Erewhon · Chapter
XIV: Mahaina explained
The narrator continues his stay with the Nosnibors, observing their social circle and the peculiar Erewhonian attitudes toward illness and morality.
What happens
The narrator continues his stay with the Nosnibors, observing their social circle and the peculiar Erewhonian attitudes toward illness and morality. A visit from Mahaina, who claims to suffer from dipsomania, sparks a lengthy and contradictory discussion among the women about whether her intemperance is real or feigned. The narrator becomes increasingly disturbed by their convoluted reasoning and the societal pressure to conceal bodily weakness, reflecting on the impossibility of honest discourse about health in Erewhon.
Themes in this chapter
Inversion of Morality
Erewhon's inversion of moral and physical responsibility is highlighted: illness is treated as a crime, while moral failings like dipsomania are discussed as if they were physical ailments.
Truth and Deception
The chapter explores the theme of dissembling and concealment, as Mahaina's true condition is debated and people hide their health to avoid social punishment.
Family and Parent-Child Relations
The Nosnibor family dynamics are on display, with Zulora and her sister expressing differing views, and Mrs. Nosnibor guiding the conversation with charitable hypocrisy.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
Observes and reflects critically on the Erewhonian treatment of illness and morality, particularly regarding Mahaina's supposed dipsomania.
- Mahaina
A lady who claims to suffer from dipsomania; her visit sparks debate about the reality of her intemperance.
- Zulora
Elder daughter of the Nosnibors; she is skeptical of Mahaina's claims and suggests her condition is a pretense to avoid calisthenics.
- Mrs. Nosnibor
Hostess who participates in the discussion about Mahaina, hinting that her case may not be genuine.
- Mr. Nosnibor
Recovered from his flogging and looking forward to the last one; he is busy with business and appears prosperous.
- The Nosnibors
The family with whom the narrator is staying; they introduce him to their social circle and engage in the debate about Mahaina.
Key passages
“I had fallen upon a set of people who, in spite of their high civilisation and many excellences, had been so warped by the mistaken views presented to them during childhood from generation to generation, that it was impossible to see how they could ever clear themselves.”
The narrator laments that the Erewhonians, despite their advanced culture, are trapped by deeply ingrained misconceptions passed down through generations, making reform seem hopeless.
Reflects the narrator's despair at the rigidity of Erewhonian social and moral codes.
“In their eagerness to stamp out disease, these people overshot their mark; for people had become so clever at dissembling—they painted their faces with such consummate skill—they repaired the decay of time and the effects of mischance with such profound dissimulation—that it was really impossible to say whether anyone was well or ill till after an intimate acquaintance of months or years.”
The narrator observes that the harsh punishment of illness has driven people to hide their ailments so effectively that it is nearly impossible to know anyone's true health status.
Highlights the unintended consequence of Erewhon's health laws: widespread deception rather than honesty.
“It appeared to me that the first step towards the cure of disease should be the announcement of the fact to a person’s near relations and friends.”
The narrator suggests that openly acknowledging illness to loved ones would be a healthier approach than the current culture of concealment.
Contrasts Erewhonian practice with the narrator's own views on medical transparency.
