He Knew He Was Right · Chapter
Mr. Bozzle at Home explained
Trevelyan, isolated and without allies, relies solely on the detective Bozzle to recover his son.
What happens
Trevelyan, isolated and without allies, relies solely on the detective Bozzle to recover his son. However, Bozzle's wife persuades him to withdraw from the case, deeming the plan to forcibly take the child improper. When Trevelyan visits Bozzle at home, he is repulsed by the squalor and his own degradation. Bozzle suggests that Emily and Colonel Osborne have secretly met, driving Trevelyan into a furious despair.
Themes in this chapter
Madness and Obsession
Trevelyan's obsessive jealousy and isolation have driven him to the brink of madness; he is haggard, drinks brandy in the morning, and cannot function socially.
Class and Professional Identity
The chapter contrasts Trevelyan's fallen gentility with Bozzle's domestic squalor, highlighting the degradation Trevelyan feels in relying on a detective and the loss of his own social standing.
Marital Jealousy and Possessiveness
Trevelyan's obsession with controlling his wife and child, and his fury at the mere suggestion of Emily meeting Colonel Osborne, underscore the destructive power of jealousy.
Characters to notice
- Louis Trevelyan
Now friendless and desperate, Trevelyan relies solely on Bozzle. He is haggard, ill-dressed, and aware of his own degradation, having taken to drinking brandy in the morning.
- Mr. Bozzle
The ex-policeman detective is losing enthusiasm for the case, influenced by his wife's objections. He is seen at home with his coat off and a baby in his arms, struggling to maintain his professional authority.
- Mrs. Bozzle
She opposes the plan to take the child by force, arguing it is not 'regular business.' She advises Bozzle to collect what is owed and withdraw from Trevelyan's employment.
- Emily Trevelyan
Referred to as 'Madame T.' by the Bozzles. She is the subject of Bozzle's surveillance, and he insinuates that she has secretly met with Colonel Osborne.
- Colonel Osborne
Bozzle reports that the Colonel is in London attending to parliamentary duties, and suggests that he has been meeting with Emily Trevelyan in secret.
Key passages
“It had now come to pass that Trevelyan had not a friend in the world to whom he could apply in the matter of his wife and family.”
Trevelyan was now completely isolated, with no one left to help him regarding his wife and child.
Establishes Trevelyan's total alienation from all former allies.
“The truth was that Mrs. Bozzle was opposed to the proposed separation of the mother and the child, and that Bozzle was a man who listened to the words of his wife.”
Mrs. Bozzle disapproved of taking the child from its mother, and Bozzle heeded her advice.
Reveals the domestic influence that sways Bozzle's professional actions.
“He was very wretched, understanding well the degradation to which he was subjecting himself in discussing his wife’s conduct with this man;—but with whom else could he discuss it?”
Trevelyan was deeply miserable, fully aware of how low he had stooped by confiding in Bozzle, yet he had no one else to turn to.
Highlights Trevelyan's self-awareness and despair over his social and moral decline.