The Way of All Flesh · Chapter
Chapter XX explained
The birth of Ernest Pontifex opens Theobald's eyes to the nuisance of children.
What happens
The birth of Ernest Pontifex opens Theobald's eyes to the nuisance of children. He and Christina have two more children, Joseph and Charlotte. Theobald, who never liked children, resolves to enforce strict obedience from infancy, subjecting Ernest to harsh discipline, early lessons, and frequent whippings. Christina, though fond of Ernest, supports this regimen.
Themes in this chapter
Parental Tyranny and Filial Rebellion
Theobald imposes harsh discipline and early education on Ernest, expecting implicit obedience, while Ernest feels only fear and shrinking toward his father.
Education and Indoctrination
Ernest is taught to read, write, and learn Latin before age four, with whippings used to enforce learning and suppress self-will.
Hypocrisy of Victorian Morality
Theobald and Christina profess leniency but practice severity; Theobald's dislike of children contrasts with his moralizing about obedience.
Characters to notice
- Theobald Pontifex
Finds babies a nuisance; resolves to enforce strict obedience and begins training Ernest from infancy with harsh discipline.
- Christina Pontifex
Recovers slowly from confinement; supports Theobald's harsh methods despite her fondness for Ernest.
- Ernest Pontifex
The firstborn son; subjected to severe discipline and early education; feels only fear and shrinking toward his father.
- Charlotte Pontifex
The third child, a girl born plain; Christina's visit to the Royal Academy exhibition is blamed for her looks.
- Joseph
The second son, born about twelve months after Ernest.
- Alethea Pontifex
Warns Christina not to look at pictures of female beauty during pregnancy, but Christina persists.
Key passages
“The birth of his son opened Theobald’s eyes to a good deal which he had but faintly realised hitherto. He had had no idea how great a nuisance a baby was.”
Theobald finally understood how troublesome a baby could be, something he had not fully appreciated before.
Theobald's initial reaction to fatherhood is irritation and inconvenience.
“Before Ernest could well crawl he was taught to kneel; before he could well speak he was taught to lisp the Lord’s prayer, and the general confession.”
Ernest was made to kneel and pray even before he could crawl or speak properly.
The early religious indoctrination of Ernest begins in infancy.
“He was fond of his mother, too, but as regards his father, he has told me in later life he could remember no feeling but fear and shrinking.”
Ernest loved his mother but later recalled only fear and avoidance toward his father.
The emotional distance and fear between Ernest and Theobald is established early.