Phoebe, Junior · Chapter
VI: A Morning Call explained
Ursula May and Anne Dorset visit the Copperheads, where Mr.
What happens
Ursula May and Anne Dorset visit the Copperheads, where Mr. Copperhead's brashness and Sir Robert Dorset's discomfort highlight class tensions. Clarence Copperhead pays attention to Ursula, who naively enjoys the visit, while Mrs. Copperhead trembles nervously. The chapter explores social hierarchy, wealth, and the awkwardness of differing stations.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Mobility
Mr. Copperhead's boastfulness about his wealth and his patronizing attitude toward Sir Robert highlight the friction between inherited status and newly acquired riches.
Appearance vs. Reality
The Copperheads' grand house and hospitality mask underlying tensions: Sir Robert's discomfort, Mrs. Copperhead's anxiety, and the awkwardness of social pretenses.
Marriage and Ambition
Clarence's attention to Ursula and Sir Robert's hope for Anne to make a good match reflect the era's view of marriage as a vehicle for social advancement.
Characters to notice
- Ursula May
Visits the Copperheads with Cousin Anne, naively enjoying Clarence's attention and the grandeur, but feeling confused by social undercurrents.
- Clarence Copperhead
Sits beside Ursula, flattered by her notice of his dancing, and shows a mix of pride and apology about his father's ball.
- Mrs. Copperhead
Nervous and tremulous, she tries to be hospitable while her husband dominates the scene, revealing her anxiety and lack of agency.
- Sir Robert Dorset
Stiff and uncomfortable, he is patronized by Mr. Copperhead and subtly offended by the rich man's bluntness, leading to an early departure.
- Cousin Anne
Kind and diplomatic, she smooths over tensions, accepts tea to spare Mrs. Copperhead's feelings, and shows a superstitious regard for others' feelings.
- Mr. Northcote
Mentioned in passing as someone who also felt out of place at the ball, but not present in this scene.
Key passages
“There was a largeness about the rich man, which Ursula, not used to rich men, gazed at with surprise. He seemed to expand himself upon the air, and spread out his large person, as she had never known anyone else do.”
Ursula was struck by Mr. Copperhead's imposing physical presence, which seemed to fill the room in a way she had never seen before.
Highlights Ursula's naive observation of wealth and power through physicality.
“I say what I think, but I don’t mean any harm.”
Mr. Copperhead claims his bluntness is harmless, though it clearly offends Sir Robert.
Illustrates Mr. Copperhead's lack of self-awareness and the theme of appearance vs. reality.