The Way of All Flesh · Chapter
XXXV explained
Miss Pontifex falls ill with typhoid fever and, fearing death, arranges a secret trust for her nephew Ernest.
What happens
Miss Pontifex falls ill with typhoid fever and, fearing death, arranges a secret trust for her nephew Ernest. She leaves the bulk of her fortune to him via the narrator, Mr. Overton, with the condition that Ernest not know about it until he is twenty-eight. She discusses Ernest's character, his volatility, and her hopes for his eventual maturity. She dies shortly after making the will.
Themes in this chapter
Money and Social Class
Alethea's secret trust highlights the power of money to shape Ernest's future, and her concern that he must learn to manage it through experience.
Self-Discovery and Authenticity
Alethea encourages Ernest to explore various paths to find his true calling, emphasizing that volatility and mistakes are part of self-discovery.
Heredity and Environment
The chapter discusses how Ernest's character is shaped by both his parents' traits and his upbringing at Battersby, and Alethea's efforts to counteract these influences.
Characters to notice
- Alethea Pontifex
Falls ill with typhoid fever, makes a secret will leaving money in trust for Ernest, and dies shortly after.
- Ernest Pontifex
Subject of his aunt's concern; she discusses his volatile nature and arranges a trust for his inheritance.
- Theobald Pontifex
Mentioned as a negative influence on Ernest; Alethea criticizes his parenting.
- Christina Pontifex
Mentioned as a source of Ernest's temperament and vanity, but also as someone who would not forgive his good luck.
- Mr. Overton
The narrator and friend of Alethea; chosen as trustee for Ernest's inheritance.
Key passages
“Don’t scold him if he is volatile, and continually takes things up only to throw them down again. How can he find out his strength or weakness otherwise?”
Alethea advises not to criticize Ernest's tendency to change interests, as this is how he will discover his true abilities.
Alethea's philosophy on learning through experimentation.
“Let him go here and there, and learn his truest liking by finding out what, after all, he catches himself turning to most habitually—then let him stick to this”
She suggests that Ernest should explore various activities until he naturally gravitates toward his true passion.
Alethea's guidance for Ernest's career and life choices.
“Above all, do not let him work up to his full strength, except once or twice in his lifetime; nothing is well done nor worth doing unless, take it all round, it has come pretty easily.”
She believes that sustained effort should be rare; worthwhile achievements come with relative ease.
Alethea's unconventional view on effort and success.
“I think if he likes pancakes he had perhaps better eat them on Shrove Tuesday”
She implies that it is appropriate to indulge in pleasures at the right time, without excessive guilt.
Alethea's wry comment on moderation and enjoyment.