Dombey and Son · Chapter
What the Waves Were Always Saying explained
Paul Dombey lies on his deathbed, attended by his devoted sister Florence.
What happens
Paul Dombey lies on his deathbed, attended by his devoted sister Florence. He experiences visions of a rushing river and the sea, speaks of his mother, and asks to see his old nurse and Walter Gay. After bidding farewell to his father and Walter, Paul dies peacefully in Florence's arms, envisioning his mother waiting for him on the shore. The chapter ends with Miss Tox lamenting that Dombey and Son should be a daughter after all.
Themes in this chapter
Innocence and Childhood
Paul's gentle, accepting approach to death and his pure love for Florence embody the Victorian ideal of the innocent child.
Family and Neglect
Mr. Dombey's silent, pained presence contrasts with Florence's constant devotion, highlighting the emotional distance in the family.
Love and Sacrifice
Florence's unwavering care for Paul and Paul's concern for her well-being exemplify selfless sibling love.
Characters to notice
- Paul Dombey
On his deathbed, Paul experiences visions of a river and the sea, speaks of his mother, and bids farewell to his father and Walter Gay before dying peacefully.
- Florence Dombey
Florence remains constantly at Paul's side, comforting him, holding him, and being the one constant presence as he fades.
- Mr. Dombey
Mr. Dombey sits silently at the foot of Paul's bed, his face altered with pain, and is bid farewell by Paul who asks him not to be sorry.
- Walter Gay
Walter is called to Paul's bedside at Paul's request; Paul says goodbye to him and asks his father to remember Walter.
- Polly Toodle
Paul's old nurse is brought to him; she weeps over him and he recognizes her kind face, calling her his old nurse.
- Miss Tox
Miss Tox appears at the end of the chapter, weeping and lamenting that Dombey and Son should be a daughter after all.
Key passages
“How fast the river runs, between its green banks and the rushes, Floy! But it's very near the sea. I hear the waves! They always said so!”
Paul tells Florence that the river of life is carrying him swiftly toward the ocean of death, and he can hear the waves that have always been calling to him.
Paul's final vision of the river and sea symbolizes his imminent death and the fulfillment of the novel's recurring motif.
“Mama is like you, Floy. I know her by the face! But tell them that the print upon the stairs at school is not divine enough. The light about the head is shining on me as I go!”
Paul sees his mother's face in Florence and says the picture at Dr. Blimber's school does not capture her true divinity; he feels a heavenly light guiding him as he dies.
Paul's vision of his mother and the heavenly light reinforces the theme of spiritual transcendence and reunion in death.
“Dear me, dear me! To think... that Dombey and Son should be a Daughter after all!”
Miss Tox exclaims in sorrow that the great firm of Dombey and Son, built on the hope of a male heir, will now pass to a daughter, Florence.
This line underscores the irony of Mr. Dombey's obsession with a son, as his daughter becomes his sole surviving child and heir.