The Dear Departed | William Stanley Houghton | Part I | CBSE | Class X
Summary
TLDRThe video discusses William Stanley Houghton's play 'The Dear Departed,' which critiques the neglect of elderly people in early 20th-century British society, a theme also relevant to Indian society. The story revolves around Abel Merryweather, who is presumed dead by his daughters, Amelia and Elizabeth, and their families. The narrative exposes their shallow pretenses of mourning, driven by greed for inheritance rather than genuine affection. Through humorous and critical depictions, the play highlights the superficiality and moral decay within families when it comes to caring for their elders.
Takeaways
- 🎭 The play 'The Dear Departed' by William Stanley Houghton highlights the neglect of elderly people in early 20th-century British and Indian societies.
- 👵 The play revolves around how children often leave their old, infirm parents to live alone while they pursue work far from home.
- 🖋️ William Stanley Houghton was an English playwright born in 1881 and was part of the Manchester School of dramatists, known for his sympathetic insight into northern English life.
- 🏠 The play is set in a lower-middle-class British household, with detailed stage directions emphasizing old, shabby furniture and decorative pieces.
- 💀 Abel Merriweather, a 70-year-old man, is assumed dead by his family, and the play explores their superficial displays of mourning and pretentious grief.
- 👗 The Slater family dresses in black for mourning, but their actions reveal that their grief is insincere and driven by concern over inheritance.
- 👨👩👦 Mrs. Slater and her family quickly begin removing Abel's possessions, fearing that Elizabeth Jordan, Mrs. Slater's sister, may claim them.
- 😢 The character of Victoria, a child, shows moral sensibility by being shocked at her parents’ behavior during this opportunistic moment.
- 👥 Both the Slater and Jordan families are portrayed as shallow and materialistic, pretending to care about their father's death while really focused on his property.
- 🍵 Despite the tension and superficial mourning, the families eventually gather for tea, further emphasizing the absurdity of their feigned grief.
Q & A
Who is the playwright of *The Dear Departed*?
-The playwright of *The Dear Departed* is William Stanley Houghton, an English dramatist born in 1881.
What is the main theme of *The Dear Departed*?
-The main theme of *The Dear Departed* is the neglect of elderly people, particularly within British society in the early 20th century, and it draws parallels to similar issues in Indian society.
What are some of William Stanley Houghton's notable works?
-Some of William Stanley Houghton's notable works include *Hindle Wakes*, *Independent Means*, *The Younger Generation*, *Master of the House*, and *Fancy Free*.
Which famous dramatists influenced William Stanley Houghton?
-William Stanley Houghton was influenced by dramatists such as Henrik Ibsen, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, and St. John Hankin.
What does the setting of the play reveal about the Slater household?
-The setting, described as a lower middle-class household with shabby furniture, ornamental pieces, and an old American clock, suggests that the Slater family is not wealthy but tries to maintain appearances.
Who is Abel Merryweather, and what happens to him in the play?
-Abel Merryweather is a 70-year-old man, the father of Amelia Slater and Elizabeth Jordan. At the beginning of the play, he is assumed to be dead, and his family gathers to mourn him.
How do the Slaters and the Jordans display their grief in the play?
-The Slaters and Jordans display shallow and pretentious grief by dressing in black and focusing on material possessions rather than showing genuine sorrow for Abel Merryweather's death.
What does Mrs. Slater do with Abel Merryweather's possessions before her sister arrives?
-Mrs. Slater removes Abel Merryweather's bureau and old American clock from his room, fearing that her sister Elizabeth might try to claim them as her share of the inheritance.
What is the role of Victoria in the play?
-Victoria, the 10-year-old daughter of the Slaters, is more innocent and shocked by her parents' actions, particularly their greed and lack of respect for her grandfather.
What does Mrs. Slater's behavior represent in the play?
-Mrs. Slater's behavior represents the selfishness, greed, and hypocrisy that the playwright aims to criticize. Despite pretending to grieve, she is more concerned with material gain than with her father's death.
Outlines
🎭 Introduction to 'The Dear Departed' and William Stanley Houghton
The first paragraph introduces the play 'The Dear Departed' by William Stanley Houghton, focusing on its themes of neglect of the elderly in early 20th-century British society. This is paralleled with similar societal issues in India, where children leave their aged parents alone. The speaker aims to draw a lesson from the play regarding the care we owe to our elders. Before discussing the play, the author, William Stanley Houghton, is introduced as an English playwright born in 1881, known for his works like 'Hindle Wakes' and 'Independent Means.' His plays, inspired by dramatists such as Henrik Ibsen and Oscar Wilde, often explore the lives of northern English communities.
🛋 Setting the Scene: A Shabby Household and a 'Dead' Father
The second paragraph sets the stage for the play, describing the Slater household, a lower middle-class British home filled with worn-out furniture and ornamental pieces. The family believes Abel Merryweather, the 70-year-old father of Amelia Slater and Elizabeth Jordan, has died. As they await the arrival of the Jordans, the Slaters discuss their mourning clothes and behavior. Despite their outward appearance of grief, the family's actions reveal their pretentious nature. Amelia Slater instructs her daughter Victoria to change into a black mourning dress, while her husband Henry changes into formal black attire. Their behavior suggests that their mourning is more for show than genuine sorrow.
💼 Greed and Hypocrisy: The Slaters’ Manipulative Actions
The third paragraph dives deeper into the Slater family's greed and hypocrisy. Amelia Slater expresses suspicion that her sister Elizabeth is motivated by greed for their father’s property. As a result, Amelia and Henry begin taking Abel's belongings, including an old American clock and a bureau, fearing Elizabeth might claim them. Through Amelia’s actions—putting on a false show of grief while stealing from her 'dead' father—the playwright, Houghton, exposes the shallow and self-serving nature of people like Mrs. Slater. Their lack of true affection or responsibility towards their father is laid bare, as they prioritize material gain over familial respect.
👗 The Arrival of the Jordans: More Hypocrisy Unveiled
The final paragraph introduces Mr. Ben Jordan and Mrs. Elizabeth Jordan, who finally arrive at the Slater household, dressed in mourning attire. Elizabeth's delayed arrival is explained as preparation for their black mourning clothes, highlighting the family's obsession with appearances. Elizabeth expresses shock at the lack of a doctor for her father, only to be told that no doctor could have saved him. The Slaters describe Abel’s jolly mood earlier that morning, further emphasizing the shallow reactions of the family members. The paragraph ends with Elizabeth wiping her tears as the family prepares to have tea, continuing the theme of insincere grief amidst materialistic concerns.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Elder Neglect
💡Pretentious Mourning
💡Abel Merriweather
💡Slater Family
💡Bureau and American Clock
💡Black Mourning Clothes
💡Victoria
💡Elizabeth Jordan
💡Manchester School of Dramatists
💡Hypocrisy
Highlights
William Stanley Houghton's play 'The Dear Departed' reflects the neglect of the elderly in early 20th century British society.
The theme of neglect in the play is also relevant to Indian society, where children leave their aged parents alone to work far away.
William Stanley Houghton, born in 1881, was part of the Manchester School of dramatists and influenced by playwrights like Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw.
'The Dear Departed' focuses on a lower-middle-class household, with detailed stage directions that highlight the household’s shabby furniture and old items.
The plot revolves around the death of Abel Merryweather, a 70-year-old man, and his family's shallow and pretentious mourning.
Amelia Slater and her husband Henry immediately start planning to claim Abel Merryweather's belongings, showing their greed.
Amelia and Henry fear that Elizabeth Jordan, Amelia’s sister, will also want a share of their father’s property.
Victoria, Amelia's 10-year-old daughter, is scolded for not wearing mourning clothes, highlighting the superficiality of their grief.
The Slaters quickly remove valuable objects, including a bureau and an old American clock, from Abel's room to claim them before Elizabeth arrives.
Victoria, the young girl, expresses shock at her parents' behavior, showing that children can have better moral sense.
Elizabeth Jordan and her husband Ben arrive dressed in black mourning clothes, also displaying a shallow performance of grief.
Elizabeth Jordan's delay in arriving is attributed to them preparing their black mourning attire, underscoring the theatrical nature of their grief.
Elizabeth and Amelia argue over who attended to Abel Merryweather before his death, with Elizabeth criticizing Amelia for not calling a doctor.
Amelia explains that Abel had been in a good mood before going to bed after paying his insurance and likely visiting the public house.
The play uses humor and irony to expose the hypocrisy and materialism of the family members, making it a critical commentary on societal attitudes toward the elderly.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello young people today we shall talk
about William Stanley Hortons play the
dear departed Hortense play is themed on
the way elderly people were neglected in
the early 20th century British society
this is also true for Indian society
where more and more children leaves
their old infirm and aged parents alone
and go far away to work let's see what
lesson this play has to offer us about
the care we owe our elders before we
begin with a play it's important to get
to know our author a little William
Stanley Houghton was an English drama
writer or playwright born in 1881 he was
an important member of a popular group
known as the Manchester School of
dramatists his best-known play is Hindle
wigs his other known works are
independent means the younger generation
master of the house and fancy tree he
was strongly influenced by dramatists
like Henrik Ibsen Oscar Wilde George
Bernard Shaw and st. John Hanke in his
plays are written with great sympathy
and insight mostly centering on the
northern English life let us now move on
to the play first the author gives us a
detailed stage directions for a lower
middle-class household in a small
British town to be shown as the place
setting the household has a lot of
shabby and sheep old furniture
ornamental pieces and old American clock
evening newspapers and weekly magazines
a 70 year old man Abel Merriweather is
found dead in his room at least from
what we can see the Slater household
assumes he is dead while they wait for
the Jordan family to arrive Abel
Merryweather is the father of Amelia
Slater and Elizabeth Jordan he had been
living with Emil
later and her husband Henry's later when
he is declared dead Elizabeth Jordan and
her husband Ben gather at the Slater's
house to mourn his loss we are
introduced to a ten year old girl named
Victoria mrs. Slater scolds her for
wearing colorful clothes
apparently she should be strictly
dressed in black to do justice to the
event for her grandfather's sudden death
mr. Slater is the first to enter the
Slater household as his wife and
daughter waits for the guests mark the
clothes he is wearing a black tail coat
grey trousers black tie and a bowler hat
mrs. Slater orders Victoria to change
into a white frock with a black slash
their morning dresses will be in All
Blacks but they are not ready yet so the
Slater's try to wear as much black
colour in their clothing as possible we
quickly understand that this formal
dressing is shallow and does not come
from a place of love or respect or
sadness they are a family of pretentious
people trying to outdo their relatives
in their show of grief soon we see mr.
and mrs. Slater talked to their
relatives Ben and Elizabeth they seem to
be particularly hateful towards
Elizabeth and suspect that she's after
her dead father's property
in fact they believe that she'll turn up
for the morning driven by greed for her
share of property the next moment mrs.
Slater pretends to have a breakdown and
she looks at certain objects in the
kitchen they belong to her father Abel
Merryweather
at the same time she asks her husband to
change into the new slippers Mary worth
of all through this the playwright
stanley Houghton aims to show us how
shallow people like mrs. Slater are she
has no affection or responsibility
towards her dead father yet she puts up
a show of grief by wearing black and
pretending to cry
mrs. Slater's character shows
the evils of our society we soon find
the Slater's removing objects from the
merry where this room they assume that
Elizabeth might be after the bureau and
they act quickly to remove it before she
arrives mrs. Slater also removes an old
American clock while they are waiting
the child Victoria has better sense and
she is shocked by her parents his
activities her parents consoled her by
saying that Merryweather had passed on
the bureau to them that very morning
before he died the Slater's made sure to
hide the bureau and the American clock
before opening the door to their
relatives mr. Ben Jordan and mrs.
Elizabeth Jordan
we are told at the start of the play
that mrs. Elizabeth Jordan is mrs.
Slater's sister immediately after the
Jordans enter we find out that they are
just as corrupt in dramatic as the
Slater's Elizabeth apparently took so
long to arrive because they were getting
ready in their black moaning dresses
Elizabeth wants to know which doctor has
attended to her father Abel Merryweather
she pretends to be shocked when she
hears that the family doctor dr. Pringle
has not arrived yet mrs. Slater replies
that no doctor can revive a dead man so
doctor Pringles timely arrival could
have done no good she also goes on to
describe how may weather had been in a
jolly mood that morning he had gone out
to pay his insurance and probably
visited the public house called
ring o bells on returning he had
directly retired to bed without having
dinner after listening to this as a bit
gets emotional and wipes off her tears
and they all decide to have their tea
[Music]
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