# XXXIII explained — The Way of All Flesh

> Chapter companion for The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler.

## What happens

Miss Pontifex decides to move to Roughborough to be near her nephew Ernest, hoping to form a close bond with him and possibly make him her heir. She takes a house, furnishes it anew, and begins to ingratiate herself with the local boys and Dr. Skinner, all while keeping her true motives hidden from Theobald and Christina.

## Themes in this chapter

### Money and Social Class

Alethea's wealth allows her to move, furnish a house, and use gifts and money to win favor; she considers leaving her fortune to a worthy heir.

### Self-Discovery and Authenticity

Alethea reflects on her desire for genuine connection and the difficulty of truly helping another person, weighing prudence against love.

## Character check-ins

### Alethea Pontifex

Resolves to move to Roughborough to devote herself to Ernest; she considers her motives and plans to win over the boys and Dr. Skinner.

### Ernest Pontifex

The nephew whom Alethea hopes to cultivate; he is the object of her plans and the reason for her move.

### Theobald Pontifex

Ernest's father; he and Christina are suspicious of Alethea's motives but cannot stop her.

### Christina Pontifex

Ernest's mother; she is uneasy about Alethea's interest in Ernest and wishes for more flattery.

### Dr. Skinner

Headmaster of Roughborough; Alethea easily wins him over and obtains a promise of a manuscript poem.

### Mr. Overton

The narrator and friend of Alethea; she discusses her plans with him, and he observes her actions.

## Key lines

> It appeared to her that to do him any real service she must devote herself almost entirely to him; she must in fact give up living in London, at any rate for a long time, and live at Roughborough where she could see him continually.

She realized that to truly help her nephew, she would need to dedicate herself fully to him, which meant leaving London and moving to Roughborough to be near him.

_Alethea's internal decision to prioritize Ernest's welfare over her own comfort._

> She first, therefore, squared the boys. Dr. Skinner was even more easily dealt with.

She won over the boys first, and then found Dr. Skinner even simpler to manage.

_Alethea's strategic approach to gaining influence in Roughborough._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_way_of_all_flesh_se/chapters/xxxiii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_way_of_all_flesh_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_way_of_all_flesh_se/chapters