The Marrow of Tradition · Chapter
II: The Christening Party explained
The Carterets host a christening party for their baby, Dodie, with close family and friends.
What happens
The Carterets host a christening party for their baby, Dodie, with close family and friends. The gathering includes old Mr. Delamere, his grandson Tom Delamere, Mrs. Ochiltree, and Lee Ellis. Conversations touch on race, loyalty, and social standing, with Mrs. Ochiltree's blunt remarks causing tension. Tom later leaves for the Clarendon Club, where he wins at cards.
Themes in this chapter
Racial Injustice
Major Carteret and old Mr. Delamere debate the nature and capacity of negroes, revealing entrenched racial prejudices and the defense of white supremacy.
Class and Privilege
The christening party showcases the social elite of Wellington, with characters like Tom Delamere and Ellis navigating class distinctions and personal ambitions.
Family and Heritage
The naming of Dodie and the gathering of family connections emphasize the importance of lineage and tradition in the Carteret family.
Characters to notice
- Major Carteret
Hosts the christening party; engages in a debate about negro loyalty and racial hierarchy with old Mr. Delamere.
- Old Mr. Delamere
Attends the party with his servant Sandy; defends the negro race and praises Sandy's character.
- Tom Delamere
Grandson of old Mr. Delamere; flirts with Clara, feels superior to Ellis, and later wins at cards at the Clarendon Club.
- Mr. Ellis
Young city editor; arrives early, feels awkward under Mrs. Ochiltree's blunt comments, and secretly loves Clara.
- Polly Ochiltree
Godmother to Dodie; makes sharp, critical remarks at the dinner table, revealing her blunt personality.
- Mrs. Carteret
Still recovering from childbirth; appears tired during the racial debate and tries to keep the conversation light.
Key passages
““No doubt,” mused the major, “the negro is capable of a certain doglike fidelity—I make the comparison in a kindly sense—a certain personal devotion which is admirable in itself, and fits him eminently for a servile career.””
Major Carteret suggests that black people are naturally suited for servitude due to a loyal, dog-like nature.
Reveals the major's patronizing and racist view of African Americans.
““I do not believe, major,” he said, “that Olivia relishes the topic. I merely wish to say that Sandy is an exception to any rule which you may formulate in derogation of the negro. Sandy is a gentleman in ebony!””
Old Mr. Delamere ends the debate by praising his servant Sandy as a rare example of a black gentleman.
Shows the old man's more paternalistic but still condescending view of racial character.
““I’ve proved a match for two husbands, and am not afraid of any man that walks the earth, black or white, by day or night. I have a revolver, and know how to use it.””
Mrs. Ochiltree boasts of her independence and readiness to defend herself against any threat.
Highlights her fierce, no-nonsense personality and her refusal to be intimidated.