Framley Parsonage · Chapter
Is There Cause or Just Impediment? explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Gresham attempts to play matchmaker between her uncle, Dr. Thorne, and Miss Dunstable, but her efforts are met with resistance and awkwardness. Miss Dunstable expresses her fears about being valued only for her wealth, comparing herself to a two-headed sheep. Despite Mrs. Gresham's hints, Dr. Thorne remains silent and embarrassed, leaving the situation unresolved.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Marriage
The central focus is on the potential marriage between Dr. Thorne and Miss Dunstable, exploring the complexities of affection versus financial motives.
Social Ambition and Class
Miss Dunstable discusses her rise from a lower class to wealth and the resulting isolation, highlighting class distinctions and the stigma of being a wealthy heiress.
Debt and Financial Ruin
Indirectly referenced through Miss Dunstable's awareness that her wealth makes her a target for fortune hunters, contrasting with the financial troubles seen elsewhere in the novel.
Characters to notice
- Miss Dunstable
Engages in a candid conversation with Mrs. Gresham about her wealth and the difficulty of finding genuine affection, comparing herself to a two-headed sheep.
- Fanny Robarts
As Mrs. Gresham, she attempts to arrange a marriage between her uncle Dr. Thorne and Miss Dunstable, but struggles with her own courage and the fear of being misunderstood.
- Dr. Thorne
Visits Boxall Hill but is reserved and embarrassed, avoiding being alone with Miss Dunstable, and gives no clear response to Mrs. Gresham's matchmaking hints.
- Lady Scatcherd
Mentioned in jest by Miss Dunstable as a comparison to herself in terms of class and as a friend of Dr. Thorne.
Key passages
“If a sheep have two heads, is not the fact of the two heads the first and, indeed, only thing which the world regards in that sheep?”
Miss Dunstable compares herself to a two-headed sheep, implying that her wealth overshadows her personal qualities in the eyes of potential suitors.
This metaphor illustrates her belief that her fortune makes her a spectacle rather than a person to be loved for herself.
“I am the unmarried woman with—half a dozen millions of money—as I believe some people think.”
Miss Dunstable sarcastically describes herself as a wealthy unmarried woman, exaggerating the amount to highlight how others perceive her.
This underscores her frustration with being defined solely by her inheritance.
“What, and rob poor Lady Scatcherd!”
Miss Dunstable jokes that marrying Dr. Thorne would take him away from Lady Scatcherd, deflecting Mrs. Gresham's matchmaking attempt.
This quip shows her use of humor to avoid serious discussion about marriage.