More Birds of Prey explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Charity and Hypocrisy

  Riderhood's self-justifying speech about his false accusation reveals his hypocrisy, while the visitor's concern for Hexam's children shows a form of charity.

• Identity and Disguise

  The mysterious visitor remains unnamed, his identity concealed, adding an element of disguise and secrecy.

Characters to notice

• Roger Riderhood

  Dwells in Limehouse Hole; confronted by a mysterious visitor about his false accusation against Gaffer Hexam.

• Pleasant Riderhood

  Rogue's daughter, runs a small pawnbroking shop; mediates between her father and the visitor.

• Lizzie Hexam

  Mentioned as Gaffer Hexam's daughter; the visitor seeks to protect her from stigma.

• Charley Hexam

  Mentioned as Gaffer Hexam's son; the visitor wants to prevent stigma attaching to him.

• Mortimer Lightwood

  Referenced as one of the 'Governors' to whom Riderhood gave his false information.

Key passages

• “Rogue Riderhood dwelt deep and dark in Limehouse Hole, among the riggers, and the mast, oar and block makers, and the boat-builders, and the sail-lofts, as in a kind of ship's hold stored full of waterside characters”

  Rogue Riderhood lived in the gloomy, crowded riverside district of Limehouse Hole, surrounded by various maritime workers and rough characters.

  Establishes Riderhood's environment and social context.

• “Show her a live father, and she saw but a duplicate of her own father, who from her infancy had been taken with fits and starts of discharging his duty to her, which duty was always incorporated in the form of a fist or a leathern strap”

  When Pleasant saw any living father, she only saw a version of her own, who had sporadically 'disciplined' her with beatings.

  Reveals Pleasant's traumatic view of fatherhood and her own upbringing.