The Inheritors · Chapter
Chapter XII explained
The narrator confronts the enigmatic woman about her manipulative schemes involving de Mersch and Callan.
What happens
The narrator confronts the enigmatic woman about her manipulative schemes involving de Mersch and Callan. She reveals her cold, calculated plan to destroy de Mersch's reputation through bribery and scandal, aiming to bring down Churchill and the old order. The narrator struggles to accept her amorality, accusing her of vile treachery, but she insists she is part of an inevitable force that cannot be resisted. Their conversation highlights a deep ideological divide, leaving the narrator feeling powerless and betrayed.
Themes in this chapter
Decline of the Old Order
The woman explicitly frames her plot as a means to destroy Churchill and the old order of probity, echoing the fall of the Legitimists.
Modernity and Amorality
The woman's cold, calculated manipulation and lack of scruples embody a modern, amoral approach to achieving political ends.
Power of the Press and Manipulation
Callan's article is central to the plot, demonstrating how media can be weaponized to shape public opinion and destroy reputations.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Confronts the woman, torn between disbelief and horror at her schemes, and threatens to denounce her.
- Mr. Callan
Mentioned as a tool in the woman's plot to expose Greenland's secrets and write a damning article.
- The Duc de Mersch
Target of the woman's scheme; she plans to ruin him through scandal and betrayal by his lieutenant.
- Mr. Churchill
Referenced as a figure who will be brought down by de Mersch's collapse, representing the old order.
- Mr. Gurnard
Implied as an ally of the woman in her plot to manipulate public perception.
- Monsieur Radet
Mentioned as someone who previously saw the horrors in Greenland, setting a precedent for Callan's exposure.
Key passages
“I don't know whether there really was a hesitation in her voice, or whether I read that into it.”
The narrator is uncertain if her voice truly wavered or if he imagined it.
Highlights the narrator's confusion and the ambiguity of her emotions.
“They used to say just that of the Revolution. That wasn't nice of its tools. Don't you see? They were the people that went under.”
She compares her methods to the French Revolution, arguing that those who criticized its tools were the ones who failed to see the greater good.
Justifies her ruthless tactics as part of a larger, inevitable historical process.
“You are so tied down to these little things. Don't you see that de Mersch, and—and all these people—don't really count?”
She dismisses the narrator's concerns about de Mersch as trivial, emphasizing that individuals are insignificant in the grand scheme.
Reveals her detached, almost nihilistic worldview.