The Way of All Flesh · Chapter
IX explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Allaby, the rector of Crampsford, has a large family and limited income, prompting him and his wife to seek a young curate to assist on Sundays. Mrs. Allaby enlists the help of her friend Mrs. Cowey, who is well-connected among undergraduates and bachelor clergy. After discussing various candidates, they settle on Theobald Pontifex as a suitable match for one of the Allaby daughters.
Themes in this chapter
Money and Social Class
The Allabys' financial struggles and the strategic matchmaking to secure a comfortable future for their daughters highlight the intersection of money and marriage.
Hypocrisy of Victorian Morality
The chapter satirizes the moral justifications for scheming to marry off daughters, contrasting professed morality with practical self-interest.
Characters to notice
- Theobald Pontifex
Discussed as a potential candidate for a curate position and as a husband for one of the Allaby daughters.
- Mrs. Allaby
Anxious mother of five unmarried daughters, seeks help from Mrs. Cowey to find a suitable young man to assist her husband and potentially marry a daughter.
- Mrs. Cowey
Wife of Professor Cowey, known for her spiritual influence and matchmaking among undergraduates and clergy; she recommends Theobald Pontifex.
- George Pontifex
Mentioned as the father of Theobald, a publisher, indicating the family's comfortable social standing.
Key passages
“If morality is that which, on the whole, brings a man peace in his declining years—if, that is to say, it is not an utter swindle, can you under these circumstances flatter yourself that you have led a moral life?”
The narrator questions whether a man can consider himself moral if his financial and family situation leaves him anxious and unhappy in old age.
This passage critiques conventional morality by linking it to practical outcomes and peace of mind.
“I think young men might occasionally ask papas and mammas whether their intentions are honourable before they accept invitations to houses where there are still unmarried daughters.”
The narrator suggests that young men should be wary of being targeted as potential husbands when visiting families with unmarried daughters.
A satirical reversal of the usual concern about young men's intentions, highlighting the parents' scheming.