The Story of the Treasure Seekers · Chapter
The End of the Treasure-Seeking explained
The Bastable children experience a gloomy day after their uncle's visit, but their fortunes change when the 'poor Indian' arrives in a cab, revealing himself as their wealthy uncle.
What happens
The Bastable children experience a gloomy day after their uncle's visit, but their fortunes change when the 'poor Indian' arrives in a cab, revealing himself as their wealthy uncle. He invites the family to live with him in his large house, gives each child a watch, and hosts a Christmas housewarming party with friends including Mrs. Leslie, Lord Tottenham, and the Robber. The chapter concludes with the family happily settled in their new home, reflecting on how their treasure-seeking led them to discover their generous uncle.
Themes in this chapter
Family Loyalty and Responsibility
The children's care for their father and the uncle's generous offer to house the family highlight the importance of family bonds and mutual support.
Resilience and Optimism
Despite a gloomy start, the children's spirits are lifted by the uncle's arrival, and they embrace their new life with enthusiasm.
Creativity and Storytelling
Oswald's narrative style and Noël's poem demonstrate the children's imaginative engagement with their experiences.
Characters to notice
- Oswald Bastable
Narrates the chapter; tries to cheer up H.O. and reflects on the day's events.
- Dora Bastable
Persuades Father to stay home and makes him gruel; scolds Oswald for teasing H.O.
- Dicky Bastable
Threatens to run away to sea due to boredom; later wants to go into Father's business.
- Noël Bastable
Recognizes the 'poor Indian'; writes a poem about finding the uncle as the best treasure.
- Alice Bastable
Considers going into a convent; shows the uncle Noël's poem; remains calm when H.O. spills ginger wine on her dress.
- H. O. Bastable
Feels unwell from powder; tries to read two books at once; upset that the uncle is not poor.
Key passages
“It is like as if our fortunes had been in an earthquake, and after those, you know, everything comes out wrong-way up.”
Our luck had been completely overturned, like after an earthquake where everything is upside down.
Oswald uses a simile to describe the sudden change in their circumstances.
“There are some days when you seem to have got to the end of all the things that could ever possibly happen to you, and you feel you will spend all the rest of your life doing dull things just the same way.”
Some days feel as if nothing new will ever happen again, and you're doomed to a monotonous routine forever.
Oswald expresses the children's boredom and despair before the uncle's arrival.
“This ending is like what happens in Dickens's books; but I think it was much jollier to happen like a book, and it shows what a nice man the Uncle is, the way he did it all.”
This happy ending resembles a Dickens novel, but it's even better because it's real, and it proves how kind the uncle is.
Oswald acknowledges the storybook quality of their fortune while celebrating its reality.