Phoebe, Junior · Chapter
Mr. Copperhead's Ball explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Copperhead hosts a grand ball, a novel event for the chapel community, which is indulgent due to his wealth. The minister and his family attend, with Phoebe Beecham insisting on wearing black to stand out. Clarence Copperhead becomes infatuated with her. The ball is attended by Mr. Copperhead's own class, who are envious, and the Dorset family, representing society, along with their humble companion Ursula May.
Themes in this chapter
Wealth and Power
Mr. Copperhead's wealth allows him to host a ball despite religious prejudices, and his friends' envy gratifies him more than aristocratic approval.
Social Class and Mobility
The ball showcases the tension between the nouveau riche Copperheads and the established but faded Dorsets, with Phoebe's eligibility questioned.
Appearance vs. Reality
Phoebe's deliberate choice of black to stand out contrasts with Ursula's simple white frock, highlighting the performative nature of social events.
Characters to notice
- Phoebe Tozer
Debates dress choices with her mother, insists on wearing black to look her best, and attracts Clarence Copperhead's attention.
- Clarence Copperhead
Initially despairs at the ball but becomes a hopeless victim to Phoebe's fascinations, scarcely leaving her side.
- Mrs. Copperhead
The hostess, grateful for the Dorsets' kindness in her youth, but overshadowed by her husband's dominance.
- Ursula May
A poor relative attending with the Dorsets, dressed in white, attending her first ball with delight and anticipation.
- Sir Robert Dorset
Attends the ball out of curiosity, viewing the event as akin to visiting the Cannibal Islands to observe savages.
- Reverend Mr. Beecham
Justifies attending the ball on high moral grounds, asserting it gives character to proceedings.
Key passages
“Very wealthy persons are like spoilt children, their caprices are allowed to be natural, and even when we are angry with them we excuse the vagaries to which money has a right.”
Extremely rich people are treated like indulged children; their whims are seen as natural, and their faults are forgiven because of their wealth.
Reflects the theme of wealth and power, showing how money grants social leniency.
“The hunger of wealth for that something above wealth which the bewildered rich man only discovers the existence of when he has struggled to the highest pinnacle of advancement in his own way, began to seize this wealthy neophyte.”
The desire of the rich for something beyond mere money, which they only realize exists after reaching the top of their own world, began to grip this wealthy newcomer.
Highlights the theme of social class and mobility, as Mr. Copperhead seeks higher social recognition.
“Black would throw me up... It would tone us down, and it would throw us up.”
Black would make me stand out by contrast; it would subdue our overall appearance while emphasizing our features.
Illustrates Phoebe's deliberate fashion strategy and the theme of appearance vs. reality.