# Mr. Merdle's Complaint explained — Little Dorrit

> Chapter companion for Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.

## What happens

This chapter depicts a grand dinner party at the Merdle residence, attended by a host of influential figures from the Court, City, Commons, Lords, and other institutions. Mr. Merdle, though the host, appears detached and fatigued, drinking tea in a corner while his guests flatter him and discuss his immense wealth. The narrative satirizes Society's sycophantic pursuit of riches, highlighting Mr. Merdle's physical and emotional malaise, and ends with a physician noting his poor health.

## Themes in this chapter

### Wealth and Moral Decline

Mr. Merdle's immense wealth is celebrated by Society, yet he appears physically and emotionally depleted, suggesting that riches come at a moral and personal cost.

### Social Class and Hypocrisy

The dinner party is a display of sycophantic flattery and superficiality, where magnates praise Mr. Merdle for his wealth while he remains isolated and unwell, exposing the hypocrisy of high society.

## Character check-ins

### Mr. Merdle

The host of the grand dinner, appearing fatigued and detached, drinking tea in a corner while Society flatters him. He is the subject of much discussion regarding his wealth and influence.

### Mrs. Merdle

The magnificent hostess, whose bosom is a focal point of admiration. She is associated with the social elite and her first husband was a colonel.

### Edmund Sparkler

Mrs. Merdle's son from her first marriage, described as chuckle-headed and monomaniacal in offering marriage to undesirable young ladies. He is considered a suitable son-in-law for Society.

### Bar

A lawyer who flatters Mr. Merdle and suggests he purchase a large estate for Society's benefit, using his persuasive double eyeglass and jury droop.

### Bishop

A magnate who speaks of the importance of wealth for Society and suggests Mr. Merdle contribute to missions and the Additional Endowed Dignitaries Committee.

### Physician

A famous physician who attends the party and notes Mr. Merdle's poor health, arranging a consultation for the next day.

## Key lines

> Mr. Merdle himself was usually late on these occasions, as a man still detained in the clutch of giant enterprises when other men had shaken off their dwarfs for the day.

Mr. Merdle typically arrived late to his own dinners because he was still caught up in his massive business dealings, while others had finished their smaller tasks.

_Highlights Merdle's constant preoccupation with his financial empire._

> Society had everything it could want, and could not want, for dinner. It had everything to look at, and everything to eat, and everything to drink. It is to be hoped it enjoyed itself; for Mr. Merdle's own share of the repast might have been paid for with eighteenpence.

The dinner offered every possible luxury, but Mr. Merdle himself ate very little, suggesting his personal enjoyment was minimal despite the lavishness.

_Emphasizes the contrast between Society's excess and Merdle's personal detachment._

> Mr. Merdle drank twopennyworth of tea in a corner and got more than he wanted.

Mr. Merdle consumed a cheap cup of tea in a corner, yet received more attention and flattery than he desired.

_Illustrates Merdle's isolation and the irony of his social position._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se/chapters/xxi-mr-merdle-s-complaint
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se/chapters