The Pickwick Club discussion
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Martin Chuzzlewit
Martin Chuzzlewit
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Chuzzlewit, Chapters 39 - 41
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Mr. Pinch and Ruth Unconscious of a Visitor
Chapter 39
Ah the mystery gathers momentum. Why Tom Pinch for the job of 'nabbing' Jonas? Why does his benefactor provide him with what appears to be a rather pointless, but financially advantageous job? The description of the Inns of Court brings me back to a visit I had there many years ago. The church was quaint and it was my only experience of having had to turn to the right when saying the Creed. It was certainly a place that time forgot. From Dickens's description it would appear that not much had changed since his time.
I wonder what will befall Montague, Bailey or, for that matter Jonas as they wend their merry way to Pecksniff's. Or will anything befall Pecksniff? Quite a cocktail of crooked people to have in one place at one time. It remains to be seen.
Hilary wrote: "Ah the mystery gathers momentum. Why Tom Pinch for the job of 'nabbing' Jonas? Why does his benefactor provide him with what appears to be a rather pointless, but financially advantageous job? ..."
Hi Hilary
Could you explain further what you meant when you wrote "my only experience of having to turn to the right when saying the Creed." I'm guessing it has to do with a part of the church's rituals, but I am curious as to its background and meaning. Thanks.
The Tom and Ruth scene may lack explosive action but I imagine Dickens was looking for a chapter or two to counterbalance the wild and disturbing activities elsewhere in the recent chapters. Martin and Mark are just re-aligning themselves into some form of stability, Martin Sr. continues to be somewhat antisocial, Pecksniff continues his slimy ways, Montague is unveiling more and more layers of his evil self and the list could go on. Perhaps Dickens wanted the readers to get a brief breather, to slow down the ever-tumbling events surrounding their new domestic set up. While their housekeeping arrangements may be bland, and even gently humourous, they are the still point in a storm that is rapidly brewing around them. It would be interesting to pull up a chair and have dinner with them.
Hi Peter,The idea is to face East while saying the Creed, symbolically towards Jerusalem the location of the crucifixion and resurrection. In the West most churches were built on an East-West axis with the altar and choir at the East end of the building. Depending where one was standing in the church, one might in fact have to turn right, left or remain looking straight ahead. Hope this helps!
Mysterious Installation of Mr. Pinch
Chapter 39
Hilary wrote: "Hi Peter,The idea is to face East while saying the Creed, symbolically towards Jerusalem the location of the crucifixion and resurrection. In the West most churches were built on an East-West axi..."
Hilary
Thanks. I was never told this, or even thought about it. As I reflect on my years of attending church I now realize that the great majority did fit on an east-west axis. Talk about not seeing the nose on the front of my face, or listening properly to conversations.
To be honest, Peter, it's not one of those little titbits of information that need be high on the agenda. I don't think that it ranks highly in terms of world affairs, justice etc. :D
Peter wrote: "The Tom and Ruth scene may lack explosive action but I imagine Dickens was looking for a chapter or two to counterbalance the wild and disturbing activities elsewhere in the recent chapters. Marti..."Peter,
I can see your point that the Pinches and their pudding are probably meant to introduce some calm into the story, but still I think the chapter is by far too long. The only thing that is really of importance is that Tom has found employment and that there must be some unknown benefactor behind it all. There is some humour in the domestic scenes - but I actually prefer the swift and satiric kind of humour -, and so I found the chapter very hard-going.
And then there are passages like this:
"Pleasant little Ruth! Cheerful, tidy, bustling, quiet little Ruth! No doll's house ever yielded greater delight to its young mistress, than little Ruth derived from her glorious dominion over the triangular parlour and the two small bedrooms.
To be Tom's housekeeper. What dignity! Housekeeping, upon the commonest terms, associated itself with elevated responsibilities of all sorts and kinds; but housekeeping for Tom implied the utmost complication of grave trusts and mighty charges. Well might she take the keys out of the little chiffonier which held the tea and sugar; and out of the two little damp cupboards down by the fireplace, where the very black beetles got mouldy, and had the shine taken out of their backs by envious mildew; and jingle them upon a ring before Tom's eyes when he came down to breakfast! Well might she, laughing musically, put them up in that blessed little pocket of hers with a merry pride! For it was such a grand novelty to be mistress of anything, that if she had been the most relentless and despotic of all little housekeepers, she might have pleaded just that much for her excuse, and have been honourably acquitted.
So far from being despotic, however, there was a coyness about her very way of pouring out the tea, which Tom quite revelled in. And when she asked him what he would like to have for dinner, and faltered out 'chops' as a reasonably good suggestion after their last night's successful supper, Tom grew quite facetious, and rallied her desperately."
They make Ruth seem to be such a homespun matron, and more like a giddy child than like a woman. Reading this, I was thinking of the lively, fickle and vivacious Dolly Varden and wondering what she might be doing ;-) It has been a recurrent topic here: Dickens's difficulties of creating any heroines that are NOT annoying. I have never really carefully read a Dickens biography, but doing so would probably give me some idea of why Dickens's female characters are often so creepy.
Tristram wrote: "Peter wrote: "The Tom and Ruth scene may lack explosive action but I imagine Dickens was looking for a chapter or two to counterbalance the wild and disturbing activities elsewhere in the recent ch..."Tristram
Your point is well taken and your example does rather make Ruth vapid. As for Dolly, how would she have fared against Jonas? I guess, to continue with the Pickwickian development of vocabulary, would Dolly's vampidity be more powerful than Merry's vapidity towards Jonas.
Hilary wrote: "I like Ruth!"I like Ruth just fine, but all that talk about her running downstairs for the flour, the pie-board, the eggs, the flour, the rolling pin, water, and upstairs for her apron, and putting on the apron, and how she looked in the apron, I found annoying and it felt to me like Dickens got to the end of his three chapters for that week and found it wasn't long enough so went back and added in all he could think of about making breakfast. Hmm...sounds like I'm agreeing with Tristram, I hate when that happens. :-}
But I like her even so ...
Hilary wrote: "But I like her even so ..."So do I. She isn't a "soppy sweet" heroine as too many Victorian heroines are, nor does she have to parade her unfeminine weaknesses. She's just a good, solid, nice person. The sort that intelligent men marry after they've finished dalliancing with the other sort.
Ruth herself may be a likeable enough person but it is the way the narrative voice revels in her doing her household duties, her running up and down the stairs for some forgotten ingredients, and all these syrupy conversations that fill page upon page - even Kim is getting impatient! -, which makes the chapter an annoying one to me. I think it not only boring but also an example of trite sentimentality. Though in this, probably Dickens was a child of the Victorian age, which enjoyed mawkish scenes like that. Strangely und luckily, Anthony Trollope's writing is completely free from this kind of sentimentality.
Ruth's "glorious domination" over her simple household and our comments sent me back to the chapter for a second more jaundiced view of her actions. While I realize that Dickens is at his sentimental best, I really can't find much solid evidence that he is mawking her any more than the over-the-top and over night conversion to goodness that Scrooge undergoes. Don't we all celebrate Scrooge's conversion?I also compare her "goodness quotient" with sleezy Pecksniff. Looking at Dickens's handling of him we find that the author has a very distinct and heavy hand with Pecksniff being criticised, but with Ruth, while the description may be a bit saccharine, it's not too sweet for my tea.
Of course, Little Nell didn't bother me either ;>}
Everyman, Amen! Peter, she is sugary - probably based on the richest form of sugar cane. I just love 'sweet' and it ought not to be abhorred, unless the sweetness becomes sour as it reaches the tongue.
I was just tired of her running up and down the stairs and was wishing she would have made a list before she went in the first place. Or kept the things she needed in the room she needed them in the first place. As to her sweetness, it's fine with me. :-}
Maybe Ruth is not so naive and modest after all, and she is just running up and down the stairs in order to rub Tom's nose in what a busy housewife she is ;-)
Ah she is full of the joys of spring and youthfulness. I imagine her as a sweet Cinderella figure with little bluebirds chirping joyful songs as the cute little mice help her sew up a beautiful ball gown. Instead of 3 ugly sisters she has a devoted brother who would sacrifice himself on any convenient/inconvenient altar for her at a moment's notice. In fact, I'd like to BE Ruth. ;-)
Hilary wrote: "Ah she is full of the joys of spring and youthfulness. I imagine her as a sweet Cinderella figure with little bluebirds chirping joyful songs as the cute little mice help her sew up a beautiful ba..."Oh, I know two grumpy people who will just love that description. :-}
Haha, d'ya think?! We can shower the world with coloured sparkles and you can introduce all-year-round Christmas. No more grumps!!!! ;-)
Hilary wrote: "Haha, d'ya think?! We can shower the world with coloured sparkles and you can introduce all-year-round Christmas. No more grumps!!!! ;-)"We could try, but I'm not sure if even I could ungrump those two. :-}
:-). :-). :-). :-). :-)
Kim wrote: "We could try, but I'm not sure if even I could ungrump those two. :-} "When we can keep annoying you, why would we want to stop being grumps?
I know a little ditty that is guaranteed to fill the world with joy and even the odd susceptible grump. It is almost lost in the mists of time, but I went to the bother of archiving it for just such an occasion:Twinkle Twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Exquisitely lyrical and uplifting ...
Hilary wrote: "I know a little ditty that is guaranteed to fill the world with joy and even the odd susceptible grump. It is almost lost in the mists of time, but I went to the bother of archiving it for just su..."I know one that definitely applies to Everyman:
Every who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot
But the Grinch who lived just north of Whoville did not
The Grinch hated Christmas the whole Christmas season
Oh please don't ask why no one quite knows the reason.
It could be perhaps that his shoes were too tight
It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right
I'll stop now.
I admit that I had momentarily thought of the Grinch, with no particular reference to anyone in particular, you understand. I didn't, however, have verse to go with it, so I thank you Kim for your offering. I'm sure that if I think, think, think, as Winnie the Pooh would have me do, I can come up with at least one or two individuals who fit the bill! [g]
Kim wrote: "Oh please don't ask why no one quite knows the reason."That's false. I DO know the reason.
Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: "Oh please don't ask why no one quite knows the reason."That's false. I DO know the reason."
I'm sticking with the head not screwed on right reason.
reading this week's three chapters, I felt a bit bored at first - thanks to Tom and Ruth - but then I thought, "We are getting further on into the gruesome secret that has made Jonas a puppet on Montague's strings".
In Chapter 39 we learn about the domestic affairs of Tom and Ruth, and also about Dickens's ideal of womanhood, I think. We can only guess who has given Tom the strange task of looking after the books, which is very obviously only a task to provide Tom with a regular income.
Chapters 40 and 41 then put new momentum into the story: Jonas wants to abscond, but the ever-vigilant Nadgett uses Tom - of all people - to remind him of the power his new "friends" have acquired over him. Montague makes it very clear that he will not leave Jonas off the hook and that he expects him to lure Pecksniff into some investment. On top of that, Jonas is required to intensify his financial backing of the company. And Jonas, evil and vengeful as always, is obviously planning on murdering his partner. What, however, will become of Bailey in case Jonas pulls his evil plans through?
Let's hear your ideas!