Oliver Twist · Chapter
XXXVII: In Which the Reader May Perceive a Contrast, Not Uncommon in Matrimonial Cases explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Bumble, now married to Mrs. Corney and master of the workhouse, reflects on his diminished status and unhappy marriage. He meets a mysterious stranger named Monks, who inquires about the nurse who attended Oliver Twist's mother. Bumble, seeing an opportunity for profit, arranges for his wife to meet Monks. Later, Mrs. Bumble publicly humiliates him, asserting her dominance, and Bumble laments his loss of authority.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Hypocrisy
Bumble's fall from beadle to henpecked husband underscores the hypocrisy of social status, as his dignity is shown to be merely a matter of coat and hat.
Identity and Secret Origins
Monks' secret inquiry about Oliver's birth and the nurse's disclosure hints at hidden truths about Oliver's parentage.
Crime and Punishment
Bumble's opportunistic scheme to profit from the secret about Oliver's mother reflects the moral corruption and petty crimes within the parish system.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Bumble
Now married to Mrs. Corney and master of the workhouse, he feels degraded and henpecked, lamenting his loss of authority and dignity.
- Mrs. Corney
Now Mrs. Bumble, she dominates her husband, publicly humiliating him and asserting her control over the household.
- Monks
A mysterious stranger who meets with Bumble to inquire about the nurse who attended Oliver's mother, showing agitation and secrecy.
- Oliver Twist
Referenced by Monks and Bumble as the boy born in the workhouse and apprenticed to a coffin-maker, though not present in the chapter.
- Old Sally
Mentioned as the nurse who attended Oliver's mother and died the previous winter; Bumble recalls that she had a secret disclosed to Mrs. Corney.
Key passages
“I sold myself for six teaspoons, a pair of sugar-tongs, and a milk-pot; with a small quantity of secondhand furniture, and twenty pound in money.”
Bumble laments that he married Mrs. Corney for a trivial price, feeling he traded his freedom and dignity for meager possessions.
Reflects Bumble's regret over his marriage and loss of independence.
“The prerogative of a man is to command. And what's the prerogative of a woman, in the name of Goodness? To obey, ma'am.”
Bumble asserts that a man's right is to give orders, while a woman's duty is to follow them, but his wife defies this traditional hierarchy.
Highlights the gender role conflict and Bumble's failed attempt to assert authority.
“It would be hard to tell. There's no midwifery there, whichever place she's gone to; so I suppose she's out of employment, anyway.”
Bumble jokes that the old nurse is likely dead, as there is no need for midwifery in the afterlife.
Shows Bumble's crude humor and callousness when informing Monks of Old Sally's death.