Harding’s Luck · Chapter
Going Home explained
Dickie and Mr.
What happens
Dickie and Mr. Beale decide to leave Deptford and take to the road with their dogs, seeking more space and freedom. Before they can depart, Mr. Beale buys a trick dachshund that escapes by opening doors, delaying their plans. They eventually set out, and along the way they visit Beale's elderly father, leading to a tentative reunion.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Belonging
The chapter centers on Beale's hesitant reunion with his father, exploring themes of filial duty, forgiveness, and the longing for home.
Loyalty and Sacrifice
Dickie and Beale's loyalty to each other and to their dogs is tested as they plan their departure and deal with the loss of the dachshund.
Class and Gentility
The contrast between the respectable, flower-adorned cottage of Beale's father and the trampled, dog-filled backyard in Deptford highlights class aspirations and the struggle for gentility.
Characters to notice
- Dickie Harding
Dickie works hard, earns money, and helps manage the dog-trade. He persuades Beale to visit his father and feels a strange connection upon hearing the name Arden.
- Mr. Beale
Beale's dog-trade prospers, but he grows restless in Deptford. He proposes taking to the road, buys a trick dachshund, and hesitantly reunites with his elderly father.
- Amelia
Amelia is hired to care for the dogs while Beale and Dickie travel, though she is blamed for leaving a door open that allows the dachshund to escape.
- Farver
Beale's elderly father lives alone in a cottage under Arden Knoll with a neat garden and a spaniel. He is initially wary but agrees to see his son.
- True
True accompanies Dickie and Beale on their journey and is noticed by the old man's spaniel, Trusty.
Key passages
“I dunno,” said Beale. “What you think? Eh, matey?” “I think let’s ,” said Dickie. “I lay if he’s alive it ’ud be as good as three Sundays in the week to him to see you. You was his little boy once, wasn’t you?””
Beale hesitates about visiting his father, but Dickie encourages him, saying the old man would be overjoyed to see his son.
Dickie persuades Beale to reunite with his father, appealing to Beale's own childhood memories.
“Swelp me, I can’t do it!” whispered Beale. “I’ll walk on a bit. You just arst for a drink, and sort of see ’ow the land lays. It might turn ’im up seeing me so sudden. Good old dad!””
Beale loses his nerve at the last moment and asks Dickie to approach his father first to gauge his reaction.
Beale's anxiety about the reunion shows his fear of rejection and his deep respect for his father.
“Then ’e oughter know better,” said the old man, and shouted in a thin, high voice, “Jim, Jim, come along in this minute!””
Old Beale scolds his son for waiting outside and calls him in immediately, revealing that he is ready to welcome him.
The old man's direct command shows his authority and underlying affection, mirroring the biblical Prodigal Son story.