The Old Wives’ Tale · Chapter
VII: Bricks and Mortar explained
The chapter details the auction of properties belonging to the late William Clews Mericarp, including the Baines-Povey shop and Mr.
What happens
The chapter details the auction of properties belonging to the late William Clews Mericarp, including the Baines-Povey shop and Mr. Critchlow's shop. Constance is unsettled by the sale and the changes it portends. Mr. Critchlow proposes to buy the shop from Constance, bricking up the connecting doors to separate the house from the shop, allowing Constance to remain in her home while he and his new wife, Maria Insull, run the business. Constance struggles with the emotional weight of change and ultimately accepts the offer.
Themes in this chapter
Change and Modernity
The auction and the proposed separation of the shop from the house symbolize the inevitable changes in Bursley, unsettling Constance and marking the end of an era.
Marriage and Domesticity
Mr. Critchlow's marriage to Maria Insull is a practical arrangement that reshapes domestic and commercial boundaries, highlighting the intertwining of marriage and business.
Social Class and Respectability
Constance's concern for the goodwill of her business and her pride in her property reflect the importance of social standing and respectability in the community.
Characters to notice
- Constance Baines
Constance is shocked by the death of Mericarp and anxious about the auction of the shop. She reluctantly agrees to Mr. Critchlow's proposal to sell the shop and separate the house, feeling the upheaval of change.
- Mr. Critchlow
Mr. Critchlow brusquely proposes to buy Constance's shop and brick up the connecting doors, intending to run the business with his new wife, Maria Insull. He is pragmatic and decisive.
- Miss Insull
Maria Insull is engaged to Mr. Critchlow and will become Mrs. Critchlow. She is present during the proposal and accepts Constance's congratulations quietly.
- William Clews Mericarp
The late William Clews Mericarp, a property owner, is the subject of the auction. His death triggers the sale of the Baines-Povey shop and other properties.
Key passages
“Constance was shocked, though she had never seen Mericarp. (“Everybody dies nowadays!” she thought.)”
Constance felt a jolt of surprise at the news of Mericarp's death, even though she had never met him, reflecting a growing awareness of mortality.
Highlights Constance's sensitivity to death and the passage of time.
““I’m a silly woman!” she muttered.”
Constance scolds herself for being overly emotional about the changes to the shop and house.
Shows Constance's self-awareness and struggle with sentimentality.
““Show me your goodwill. Lap it up in a bit of paper and hand it over, and I’ll take it at a valuation. But not afore, missis! Not afore!””
Mr. Critchlow dismisses the value of goodwill, insisting it is intangible and not worth paying for.
Illustrates Mr. Critchlow's pragmatic and blunt character.