The Way of All Flesh · Chapter
XLIX explained
Ernest and his friends, preparing for holy orders, begin serious religious study and attend a meeting with the evangelical preacher Mr.
What happens
Ernest and his friends, preparing for holy orders, begin serious religious study and attend a meeting with the evangelical preacher Mr. Hawke, whose sermon deeply impresses them.
Themes in this chapter
Religion and Doubt
Ernest and his friends grapple with their faith, seeking deeper religious conviction while being confronted by Evangelical fervor.
Education and Indoctrination
The chapter shows how religious education and peer pressure shape the students' beliefs and behaviors at Cambridge.
Characters to notice
- Ernest Pontifex
Ernest is part of a group of Cambridge students preparing for orders; he attends Mr. Hawke's sermon and is deeply moved.
- Mr. Hawke
A well-known London Evangelical preacher who visits Cambridge and delivers a powerful sermon to the students.
- Badcock
A Simeonite from St. John's, described as ugly, dirty, and deformed; he hosts the meeting where Mr. Hawke preaches.
Key passages
“They therefore attended chapel more regularly than hitherto, and held evening meetings of a somewhat furtive character, at which they would study the New Testament.”
Ernest and his friends began attending chapel more often and held secret evening meetings to study the New Testament.
Describes the group's initial turn toward religious devotion.
“Mr. Hawke was a very different-looking person from Badcock. He was remarkably handsome, or rather would have been but for the thinness of his lips, and a look of too great firmness and inflexibility.”
Mr. Hawke was handsome except for his thin lips and stern expression, contrasting sharply with Badcock's appearance.
Contrasts the physical appearance of the preacher with the unattractive Badcock.
“I put these considerations before you, if so homely a term may be pardoned, as a plain matter of business.”
Mr. Hawke presents his religious arguments as a straightforward business decision.
Highlights the pragmatic, self-interested tone of the sermon.