Erewhon Revisited · Chapter
XIV: My Father Makes the Acquaintance of Mr. Balmy, and Walks with Him Next Day to Sunch’ston explained
My father, still puzzled by the rapid transformation of Erewhonian society, walks with Mr.
What happens
My father, still puzzled by the rapid transformation of Erewhonian society, walks with Mr. Balmy to Sunch'ston. Through their conversation, he learns the inner history of how Sunchildism was absorbed into the Musical Bank system, the King's reluctant conversion, and the suppression of machinery laws. Mr. Balmy reveals his own role in interpreting the Sunchild's teachings and criticizes the materialism that now threatens the miraculous foundation of the faith.
Themes in this chapter
Religion and Credulity
The chapter explores how a single miracle (the balloon ascent) uproots traditional beliefs and leads to the establishment of a new religion, despite the skepticism of its leaders.
Hypocrisy and Deception
My father deceives Mr. Balmy by pretending to have the gift of tongues, while Hanky and Panky are portrayed as initially insincere in their religious fervor.
Satire of Institutions
The Musical Banks and Bridgeford committee are satirized as self-interested institutions that co-opt the new religion for their own power and survival.
Characters to notice
- My Father
Walks with Mr. Balmy to Sunch'ston, seeking to understand the history of Erewhon's transformation; he feigns the gift of tongues and cautiously probes Mr. Balmy about Bridgeford's motives.
- Mr. Balmy
An elderly, devout Sunchildist who walks with my father; he explains the political compromises that led to the establishment of Sunchildism and criticizes the growing materialism.
- Professor Hanky
Mentioned as a key figure who, though initially insincere, later became a genuine believer and helped negotiate the absorption of Sunchildism into the Musical Bank system.
- Professor Panky
Mentioned alongside Hanky as part of the Bridgeford committee that compromised with the King to establish Sunchildism.
- George
Mentioned as having previously informed my father about the Banks losing their hold on the masses; his account is confirmed by Mr. Balmy.
- Yram
Mentioned as the Queen who wept for three months after the King's cruel orders and refused to embrace him until he embraced Sunchildism.
Key passages
“My father could understand that a single incontrovertible miracle of the first magnitude should uproot the hedges of caution in the minds of the common people, but he could not understand how such men as Hanky and Panky, who evidently did not believe that there had been any miracle at all, had been led to throw themselves so energetically into a movement so subversive of all their traditions.”
My father grasped why a major miracle would shock ordinary people into abandoning caution, but he was baffled that Hanky and Panky, who clearly doubted the miracle, would so vigorously support a movement that overturned all their traditions.
Highlights the central mystery of the chapter: the apparent hypocrisy of the intellectual leaders.
“I hear, sir, that you have the gift of tongues. The Sunchild often mentioned it to us, as having been vouchsafed long since to certain of the people, to whom, for our learning, he saw fit to feign that he belonged.”
Mr. Balmy tells my father that he has heard he possesses the gift of tongues, a power the Sunchild had spoken of as granted to ancient peoples, whom he pretended to belong to for our instruction.
Shows how my father's earlier stories have been reinterpreted as religious prophecy.
“It was mainly their doing that the Musical Banks have usurped the spiritual authority formerly exercised by the straighteners.”
Mr. Balmy blames Hanky and Panky for the Musical Banks taking over the spiritual role once held by the straighteners.
Reveals the institutional power struggle behind the religious transformation.
