# Chapter II explained — His Family

> Chapter companion for His Family by Ernest Poole.

## What happens

Roger Gale lies in bed, reflecting on his children—Edith's pregnancy, Bruce's relentless work, Deborah's teaching in the tenements, and Laura's wild behavior—and resolves to know them better. Later, Deborah returns home and they discuss Bruce's engineering, George's mischief with a rat, and Deborah's progressive educational ideas, which Roger finds unsettling. After Deborah plays the piano to relax, Roger secures the house and goes to bed, contemplating the encroaching modern city.

## Themes in this chapter

### Family and Generational Change

Roger reflects on his children's divergent lives and feels the need to know them better, highlighting generational shifts.

### Urban vs. Rural Life

Roger's aversion to tenement immigrants and the encroaching apartment building contrasts with his pastoral landscape poster.

### Social Reform and Education

Deborah advocates for child-centered, interest-driven schooling, clashing with Roger's traditional views.

## Character check-ins

### Roger Gale

Lies in bed worrying about his children, resolves to know them better, later secures the house and reflects on his wife Judith.

### Deborah Gale

Returns home tired from work, discusses Bruce and George with her father, advocates for progressive education, then plays piano to relax.

### Laura Gale

Mentioned as Roger's youngest daughter, wild and gadding about; returns home late with rippling laughter.

### Edith Gale

Mentioned as approaching confinement and anxious about her family; visited earlier but missed Deborah.

### Bruce Cunningham

Mentioned as driving himself hard downtown; visited Roger that evening and discussed 'engineering'.

### George

Mentioned as Edith's oldest son, Roger's favorite grandson; traded his breeches for a white rat and got a poor school report.

## Key lines

> Through his children he felt flowing into his house the seething life of this new town.

Roger senses the vibrant, chaotic energy of modern city life entering his home through his children.

_Reflects Roger's discomfort with urban change and generational shift._

> We're going to put the rat in the school... we'll have a regular zoo in school.

Deborah proposes using George's interest in animals to create a zoo at school as a learning tool.

_Illustrates Deborah's progressive educational philosophy._

> He had a deep aversion for those millions of foreign tenement people, always shoving, shoving upward through the filth of their surroundings.

Roger strongly dislikes the immigrant populations pushing into his neighborhood.

_Highlights Roger's prejudice and fear of urban change._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/his_family_se/chapters/ii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/his_family_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/his_family_se/chapters