# Chapter XII explained — The Inheritors

> Chapter companion for The Inheritors by Joseph Conrad.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inheritors_se/chapters/xii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inheritors_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inheritors_se/chapters