# Miss Tox Improves an Old Acquaintance explained — Dombey and Son

> Chapter companion for Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens.

## What happens

Miss Tox, feeling lonely and abandoned by Mrs. Chick and Mr. Dombey, decides to renew her acquaintance with the Toodle family. She visits them, offers to teach their children, and seeks to stay connected to news about Mr. Dombey's household. She also befriends Rob the Grinder, giving him a half-crown, though he later spends it dishonestly.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Hierarchy

Miss Tox's visit to the Toodles illustrates the crossing of class boundaries, as she seeks comfort and news from a lower-status family while maintaining her own sense of propriety.

### Pride and Ambition

Miss Tox's continued reverence for Mr. Dombey, despite his coldness, shows her pride in associating with his grandeur and her ambition to remain connected to his world.

## Character check-ins

### Miss Tox

Feeling depressed and lonely after being cut off from Mrs. Chick and Mr. Dombey, she visits the Toodles to maintain a connection to the Dombey household.

### Mr. Toodle

The cindery and swart engine-driver, enjoying tea with his family, is initially confused by Miss Tox's visit but agrees to her proposal.

### Polly Toodle

Gratified by Miss Tox's visit and offer to teach her children, she welcomes the renewed friendship.

### Rob the Grinder

The eldest Toodle child, now a young man, is drawn out by Miss Tox and presents himself as virtuous, but later spends her half-crown dishonestly.

### Mrs. Chick

Mentioned as having abandoned Miss Tox, causing her distress.

### Mr. Dombey

Referenced as the object of Miss Tox's continued admiration and interest, though she feels distanced from him.

## Key lines

> The forlorn Miss Tox, abandoned by her friend Louisa Chick, and bereft of Mr. Dombey’s countenance... became depressed in her spirits, and suffered much from melancholy.

Miss Tox, feeling abandoned by Mrs. Chick and cut off from Mr. Dombey, grew very sad and lonely.

_Describes Miss Tox's emotional state at the start of the chapter._

> Rob the Grinder, in his modesty, would have walked behind, but Miss Tox desired him to keep beside her, for conversational purposes; and, as she afterwards expressed it to his mother, 'drew him out,' upon the road.

Rob the Grinder modestly tried to walk behind, but Miss Tox asked him to walk beside her so she could talk with him, later telling his mother she 'drew him out.'

_Shows Miss Tox's interest in Rob and her conversational approach._

> Who ran sniggering off to get change, and tossed it away with a pieman. But they never taught honour at the Grinders’ School, where the system that prevailed was particularly strong in the engendering of hypocrisy.

Rob sneaked off to get change and spent the half-crown on a pie, highlighting that the Grinders' School taught hypocrisy rather than honor.

_Reveals Rob's dishonesty and criticizes the school's moral education._

## Links

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