Martin Chuzzlewit · Chapter
Chapter XI explained
Jonas Chuzzlewit hosts a dinner with his father Anthony, the ancient clerk Chuffey, and his cousins Charity and Mercy Pecksniff.
What happens
Jonas Chuzzlewit hosts a dinner with his father Anthony, the ancient clerk Chuffey, and his cousins Charity and Mercy Pecksniff. The meal is marked by Jonas's cynical business maxims and his father's approving laughter. After dinner, Jonas takes the sisters on a long walk through London, showing them free sights and mocking those who pay for entertainment. They end at the gloomy, business-dominated house of Anthony Chuzzlewit and Son, where a sparse dinner is served.
Themes in this chapter
Greed and Corruption
Jonas's business maxim 'Do other men, for they would do you' and his father's approval epitomize the corrupt, self-serving ethos that pervades the Chuzzlewit family.
Family and Dysfunction
The strained relationship between Jonas and his father Anthony, with Jonas calling him 'ghost' and treating him with contempt, highlights deep familial dysfunction.
Hypocrisy and Self-Deception
Anthony openly calls Pecksniff a hypocrite while praising his own son's ruthless pragmatism, revealing his own self-deception about family loyalty.
Characters to notice
- Jonas Chuzzlewit
Hosts the dinner, voices cynical business precepts ('Do other men, for they would do you'), and treats his father with disrespect, calling him 'ghost'.
- Anthony Chuzzlewit
Old father of Jonas, laughs approvingly at his son's remarks and dotes on him, calling him a 'sharp lad'.
- Chuffey
Ancient clerk, largely silent and frozen, only animated by a word or touch from Anthony; soaks his bread mechanically in tea.
- Charity Pecksniff
Makes tea and acts like the lady of the house, receiving Jonas's admiring whispers; shows jealousy toward her sister Mercy.
- Mercy Pecksniff
Reluctant to join the outing, teases Jonas openly, calling him 'fright' and 'odious'; prefers the society of Todgers's.
Key passages
“Do other men, for they would do you. That’s the true business precept. All others are counterfeits.”
Treat others as they would treat you—that is the only real rule in business; everything else is fake.
Jonas articulates his cynical, predatory business philosophy during dinner.
“You may overdo anything, my darlings. You may overdo even hypocrisy. Ask Jonas!”
You can take anything too far, my dears, even being a hypocrite. Just ask Jonas.
Anthony Chuzzlewit jokes about Pecksniff's hypocrisy, suggesting that even deceit can be excessive.
“I should think it was. What’s the good of that? I should think it was. I want to know.”
I suppose it is. But what use is that? I suppose it is—I need a definite answer.
Jonas dismisses his father's vague reply about dinner readiness, showing his impatience and disrespect.