Sept: Chapter 15 Summary
---
[VII]
25 Sept: Chapter 16 Summary, part I & Notes
26 Sept: Chapter 16 Summary, part II & Notes
27 Sept: Chapter 17 Summary, Notes & more Notes
---
[VIII]
29 Sept: Chapter 18 Summary
30 Sept: Chapter 19 Summary & Notes
1 Oct: Chapter 20 Summary & Notes

Mark is inviting us to join him on his adventures, and (it being May 1843) we open Number V. This instalment has two long chapters, which we will be reading for four days.

Chapter 11
Wherein a certain Gentleman becomes particular in his Attentions to a certain Lady; and more Coming Events than one, cast their Shadows before

Summary, Part I (until the words 'thought of settling')
The Miss Pecksniffs are at Todgers's. Bailey announces there's a visitor for Charity. By the way the two sisters react to this we understand that Charity is somewhat jealous of Mercy for 'having captured the commercial gentlemen', and Merry knows this and is not above making gibes at her sister. Bailey finds their dialogue highly entertaining.

The visitor is Jonas Chuzzlewit. He seems to be interested in Cherry, but at the same time, he's asking questions about her sister, which annoys her. Jonas gives her to understand that he is unhappy that his father is still alive.

He invites Charity and Mercy to go sightseeing with him and then visit him at his home, and, apparently, Mr Pecksniff has approved of this plan. They all go, although Mercy calls him a 'fright'. They see a lot of places of interest, but only on the outside; on learning that Mr Jinkins and his friends took the sisters to the theatre, Jonas thinks they're simpletons for having paid for the performance.

Jonas and his father, Anthony, live in the same building where they conduct their business, and their residence looks more like an office. Jonas is always rude when addressing his father, but the latter is proud of him, and of having brought up such an avaricious, ruthless son. Another person is present at dinner: an old clerk named Chuffey. He seems to be oblivious to everything that's going on, but becomes alive and lucid for short moments when spoken to by Anthony. Chuffey has been working for Anthony his whole life, doing bookkeeping; at some point he got sick, 'was out of his head', and never recovered. He has difficulty eating, and Jonas finds this amusing.

Charity enjoys Jonas's attentions. He shows the sisters some card tricks. We are told that Jonas would likely have been profligate if he were not so greedy.


Mr. Jonas Chuzzlewit Entertains his Cousins. by Phiz
From the Victorian Web, image scanned by Philip V. Allingham

In the evening, Jonas walks the two sisters home.

Now I know that some proper magicians hate the word 'tricks'! But we're given to understand that what Jonas is doing is probably more akin to cheating than to anything else.

Do you see something unusual in the illustration above?
And you're welcome to share your impressions of what we've just read :)

Plateresca wrote: "Do you see something unusual in the illustration above?"

The ace of hearts in Jonas's hand?

It is interesting that we see a few card tricks. I understand Dickens was quite adept at cards tricks. I did not see anything that I would term unusual, unless the ace of hearts is it.

Jonas is utterly reprehensible! As much as I dislike the Misses Pecksniffs I truly want Cherry to run away as fast as possible. However sadly she and her sister have no guidance that is proper in determining the right type of young man. So they will grasp as whatever attention they get.

I’m seeing another character in Chuffey who is unaware of the mistreatment he is receiving from his employer. Poor guy, if Anthony is 80, how old could he be? Wow!

I’m hoping we get back to the wholesome characters soon. And so far they are very few in number.

The only things I questioned in the illustration are the scarf (?) on Anthony's head and the fact that there seems to be a candle with the flame right up against the ceiling. I didn't see any text for the scarf and there seems to be a face on it. As far as the candle, maybe I'm just misinterpreting that? I need Peter to explain it!

I thought this section was very humorous and laughed out loud when Jonas said his father has "liquid aggravation" circulating in his veins instead of blood (173). That is definitely one I'm going to use in the future! Then he goes on to complain bitterly about his father's selfishness in outliving the years promised him in the Bible: "Threescore-and-ten's the mark; and no man with a conscience, and a proper sense of what's expected of him, has any business to live longer" (173).

I also enjoyed Dickens' take on the old proverb about old heads on young shoulders, when he observes that "we seldom meet with that unnatural combination, but we feel a strong desire to knock them off; merely from an inherent love we have of seeing things in their right places" (176).

Even though Jonas gives Charity the lion's share of his attention, he seems to be trying to keep the door open to courting Mercy, as well. He decries her laughter, but he may not find it as objectionable if she didn't direct it at him and call him "fright" so often. I wonder if he and his father already know that old Martin Chuzzlewit has conferred favor on the Pecksniffs by calling on them? It looks suspicious, but Jonas did flirt (if you can call it that!) with them before that event, so it could be a coincidence.

I did feel sorry for poor old Mr. Chuffey. After a lifetime of service, to be forced to endure that type of ridicule! They are taking care of him, though--I suppose it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for their characters to throw him into the street.

Plateresca wrote: "Now I know that some proper magicians hate the word 'tricks'! But we're given to understand that what Jonas is doing is probably more akin to cheating than to anything else.

Do you see something u..."

I never can figure out what is going on in these pictures or illustrations but what is his other hand doing? There is always a distraction those "cheaters" deploy to try to decieve. It sort of reminds me of the those videos on You Tube of gamblers going to casinos and trying to cheat at the tables with sophisticated means. I agree with Lori's take. Jones seems like a slimy kind of character, a con artist or something of that sort.

Anyhow, thanks for the notes on the chapter. I'm still trying to figure out where this book is going exactly.

Jonas actually surprised me by being worse than he was on the coach. I can imagine he and his father laying odds on how much Charity Pecksniff would bring to her marriage. And those comments about his father! I don’t think I’ve heard the use of an average life span used as a curse against a father before. Well done Mr Dickens!

I must also say the direction of things is a bit difficult to decipher. Where are we heading? I think part of it, for me anyway, was always in the back of my mind that that was his “American novel.” So far, unless I missed it, I’ve not read a hint about crossing the Atlantic.

John wrote: "I must also say the direction of things is a bit difficult to decipher. Where are we heading? I think part of it, for me anyway, was always in the back of my mind that that was his “American novel...."

I find that weird too. Normally in a Dickens book you kind of get the central conflict / problem somewhere in the early going. I don't know really what the conflict is. Pip is polar opposites to Estella, but is intrigued with her, and has great expectations for instance. Oliver has to navigate through the difficulties of being of orphan and that system. This book feels like series of episodes but can't grasp where anything is heading. I like the writing itself though, as far as descriptions and what not. But the novel is titled Martin Chuzzlewit, but I don't know why so far.

John wrote: "I must also say the direction of things is a bit difficult to decipher. Where are we heading? I think part of it, for me anyway, was always in the back of my mind that that was his “American novel...."

This is a great observation. I haven't read that many books by Dickens, so I'm not familiar with his creative decisions. Maybe though, that's why I like MC most of any chunky Dickens novels.

Lori, I'm sorry about the proliferation of unwholesome characters :)
Jonas is repulsive, so I've been wondering all along what would make a young girl consider accepting his attentions. My conclusion is, maybe living with Mr Pecksniff is no fun, and it seems that the Misses Pecksniff have few chances of meeting eligible bachelors; this would make them less critical of potential candidates.

Cindy, once again, you're making many clever observations.
Indeed, the scene with Chuffey is poignant. It's an interesting thought that the Chuzzlewits could have just thrown Chuffey out into the street. I haven't thought of this before, but there's nothing at this point to suggest they would be above it; so I guess they probably have some reasons for keeping Chuffey, or maybe at least one of them has.

Sue, yes, Jonas is avaricious and he's always counting how much he can get from anything, or save on something (his excursion is a nice example of this). So it's kind of natural for him to think of his father's life in the same terms; but we're also meant to wonder at his father's admiration of his shrewdness... which is, on the other hand, also quite natural, given the circumstances.

John, ye-es, 'MC' is known as Dickens's 'American novel', and I've warned everybody in the very beginning that it's not really all that American :) But we will see America soon enough (whether we'll enjoy it is another matter) :)

Franky and John, and maybe others, too, are wondering about the central conflict. Remember the first chapter with the obscure humorous references? One of the themes it introduced was provenance//family. E.g., family traits: do they just play out in the same way, generation after generation, or does nurture have something to do with it? Can they be reversed?

So now we're observing a big family: old Martin Chuzzlewit; the Pecksniffs; Anthony and Jonas; some other characters; and young Martin. Do they have something in common? How much does it determine their lives?

Another theme that was (kind of) introduced in the first chapter is selfishness...

By the way, NB:
'that men do play very strange and extraordinary tricks
says that first chapter, and voilà, here are the tricks :)

The first chapter ends with the words:
'some men certainly are remarkable for taking uncommon good care of themselves'.
So this is another theme, played out in various plot lines.

I think it might be really interesting to compare young Martin to Oliver Twist and to Pip in terms of their being protagonists overcoming obstacles, but I'm sure we cannot do this right now, for the simple reason that we do not know enough about Martin's conflicts.

To put it simply, we've read ten chapters, and by now we do not have a likeable protagonist; indeed, likeable characters are few; and we get a bit lost in a variety of scenes.

My understanding is, these difficulties were necessitated by the idea(s) of this novel. So we should, I think, pick up this question once again when we've finished the book. Maybe we'll see in the end that it has worked; maybe not.

So far, we can at least enjoy Dickens's propensity for creating memorable characters, and his patent sense of humour :)

Luffy, I'm so glad you're enjoying the novel as it is! I am enjoying it, too (and our discussion, of course!) :)

The Mr. Jonas Chuzzlewit Entertains his Cousins Illustration by Phiz
Here is a link to zoom in on the artwork:
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...

Franky noticed Jonas's other hand, and Cindy, I think, got this hint from the text itself. You see, while Jonas is showing an ace of hearts to Charity, behind his back, he's showing his other hand to Mercy, and she's looking at those other cards.

Another curious thing is, don't the Misses Pecksniff look nicer in this illustration than in some of the previous ones? Here's a link to zoom into Meekness of Mr. Pecksniff and his charming daughters:
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...
Has there been a change in the author's and, hence, the illustrator's attitude to these characters?..
This is probably something to keep in mind while reading further.

Cindy, Philip V. Allingham does not mention the face on Anthony's handkerchief, and I don't have Steig's book, so I can only guess. My guess is, this is a hint that Anthony is observing more than he shows.

Chapter 11 Summary, Part II

The Pecksniffs are leaving Todgers's. The commercial gentlemen are heartbroken and are going to serenade the sisters. It is quite a performance. Jinkins humiliates 'the young gentleman' once again.

Bailey says he's planning to leave Todgers's: he supposes that anything will be better than his current situation here. They leave him some money is consideration of their friendship.

At dinner, Pecksniff is very friendly with Jinkins (the rest of the commercial gentlemen are not present). Anthony and Jonas come to say goodbye. Anthony proposes that he and Pecksniff act together, and that, among possible other schemes, they oversee Jonas's courtship; Pecksniff pretends this is all news to him.

All of the commercial gentlemen come to see the Miss Pecksniffs off, and, again, 'the young gentleman' is foiled by Jinkins. The girls are sad to part with their admirers, while Mr Pecksniff is looking forward to kicking Martin out.

'<...> and treated them to an imitation of the voice of a young dog in trying circumstances; when that animal is supposed by persons of a lively fancy, to relieve his feelings by calling for pen and ink.'
Nancy Aycock Metz in 'The Companion to Martin Chuzzlewit' (citing other scholars) suggests that what is meant here is probably 'some form of canine entertainment, then enormously popular. Dogs were regularly exhibited in a variety of settings — as costumed dancers or performers of tricks, and even as actors in melodrama, featured most often in the roles of rescuers or avengers. Bailey may be imitating one of the 'sagacious' animals exhibited on stage or at fairs for their ability to count, spell and otherwise demonstrate intellectual prowess.'

And Patricia Ingham in her Notes to the Penguin Classic edition says that this is '[p]ossibly a reference to a favourite melodrama of Dickens, The Forest of Bondy (1814) in which a dog detective, the Dog of Montargis, prevents an unjust execution.


top boots
Over-the-knee boots worn by postilions, coach-drivers and jockeys. To go into the Army was considered a contemptible last resort. All the jobs Bailey considers here were done by men who had no other opportunities open to them.
From Nancy Aycock Metz's 'The Companion to Martin Chuzzlewit'

Every time I've been in any group read (anywhere) of almost any novel by Charles Dickens, the question has been asked "Where is this going?" 😂

Charles Dickens tends to introduce new characters well after the half way point, for instance. Also sometimes to have a minor character (or place) as the title one ... and with Martin Chuzzlewit, the full title tricks us into thinking we have one protagonist until we read it more carefully and realise it describes an entire tribe of Chuzzlewits!

Charles Dickens considered Martin Chuzzlewit his best structured novel to date, but later did have to respond to his readers' wishes for less complexity (e.g. one book mentioned here, Great Expectations, was his deliberate response to this appeal, and sought to present a simplified storyline.)

Plateresca has described the main themes of the book very well indeed! And her point that we cannot say much about the direction various character's lives will take is a good one. We are less than a fifth the way through ... but if you are looking for your favourite characters to have a story arc, I promise you, they will! And because it is by Charles Dickens, we will not be disappointed by what transpires ...

My advice is to thoroughly enjoy the unpleasant "bad guys" and root for the few noble characters (there are some!) who find so many obstacles in their path. And keep in mind Charles Dickens' own aim according to John Forster (who discussed and advised on it with him at the time) that:

"he wanted to show, by more or less every person introduced, the number and variety of humours and vices that that have their root in selfishness."

Time and time again we will see this, and be able to contrast it with those characters we grow to love, whose existence is altruistic: directed to others rather than to self.

So just enjoy the episodic nature. Think of it as an 18th century ramble rather than a 19th (or later) century novel, and know that everything will come together in time!

After all, Charles Dickens said to John Forster:

"I feel my power more now than I ever did!"

Thanks to all who have wished me good health ... and I fully intend to be back to lead the second half 🙂

I will just add a few notes by Michael Steig (mentioned by Plateresca) on the significance of Jonas's hand at cards before withdrawing. since some were wondering. Yes, your speculations that they are significant is spot on! Phiz has give us a coded message here:

"Mr. Jonas Chuzzlewit entertains his cousins" (ch. 11) is a visual embodiment of duplicity; it depicts no single incident from the text but rather conflates the reference to Jonas doing card tricks for his guests, the Pecksniff girls ...

[the text] makes it clear that although he is pretending to woo the elder sister he is in fact aiming at the younger. If we follow a left-to-right "reading" of the plate, we first see Anthony Chuzzlewit in a sleep from which his son wishes he would never awake; next to him is the self-effacing Chuffey, sitting far from the fire.

From the dark corner of the room behind Chuffey our eye moves to the strongboxes and ledgers and into the candlelight illuminating the three young persons. Jonas displays an ace of hearts to Charity, who looks at him intently, while behind his back he covertly shows an open hand of cards to Merry, who regards them out of the comer of her eye. We could not have a clearer summary of the situation: Jonas displays the emblem of love, a single heart, to the unsuspecting Cherry, while showing his hand — literally — to Merry. How much of the iconographic invention is Dickens' and how much Browne's is impossible to say"

I am a chapter behind, prepped for eye surgery yesterday and unable to see to read last night. Just wanted to say, re: the illustration that my first thought regarding the face on the back of the scarf was "two-faced".

Sara, I wish you quick recovery! Eye surgery is scary; hopefully, the worst is over by now... Is it?

Ye-es, maybe there are some unseen influences in this scene :)

What an interesting conversation about card games. Yes, indeed, our reading of the Browne illustrations has revealed, in part, how the links between Browne and Dickens functioned. We have seen how helpful Steig is in our enjoyment of and interpretation of the illustrations. What I’m enjoying is how many of us are looking more carefully at the illustrations. Our impressions of the illustrations may differ, but that just leads to more interest.

Below please find a link to how card games have been portrayed in the art of the last century.

https://albertis-window.com/2015/07/g...

Here is a painting by Jan Steen (1626-1679). If you look at the floor in front of the card players you will see an ace. I’ve often wondered if Browne was familiar with this painting, and perhaps was even inspired by it. The reproduction is a bit fuzzy. Sorry. I'm not too good at moving images from place to place. The title of the painting is ‘Compagnie élégante.
,
https://share.google/images/7oCsUpsHd...

Today I'm all caught up, so this comment is about the first half of Chapter 11.

Old Chuffey is an interesting character. How odd that he only responds to Anthony Chuzzlewit. I don't know if this is right, but it strikes me that Old Chuffey is like Anthony's dog. Is that what happens when all one does is work all the time with nothing else? There's that phrase Dickens repeated when talking about Old Chuffey "nothing else".

Bionic Jean wrote: "And because it is by Charles Dickens, we will not be disappointed by what transpires..."

I agree, Jean! If Dickens pulled up next to me and offered me a ride in his car, I wouldn't ask where we were going--I would just hop in! LOL He has always proven to be a master navigator in every one of his novels I've read, so I trust him.

I completely missed the hand of cards in the picture, but that makes so much sense. For someone who is courting Cherry, Jonas seems inordinately interested in "the other one." Judging by the reactions of the commercial gentlemen to the sisters, Mercy was the prettier and livelier of the two, so it only follows that if Jonah is going to "invest" in a Pecksniff daughter, he is going to want to get the best bargain for his money, which would mean getting the "best" daughter.

I'm so glad that you are feeling better, Jean, and hope for a speedy recovery from your eye surgery, Sara!

Cindy wrote: "The only things I questioned in the illustration are the scarf (?) on Anthony's head and the fact that there seems to be a candle with the flame right up against the ceiling. I didn't see any text ..."

Cindy I’m glad you are enjoying ‘reading’ Browne’s illustrations. Jean’s message number 22 gives what Steig has to say. As always, Steig is very helpful for us to grasp the depth of Browne’s work.

Good spotting. In my mind too there is a definite image on the head on the scarf. I am perplexed as to the meaning/person the image represents. As for the candle it is indeed placed very high in the room. My initial thought is that the placement of the candle is to allow the light to be dispersed over a greater area of the room. The sources of light in the room include the fireplace, which would be the main source of light in the room, and another candle on the card table to help the players see the playing cards. Naturally, there is a bit of irony here because while the candle is meant to help illuminate the cards, there is a sleight of hand occurring which keeps (excuse the pun) one sister in the dark as to his intentions.

You are right to zero in on any and all depictions of candles and fireplaces in Browne’s illustrations. Candles speak very clearly to those who take the time to notice them in an illustration.

I must admit this is one of my first reads of any Dickens where I am paying attention to the illustrations. Thanks. I have looked closely at them and even before we started discussing some of them, I found myself greatly impressed by the artistry. My Penguin edition seems to have one per chapter. On my “to do” list is to find a study of Phiz and Dickens and read it.

John wrote: "I must admit this is one of my first reads of any Dickens where I am paying attention to the illustrations. Thanks. I have looked closely at them and even before we started discussing some of them,..."

My edition is the same and I agree. I think the illustrations add a little more to the novel and plot. I love the ones here and in the book I am reading.

Peter wrote: "Naturally, there is a bit of irony here because while the candle is meant to help illuminate the cards, there is a sleight of hand occurring which keeps (excuse the pun) one sister in the dark as to his intentions...."

Thanks, Peter. I am enjoying the added dimension the visual element adds to our discussions. I do love your pun!! LOL

John wrote: "I must admit this is one of my first reads of any Dickens where I am paying attention to the illustrations. Thanks. I have looked closely at them and even before we started discussing some of them,..."

John and Cindy Here are a few additional books you might add to your ‘to read’ list. I have found them interesting, insightful and informative regarding both the relationship between Dickens and Browne and how to interpret Browne’s illustrations.

The Plot Thickens: Illustrated Victorian Serial Fiction from Dickens to du Maurier by Mary Elizabeth Leighton and Lisa Surridge

Victorian Novelists and Their Illustrators by John Harvey

Phiz: The Man Who Drew Dickens by Valerie Browne Lester. She is Hablot Browne’s great-great granddaughter

I have reviewed each of these books on Goodreads if you want to read my thoughts in more detail.

Peter, thank you for the link to the article on cards in art! The first artist mentioned is Gustave Caillebotte, one of my favourite painters :) I did not know Albert Beck Wenzell, though, and his lovely ladies.
Jan Steen's painting is also very interesting, thank you for being our art expert :)
And thanks for the links to other books, too! Definitely worth checking out.

So Steig doesn't comment upon Anthony's handkerchief?

Bridget, well noted; old Chuffey is really somewhat like a faithful dog.

Cindy, I agree with most of your points. Re: courting Mercy, though: Jonas can't just court her, she calls him a fright. So... he does what he does.

John and Franky, it's great that you're paying attention to the artwork. Indeed, Phiz had Dickens's instructions, but also contributed details of his own; it was a very fruitful collaboration.

Today we're reading Chapter 12 until the words: 'acquainted with Mr Tigg'.

Chapter 12
Will be seen in the Long Run, if not in the Short One, to concern Mr Pinch and Others, nearly. Mr Pecksniff asserts the Dignity of outraged Virtue; and Young Martin Chuzzlewit forms a desperate Resolution

Summary, Part I
Martin is making progress with his project for a grammar school. He and Tom are even more friendly by now. Martin dreams of becoming a great architect and bestowing various favours on Tom. Tom is deeply grateful. Martin also notes that Tom could be useful to him in many ways. He then proceeds to dream about his marriage to Mary and having children with her, and at this Tom becomes silent...

Tom notes that everybody who comes to Pecksniff is kind to him, attributing this to human nature in general; John Westlock, Pecksniff's former pupil (the one who parted from Pecksniff on a not-so-very-good note, as we remember) has come into his property, and is inviting Tom and Martin to celebrate this.

The two friends regard Mr Pecksniff's horse as a kind of a sacred animal :), so they go to Salisbury on foot, even though it's rather cold and snowing. They meet John at an expensive inn. John is happy to see Tom, and is having tremendous fun spending his money: he's ordered a great banquet, and is amused by his own lack of experience in such matters. The young men are enjoying themselves, eating and drinking.


"Stand off a moment, Tom," cried the old pupil . . . . . "Let me look at you! Just the same! Not a bit changed!" (1872). — Fred Barnard's sixteenth illustration for Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit, from the Victorian Web

At some point, Tom goes away to see his friend (the organist's assistant). In his absence, John praises him to Martin, and Martin tells him how Tigg borrowed money from Tom and never returned it. Martin asks John's opinion of Pecksniff. At first, John is reluctant to share his thoughts, but when pressed, admits that he thinks Pecksniff is 'the most consummate scoundrel on the face of the earth', although he knows it pains Tom that he thinks so. He says that during his stay with Pecksniff, he often wanted to run away and go abroad. Martin thinks Pecksniff needs him. John tells him that Pecksniff is advertising again...

Tom returns, and it happens that they start talking about Pecksniff, despite previous resolutions. Tom feels he needs to leave the party: he loves and respects his friend, but feels it's not proper for himself to stay while Pecksniff, of whom he has a very high opinion, is disparaged. At last, John drinks Pecksniff's health to mollify his friend, and the party continues. John looks at Tom with even more tenderness, and Martin thinks Tom is too much of a simpleton.

John has rented rooms in the hotel for his guests, and they all retire to their respective rooms. When Tom is preparing to go to bed, John enters his room and tells him that Tigg asked him to return his loan to Tom. Tom is happy that, apparently, Tigg turned out to be honourable. John has to tell him that's not always the case, to prevent him from lending more money to Tigg in future; at this, Tom is upset that John knows Tigg and worries that he might have got into bad company. John manages to calm him down.

Competition
In the nineteenth century, the designs for virtually all workhouses, hospitals, prisons and schools in England were chosen by competition. In theory, this should have promoted talent, but in reality, this was a corrupt and mismanaged practice. The jurors who chose the designs were not architects, but laymen such as doctors, lawyers, and wealthy tradesmen. Sometimes they chose a poor design that was well presented; sometimes they were influenced by decoration, which in the end had to be abandoned because of budget cuts. Sometimes they chose the designs of their own protégés. If young architects participated in such contests, their designs could be appropriated, or they simply wasted their time on this instead of something for which they could gain actual money. Dickens knew, of course, about the controversy and debates around architectural competitions.
(Based on a note in 'The Companion to Martin Chuzzlewit' by Nancy Aycock Metz).

That is very interesting about competitions for hospitals. Dickens would have appreciated an American named Thomas Kirkbride. Their lives overlapped. Kirkbride believed in the moral necessity of humane treatment of people with mental illness.

Kirkbride was a psychiatric doctor whose ideas about hospital design greatly contributed to psychiatric care in the 19th century. He believed open space, air, and sunlight were necessary in the treatment of mental illness and promoted such ideas for the design of hospitals to achieve that goal. One of those hospitals was Greystone in New Jersey.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoma...

https://www.greystoneoralhistory.com/...

Just to clarify, Martin is designing a school, not a hospital; but yes, hospital designs were also very often chosen by competition; and, of course, we know that Dickens was interested in hospitals as well as in schools and prisons... I guess it's safe to say he was interested in everything that made society better or worse. 'Humane treatment', as John says about Thomas Kirkbride, was very much on Dickens's mind, too, of course. Thank you for the links, John!


In this chapter, I am touched by the way John Westlock invents a way to give the money to Tom, and Tom is worried that John must have got into bad company ❤️ So, yes, like Jean said, the noble characters are few, but oh, aren't they sweet? :)

It is also a given but little known fact that Dickens wanted at first to name his novel A Tale of Two Cities, Cities and Cain.

(view spoiler)[Just a little joke. (hide spoiler)]

Peter wrote: "John wrote: "I must admit this is one of my first reads of any Dickens where I am paying attention to the illustrations. Thanks. I have looked closely at them and even before we started discussing ..."

Thanks Peter.

Plateresca wrote: "In this chapter, I am touched by the way John Westlock invents a way to give the money to Tom, and Tom is worried that John must have got into bad company ❤️ So, yes, like Jean said, the noble characters are few, but oh, aren't they sweet? :)..."

Yes, I do love this reunion of the friends! I know that we have had some discussion about Martin's character and whether his more objectionable traits are the product of his youth or his upbringing. I have always leaned more toward excusing them on the basis of the thoughtlessness of youth, but this chapter has pushed me a tad over into the upbringing side, where it is more intrinsic and possibly harder to change (although it can still happen).

It gave me pause when Martin was dwelling so beatifically on his hypothetical life with Mary, and the description of their bliss and all the children they would have. He spends so much time describing how very kind Mary would be to Tom but only as a friend, that I wondered at it. Is it intentional torture, or is he, as many young men are, just oblivious to Tom's admittedly subtle feelings for her? Did he recognize Tom's reverential description of her beauty as a declaration of love? I gave Martin the benefit of the doubt that he didn't.

However, when Tom reveals the depth of his integrity by standing up for Pecksniff, John is the only one who recognizes how admirable (even if misguided) and rare that loyalty is. Martin "had no impulse but to laugh at the recollection of Tom's extreme absurdity; and mingled with his amusement there was something slighting and contemptuous, indicative, as it appeared, of his opinion that Mr. Pinch was much too far gone in simplicity, to be admitted as the friend, on serious and equal terms, of any rational man" (201). The words "slighting and contemptuous" make me feel that he is not merely thoughtless, but that the selfishness and arrogance of his upbringing is more integral to his character and has become a bigger part of who he is. I know he can still change, but this just casts a little doubt on it, for me. We shall see!

I've caught up, and thinking of Jean and Sara, and wishing both the best of health and that they're back to feeling (and seeing) good soon.

Such interesting details everyone is adding. I appreciate the competitions info, Plateresca, and what an important figure Kirkbride was. I'm happy to learn of his work--thank you John.

I certainly feel much better so far in this chapter, surrounded as we are by all the good will. I was touched by Tom's belief in human nature, and by all the ways John showed to express his friendship for Tom. Heartwarming! A bit of a healing chapter after all of that selfishness. 😊

Plateresca

Yes, as Jean says the noble characters are few. Tom, John and Martin jr (along with Mary) give us hope that all is not doom, gloom, and deception so far in the novel. I still struggle a bit with John and Martin jr’s attitude towards Tom. At times they seem to be patrons of Tom; at other times I detect slight flashes of patronage towards Tom. Is it just me?

John Westlock’s second appearance in the novel suggests he will have an ongoing presence going forward in the novel. The fact that he has come into money makes him all the more interesting. Will we see Pecksniff, Chuzzlewit sr. or others start to hover around him?

Fred Barnard’s illustrations show the evolution/next phase of illustrations in Victorian literature. The days of Browne had passed. When I look at a Barnard illustration I find there is less iconography, allusion and symbolism. On the other hand, Barnard’s illustrations move us closer to a black and white, naturalistic feel of a photograph. The characters are more fully realized, and the backgrounds, generally, are less crowded with emblematic details than Browne’s illustrations. To me, it is the clothing that fascinates me most. In Barnard, we see fashion style more faithfully represented.

Peter wrote: "Fred Barnard’s illustrations show the evolution/next phase of illustrations in Victorian literature. The days of Browne had passed. When I look at a Barnard illustration I find there is less iconog..."

I have to admit, I prefer the symbolism in Browne's illustrations. I can appreciate the reality of Barnard's art, but combing the corners of Browne's pictures for hidden treasures, and then trying to interpret them, is so much fun!

I agree with Cindy’s thoughts about Martin after his musings as Tom’s future grand benefactor at the beginning of the chapter, especially when he was outlining the various tasks that Tom could perform for him when he, Martin, was his patron. The term patron seemed piled with double meanings. And then his thoughts and words during the dinner with John were worse. He seemed to lower his estimation of Tom further to a degree of not deserving friendship, perhaps. I know Martin is young, but he appears quite fixed in his opinions of others. I wonder how he will develop, especially in light of what we know is coming from Pecksniff that he doesn’t.

Cindy, I agree, there is practically nothing to recommend Martin at this point, and at the same time, we see in the character of John Westlock that it is possible for a young man to recognize and appreciate the merits of Tom Pinch.

I really don't know how much Martin understands about Tom's feelings for Mary. I also wonder about how he tells Tom that John Westlock can't mean the things he's writing in his letter. I doubt Martin is so stupid as not to understand that the effect of these words will be upsetting, and that even if it were true, and he can't know this, saying so is cruel. Is he doing it on purpose, then, or is he superbly careless? I suppose we are to assume the latter, but the general impression of this character is certainly unappealing at this point.


Peter, I suppose no Dickens novel is ever all gloom and doom :)

John's and Martin's attitude to Tom Pinch is actually not the same. No spoilers, but a longish answer...

(view spoiler)[ The way I see it, John tries to be on an equal footing with Tom, although Tom is always self-effacing. Socially, the difference between them is that Tom is Pecksniff's assistant and is likely to remain in this position for the rest of his life; while John is a young architect, and has just received an inheritance (which, by the way, I find somewhat unbelievable in a Dickens novel). But, you see, Tom should have been an architect in his own right, if Pecksniff did what he promised Tom's grandmother to do, i. e., educate Tom and let him start his own career. I think John understands this, while Tom is consciously or unconsciously ignoring this.

Now, Martin, on the other hand, never tries to be on an equal footing with Tom. He behaves as if he were Tom's superior, as if he were a gentleman and Tom was not. But his pretensions to gentility are dubious because, on the one hand, we know nothing good about the Chuzzlewit dynasty from the first chapter, and on the other hand, even if he had reasons to be proud of his family, at the moment he's disinherited and at odds with all of the family, a young man without any money and without clear prospects of earning it. At this particular point, he is living with his relative, Pecksniff, who, for some reason, has agreed to take him as an apprentice. By the way, this makes me think he should be even more grateful to Pecksniff than Tom is, because where would he go if Pecksniff didn't take him in? Surely, another architect would not have Martin as an apprentice without any premium. Only we know that even that is about to change...

So, Martin has no reason whatsoever to treat Tom as his inferior, but that's what he does. In every situation where out of mere politeness, he could be nice to Tom, he is not being nice, and it's mostly Tom's kindness that makes Tom think that he is.

As for being 'patrons', the way I see it, John understands that Tom's character and position make him vulnerable, so he is somewhat protective of his friend. On the other hand, Martin just assumes that at some future moment he would appropriate Tom as an assistant and basically treat him the same way as Pecksniff does at the moment. Tom interprets this as Martin's desire to say or do something nice for him. The way I interpret it, he's clever enough to see Tom is very useful; and he's being totally unrealistic about his own situation and prospects. The latter is quite natural at his age; the first is not bad either; but there's no real sympathy for Tom in all of this. Still, seeing how the Pecksniffs treat Tom, I imagine Martin could do even worse. (hide spoiler)]

Has anybody noticed the brief switch to the present tense at the beginning of this chapter? ' How, as the wind sweeps on <...>', and then 'Another mile, and then begins a fall of snow, making the crow, who skims away so close above the ground to shirk the wind, a blot of ink upon the landscape', and it goes on for some time. I hope you enjoyed this description of a winter walk! Something very close to Dickens's heart :)

Peter, it seems that Barnard was the only artist who chose to illustrate this scene; at least, I didn't find any other artwork for this part of the chapter. I wonder why. I think scenes of merryment and companionship before the fireplace :) are obviously important in Dickens. In this illustration, I love the waiter with the corkscrew in the background :) I read him as an indication of difficulties soon to come.

Sue, have you thought of Susanna Clarke when reading how the crow became a blot of ink? :)
I agree, Martin is rather smug in this scene, but we know something that he doesn't... Which leads us nicely into the next part of the chapter :)

Chapter 12 Summary, part II

The next morning, Tom and Martin return to Pecksniff's. John is watching them go and sees Tom carrying Martin's coat to relieve him, and shakes his head.

When Tom and Martin return home, they learn that the Pecksniffs are returning early the next morning. It is their least cheerful day together, as Martin is comparing himself to John, and the comparison is not to his advantage.

It's a dark winter morning when they meet the Pecksniffs; it's raining hard. They could have just sent the gig, but they decided it would be better to go themselves. Pecksniff seems to be happy to see Tom, but is altogether ignoring Martin. Pecksniff hands his daughters into the gig and drives off home, leaving Tom and Martin with the luggage.

When Tom and Martin return to Pecksniff's, Pecksniff is drinking tea. Again, he speaks kindly to Tom and is ignoring Martin. Martin wants this explained, but still Pecksniff continues to ignore him. Martin insists, and at last Pecksniff says that Martin has deceived him and 'an honourable, beloved...' gentleman (meaning old Martin), and that he wants him to leave.

Martin makes a move as if to approach Pecksniff; Tom is afraid he's going to hit Pecksniff and catches him. At the same time, Pecksniff steps back and tumbles over a chair.


Mr. Pecksniff Renounces the Deceiver, by Phiz
From the Victorian Web, image scanned by Philip V. Allingham

Martin is furious and contemptuous. He leaves rapidly. Tom catches up with him to ask where he is going. He is going to America!

Tom gives him a book and tells him he has turned down a particular leaf. He is crying. They part.

According to Forster, "Martin's ominous announcement <...> that he'd 'go to America' was a 'resolve which Dickens adopted as suddenly as his hero" :)

I'm afraid I've spent the morning writing bad things about poor young Martin :); now that he's necessarily losing some of his smugness, are we inclined to look upon him a bit more amiably? :)

Also, we've finished the fifth instalment, so tomorrow is our day to catch up and pause and reflect :)