Victorians! discussion

Brief summary:

Chapter 24 brings us back to London and to Pecksniff household. The story resumes from the place where Old Chuzzlewit and Mary's visit to Mr. Pecksniff. After sending Tom Pinch to warn her daughters, and hiding from Jonas Chuzzlewit the fact of his uncle's arrival, Mr. Pecksniff welcomes the visitors. Mr. Pecksniff seems to be a very seasoned actor. He pretends that his delay in answering the bell is due to his working in the garden. The Pecksniff sisters come down to play host and Pecksniff warms his way to inform to Old Chuzzlewit of Jonas's presence in the house. The company is a strained one mainly because the new hostility between the sisters. Soon the visitors departs for The Dragon. Mr. Pinch is asked to see them back to the Inn. On his way back, Pinch was accosted by Jonas. Seems he has followed them. Jonas acts rude and threatening towards Pinch. He tolerates his insolence with a quite dignity. But Jonas's continued misbehaviour and his insultory remarks about young Martin rouses Pinch. A skirmish between the two sees Jonas being hurt. They go back to Pecksniffs. Jonas refrains from telling the truth and Pinch holds his peace. But Charity guesses the truth and is delighted. She declares Pinch her friend. Old Chuzzlewit visits Pecksniff family often. He seems to be observing them closely. The Old Martin Chuzzlewit looks like a very shrewd fellow. He even questions Merry of her reasons to marry Jonas. Her replies aren't satisfactory. There are already signs that Jonas and Merry won't be happy in their marriage.

Chapter 25 brings back Mrs. Gamp and Mr. Mould (the undertaker). After a description of Mould family, we are informed about the development of late Anthony Chuzzlewit household. It seems that Jonas has departed with Pecksniff after handing Mr. Chuffy to Mrs. Gamp's care. She watches Chuffy until Jonas's return. Meanwhile, she is being offered a night watching job elsewhere. With Mr. Mould's permission, she discreetly undertakes it. The new patient is kept mysterious. We meet Mr. Westlock who seems to have some connection with the patient and who is willing to bear expenses for doctor and nurses. The patient in his delirium mentions Jonas Chuzzlewit. Who could this mysterious patient be?

Chapter 26 introduces Mrs. Gamp's landlord, Mr. Sweedlepipe. We also meet Bailey of Todgers's. Mr. Sweedlepipe was going to Jonas Chuzzlewit's house to pick Mrs. Gamp when he meets Bailey. He accompanies Mr. Sweedlepipe. Bailey learns that Jonas Chuzzlewit has married and assumes it to be Charity. He is surprised to learn that it's Mercy Jonas has married. The couple arrives and Mrs. Gamp observes that the bride is not merry.

We meet Mr. Tigg in Chapter 27. He styles himself now as Tigg Montague. Bailey, we learn, is in his service as driver. Mr. Tigg has now become quite rich and is bent on starting a insurance company. He discusses his intention with one Mr. David Crimple and both agree to form one. Mr. Tigg becomes the chairman and Mr. Crimple, the secretary and the resident director. Their office looks rich and respectable but we know enough of Tigg to be cautious. His business can be nothing but shady. Mr. Tigg hires the service of Mr. Jobling, the physician who treated the late Anthony Chuzzlewit. The doctor helps Tigg's business by examining patients of and recommending them (indirectly) to Mr Tigg's for insurance. Jobling brings in Jonas Chuzzlewit who comes to insure his wife's life. (I didn't find that all comfortable. Jonas is a unscrupulous man.) Tigg immediately starts coaxing Jonas to join the company. At first, after learning who Tigg is, Jonas is a bit reluctant. But Tigg is smart enough to address to Jonas's greed. Still, Jonas doesn't commit himself and Tigg hires one Mr. Nadgett to watch Jonas and find information.

In chapter 28, Jonas attends the dinner at Tigg's. He meet Crimple, Jobling and another two. (I feel they are men hired to play a part) Tigg offers enough wine to make Jonas talk. In his drunkenness, he lays himself bare. Tigg and Crimple are all ears, probably to pass this information to Nadgett who is investigating into Jonas's dealings. Later in the chapter, we learn how he ill-treats Merry.

Chapter 29 brings Mr. Bailey, Mr. Sweedlepipe, and Mrs Gamp back into the scene. Bailey insists on having a shaving from Sweedlepipe. They are visited in the shop by Mrs. Gamp who informs them of her temporary departure with the new patient. This new patient is the mysterious patient we encountered in an earlier chapter. Mr. Westlock comes to meet him before departure. The patient, though weak, intimates to Westlock that he has an important thing to say to him but declines to do it immediately since he feels weak.

A lot of things happen in this section. How did you like it?

Wow, Tom Pinch! Who would have thought that he had it in him to stand up to Jonas Chuzzlewit? I am a little proud of him. And still feeling protective. Martin sr, you better be nice to our dear Tom!

In this section, my fears for Mercy were confirmed. Jonas is cruel and has evil intentions. Didn't take him long to subdue the giddy girl. He has more, and worse, planned for her. Poor girl, she does not deserve such a fate whatever her shortcomings are. I don't quite understand why Jonas rushed into this marriage at all.

Who is the unknown stranger nursed by Mrs Gamp? A school-friend of John Westlock AND an acquaintance of Jonas C.? For an instance I was wondering, if different chapters followed different timelines and Martin jr is back from America. However, the stranger's name is Lewsome, which does not ring a bell. What's his secret?

And how do they all know each other? Not just Westlock, Newsome and Jonas, but also Tigg, Crimple, Bailey jr, the doctor...all the baddies now coming together in one big, fraudulent scheme.

A rather dreary section with little to laugh about.

I was also happy to see Tom Pinch stands up to the bully, Jonas. He showed that he has strength of character. I hope that he'll stand up to Pecksniff someday. He shamelessly takes advantage of Tom.

Like you, I also initially thought that the stranger is Martin jr. But he is not. There must be some significance in that character, I feel.

As if to reflect the perilous state of affairs of young Martin in America, this section was bleak, unsavoury and sporadically violent, with only short bursts of somewhat dark humour to relieve the melancholic tone.

Jonas’ menacing presence could be felt throughout this section, even though it seemed that both Tom Pinch and the Tigg gang might be getting the better of him. Old Martin seemed to have the wisest approach and that was to keep him at arms length. His cowardly, vindictive abuse of Mercy revealed the true nature of the man and I fear that he may plot some sort of revenge on Tom.

If Jonas was attempting to insure Mercy’s life then he seems to be already plotting to get rid of her and make some money at the same time. As part of the gang what more havoc could he wreak?

If Bailey had something of a cheeky cockney chappie character at Todgers, his endearing nature felt a little less engaging being the employee of a gangster. His heart is obviously still more or less in the right place, but the way he put his own position before Mercy’s obvious distress gave him a black mark in my book. Hopefully, he might redeem himself later now that he knows how badly Jonas is treating Mercy.

The Gamp/Mould comedy elements (not forgetting Poll Sweedlepipe and his feathered friends) did bring a titter ( and maybe a twitter) or two out of me.

’ The partner of his life, and daughters twain, were Mr Mould's companions. Plump as any partridge was each Miss Mould, and Mrs M. was plumper than the two together. So round and chubby were their fair proportions, that they might have been the bodies once belonging to the angels' faces in the shop below, grown up, with other heads attached to make them mortal. Even their peachy cheeks were puffed out and distended, as though they ought of right to be performing on celestial trumpets. The bodiless cherubs in the shop, who were depicted as constantly blowing those instruments for ever and ever without any lungs, played, it is to be presumed, entirely by ear.’

But the presence of that mysterious stranger, barely alive, tended to dampen my enthusiasm for humour. Mould wanted him dead, Gamp tried to keep him alive and John Westlock wanted to hear more about his involvement with the detestable Jonas.

Here is one of Fred Barnard’s illustrations of the Moulds and Mrs Gamp enjoying a beverage from Chapter twenty five.



’ "Whether I sicks or monthlies, Ma'am, . . . . I do require it, which I makes confession, to be brought reg'lar and draw'd mild." — Fred Barnard's thirty-first composite wood-block engraving for Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit, Chapter XXV, page 209. [Dickens has Mrs. Gamp stipulate her conditions of employment, including regular service of alcoholic beverages, in order to underscore her bibulous nature and lax professional standards as a private nurse.] 10.5 x 13.7 cm, or 4 ¼ high by 5 ½ inches, framed, engraved by the Dalziels. Running head: "The Bull's Patient," 209. ‘

From the ‘Victorian Web’ - https://victorianweb.org/art/illustra...

That's a cool illustration, Trev. Thanks, for sharing. I also felt uneasy with Jonas's wish to insure Mercy's life. Nothing good will come out of that. Poor girl.

Why on earth did Mercy marry Jonas? It was obvious that she didn’t love him yet the marriage seemed to go ahead regardless. Mercy got what she deserved. I think she’s a precocious little fool who only married to spite her sister and now the effluent has hit the fan!

I think you rightly hit on the nail, Neil. "To spite her sister" is precisely the reason for her saying yes to Jonas. She really is a fool and a very poor judge of character. Still, I feel sorry for her.

It's been many years since I read this Dickens novel, so I'm greatly enjoying the mysteries and all the reveals that are now new to me. Just some random comments:
I actually have hope for Mr. Bailey in his concerns for Merry. He seems to be maturing from the silly boy we saw earlier.
Hurray for Mr. Pinch for socking the reptilian Jonas! I believed from the beginning that under his accomodating nature there was a steel core.
Mr. Tig - all I can say is "born to hang!"
Pol Sweedlepipe is an even better name than Mr. Mould.
Poor Mercy! She was a foolish young woman to marry Jonas just to spite her sister, but she does not deserve what Jonas is dishing out. I hope she survives it.
Mr. Chuffy shows awareness and deep emotion at the most interesting times. I wonder if he will be a more important character as the story develops.

I'm glad you're enjoying the book, Nancy. I also get the feeling that Chuffy will be an important character. Dickens wouldn't have created him for nothing.