The Tenant of Wildfell Hall · Chapter
XXXIX explained
Helen endures the agony of watching her son, little Arthur, being corrupted by his father and his dissolute friends, who encourage his childish vices.
What happens
Helen endures the agony of watching her son, little Arthur, being corrupted by his father and his dissolute friends, who encourage his childish vices. She resolves to flee Grassdale with her child to save him from moral ruin. Walter Hargrave, having overheard Huntingdon's callous offer of his wife to any taker, confronts Helen and offers to protect her, but she rebuffs his advances. Hargrave reports the degrading conversation among the men, further solidifying Helen's determination to escape.
Themes in this chapter
Motherhood and Protection
Helen's primary motivation is to shield her son from the corrupting influence of his father and his friends, prioritizing his moral welfare over her own safety and reputation.
Alcoholism and Dissipation
The men's drunken revelry and encouragement of little Arthur's drinking epitomize the destructive dissipation that Helen seeks to escape.
Female Agency and Independence
Helen's secret plan to flee alone with her child demonstrates her determination to take control of her own life and her son's future, defying both her husband and societal expectations.
Characters to notice
- Helen Huntingdon
Desperate to protect her son from moral corruption, she resolves to flee Grassdale despite the risks.
- Arthur Huntingdon
Openly encourages his son's vices and callously offers his wife to any of his friends.
- Little Arthur
Innocently imitates the drunken and profane behavior of his father and his friends, causing Helen great distress.
- Walter Hargrave
Intervenes to remove little Arthur from the room during a particularly bad episode, then later confronts Helen with a proposal to protect her, which she rejects.
- Ralph Hattersley
Urges Huntingdon to reform and praises Helen, but his coarse manner offends her sensibilities.
- Frank Grimsby
Observes Hargrave kneeling before Helen and is suspected of spying on them.
Key passages
“My greatest source of uneasiness, in this time of trial, was my son, whom his father and his father’s friends delighted to encourage in all the embryo vices a little child can show, and to instruct in all the evil habits he could acquire—in a word, to 'make a man of him' was one of their staple amusements”
Helen's deepest worry is her son, whom Huntingdon and his friends deliberately teach bad habits and vices, treating his corruption as entertainment.
Highlights the theme of motherhood and protection, and the moral threat posed by the father's influence.
“My child must not be abandoned to this corruption: better far that he should live in poverty and obscurity, with a fugitive mother, than in luxury and affluence with such a father.”
Helen decides that poverty and flight are preferable to letting her son be raised in moral decay by his father.
Shows Helen's resolve to prioritize her son's moral well-being over material comfort.
“I say, replied I, calmly, that what he prizes so lightly will not be long in his possession.”
Helen responds to Hargrave's report of Huntingdon's offer by stating that she will not remain with a husband who values her so little.
Demonstrates Helen's growing independence and her decision to leave.