Little Dorrit · Chapter
Mrs. Merdle's Complaint explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Gowan resigns herself to her son Henry's marriage to Pet Meagles, feigning reluctance to preserve her dignity among the Barnacle connections. She visits Mrs. Merdle to lament the match. Meanwhile, Mr. Merdle is criticized by his wife for his preoccupied manner in society, which she deems vulgar. Mr. Merdle defends his contributions to society through wealth, but Mrs. Merdle insists he must adopt a more detached demeanor. Edmund Sparkler is called to corroborate her complaint.
Themes in this chapter
Wealth and Moral Decline
Mr. Merdle's wealth is portrayed as a means to buy social acceptance, yet his preoccupation with business is deemed vulgar, reflecting the moral compromises of the nouveau riche.
Social Class and Hypocrisy
Mrs. Gowan feigns reluctance to the marriage to preserve her social standing, while Mrs. Merdle criticizes her husband's manner despite benefiting from his wealth, exposing class-based hypocrisy.
Characters to notice
- Mrs. Gowan
Feigns reluctance to her son's marriage to Pet Meagles, maintaining the pretense of sacrifice to uphold Barnacle dignity.
- Mr. Merdle
Defends his social role as a benefactor through wealth, but is criticized by his wife for his preoccupied and vulgar manner.
- Mrs. Merdle
Complains that her husband's business-like demeanor is unsuitable for society, urging him to adopt a more detached attitude.
- Edmund Sparkler
Called by his mother to support her complaint about Mr. Merdle's manner; he vaguely recalls hearing it noticed by 'fellers'.
- Mr. Meagles
Mentioned as having yielded his consent to the marriage, which was the sole obstacle.
- Pet Meagles
Presented to Mrs. Gowan as her future daughter-in-law; Mrs. Gowan feigns bewilderment at her son's attachment.
Key passages
“Resigning herself to inevitable fate by making the best of those people, the Miggleses, and submitting her philosophy to the draught upon it, of which she had foreseen the likelihood in her interview with Arthur, Mrs. Gowan handsomely resolved not to oppose her son's marriage.”
Mrs. Gowan, having anticipated the situation during her talk with Arthur, gracefully decided to accept her son's marriage to the Meagles family, making the best of what she considered an unavoidable outcome.
Highlights Mrs. Gowan's strategic acceptance of the marriage to maintain social appearances.
“I, who shower money upon it in this way? I, who might always be said—to—to—to harness myself to a watering-cart full of money, and go about saturating Society every day of my life.”
Mr. Merdle protests that he pours vast wealth into society, comparing himself to a cart spreading money everywhere.
Illustrates Mr. Merdle's view of his role as a financial benefactor to society, despite his wife's criticism.