The play is set in the living room of the Jordans, a middle-class family in early 20th-century England. The curtain opens with Mrs. Amelia Slater and her husband, Henry Slater, discussing the recent death of Amelia's father, Abel Merryweather. Amelia .............................
The Dear Departed - Interact in English: Literature Reader - Class 10 - English
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Back Questions - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Literature | English | Class 10
Given below are the main incidents in the play. They are in a jumbled order. Arrange them in the sequence in which they occur in the play.
Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
Mrs. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
Mrs Slater discovers that grandfather is 'dead'.
The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
The family sits down to have tea.
Henry wears the grandfather’s new slippers.
Grandfather comes to know how his daughters have been in a hurry to divide his things between them.
Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.
Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
They discuss the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment.
The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfather's demise from the Slaters
3. Mrs Slater discovers that grandfather is 'dead'.
2. Mrs. Slater instructs Victoria to put her white frock on with a black sash.
6. Henry wears the grandfather’s new slippers.
4. The Slaters fetch the bureau and the clock from upstairs.
11. The Jordans arrive and learn the details of grandfather's demise from the Slaters.
5. The family sits down to have tea.
10. They discuss the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment.
1. Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
9. Grandfather comes down and is surprised to find the Jordans.
7. Grandfather comes to know how his daughters have been in a hurry to divide his things between them.
8. Grandfather announces his intention to change his will and to marry Mrs. Shorrocks.
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ABEL : I don’t see them. (Observing HENRY trying to remove the slippers.) Why, you’ve got ‘em on, Henry.
MRS. SLATER : (promptly) I told him to put them on to stretch them; they were that new and hard. Now, Henry. (MRS. SLATER snatches the slippers from HENRY and gives them to ABEL, who puts them on and sits in armchair).
MRS. JORDAN : (to BEN) Well, I don’t call that delicate. Stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste.
Choose the option that gives the correct meaning of the word ‘delicate’, as used in the above lines.
A. Very fine in structure
B. Easily broken or damaged
C. Tactful and considerate
D. Skillful and finely judged
Complete the following analogy correctly, by using a word from the extract.
new : antique ::________________: delaySelect the TRUE statement, according to the extract.
A. Henry was browbeaten into wearing Grandpa’s slippers.
B. Mrs. Slater wanted to buy the same slippers for Henry.
C. Mrs. Jordan wanted Jimmy to wear Grandpa’s slippers.
D. Grandpa Able wanted Ben to have the slippers.
Choose the option that correctly classifies the genre of the drama from the given extract.
A. Tragedy
B. Tragicomedy
C. Comedy
D. Melodrama
Infer the playwright’s purpose of including some writing in brackets.
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Sign up now"Are we pinching it before Aunt Elizabeth comes?"
a) What does 'it' refer to here?
b) How does Vicky conclude that her parents are 'pinching it'?
c) Mention the two reasons that Mrs. Slater gives for her action.
d) What does it reveal about the difference between the attitude of the elders and that of Vicky?
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Sign up now"Now, Amelia, you mustn't give way. We've all got to die some time or other. It might have been worse."
a) Explain the phrase, ‘give way'.
b) What prompts the speaker to say these words?
c) What does he mean when he says, 'It might have been worse'?
d) What does it reveal about the speaker's character?
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Sign up nowHow does Mrs. Slater plan to outshine the Jordans? What does it reveal about her character?
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Sign up nowWhy does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather's room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
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Sign up nowWhat is the reason for the Jordans taking a long time to get to the house of the Slaters? What does it show about the two sisters' attitude towards each other?
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Sign up nowWhat does Mrs. Jordan describe as 'a fatal mistake'? What is the irony in the comment she makes on Mrs. Slater's defense?
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Sign up nowBen appreciates grandfather saying 'it’s' a good thing he did'. Later he calls him a 'drunken old beggar'. Why does he change his opinion about grandfather?
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Sign up nowWhat change does grandfather make in his new will? What effect does it have on his daughters?
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Sign up nowBring out the significance of ‘Grandfather’s bureau’, in the play.
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Sign up nowThe character of Victoria is a stark contrast to that of her parents. Justify.
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Sign up nowBring out the irony in the title of the play.
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Sign up nowHow does the spat between his daughters lead to his grandfather discovering the truth?
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Sign up nowCompare and contrast Henry's character with that of his wife. Support your answer with evidence from the play.
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Sign up nowBring out the traits in Mrs. Slater's personality quoting evidence from the play
Trait | Evidence from the play |
---|---|
Greedy | |
Overpowering/dominating | |
Blunt/straight talking | |
Impolite | |
Insensitive |
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Sign up nowVictoria Slater is truly attached to her Grandpa. As she sees the elders in her family quarrel over the inheritance, she is bewildered and upset by their attitude. As Victoria, write a diary entry outlining the incident and your feelings. (150 words)
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Sign up nowCharacter Sketches - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Literature | English | Class 10
Character Sketch of Amelia Slater.
Amelia Slater
Mrs. Slater is a middle-aged woman. She plays the role of the elder daughter and self-appointed caretaker of Abel Merryweather, whom everyone presumes to be dead at the beginning of the play. Mrs. Slater is manipulative, selfish, materialistic, and greedy, as she tries to make the most of her father's presumed death and grab his belongings.
Her hypocrisy and insensitivity are on full display before Elizabeth and Ben show up. She nudges Henry into wearing her late father's slippers, even though they are small and his "body" is lying upstairs. Her insatiable need for material possession is well-reflected in these lines:
My heart's fit to break when I see the little trifles that belonged to grandfather lying around, and think he'll never use them again. (Briskly) Here! You'd better wear these slippers of grandfather's now. It's lucky he'd just got a new pair
One of the key character traits of Mrs. Slater is her cunning and opportunistic nature. As soon as she learns that her father has apparently passed away, she immediately focuses on claiming her father's bureau, before her sister, Elizabeth, has a chance to do so. She even persuades her husband, Henry, and daughter, Victoria, to follow her lead and join her in this unseemly scheme.
Mrs. Slater is also driven by jealousy of her younger sister, Elizabeth Jordan, who has always been the favourite daughter in their father's eyes. This bitterness motivates her actions throughout the play as she desires to best her sister at every opportunity. Moreover, she is highly judgmental and hypocritical, criticising Elizabeth and her husband, Ben Jordan, for their alleged lack of care for her father – despite her own attempts to exploit the situation for personal gain.
Furthermore, Mrs. Slater lacks empathy and genuine emotions. Her primary concern is not for her father's passing, but for the opportunity it presents to acquire material possessions. When Abel Merryweather reappears, she tries to maintain her charade to avoid exposing her deceitfulness. She is also unrepentant in her actions, refusing to admit that she was wrong to take advantage of her father's apparent death.
Character Sketch of Henry Slater.
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Literature | English | Class 10
Mrs. Slater: ‘I’m not satisfied but it’s the best we can do till our new black’s ready, and Ben and Elizabeth will never have thought about mourning yet, so we’ll outshine them there’.
What is Mrs. Slater not satisfied with?
Why is Elizabeth coming to Mrs. Slater’s house?
What do you come to know about Mrs. Slater’s character from these lines?
Mrs. Slater: ‘I’m not satisfied but it’s the best we can do till our new black’s ready, and Ben and Elizabeth will never have thought about mourning yet, so we’ll outshine them there’.
What is Mrs. Slater not satisfied with?
Why is Elizabeth coming to Mrs. Slater’s house?
What do you come to know about Mrs. Slater’s character from these lines?
Mrs. Slater is dissatisfied with their mourning dress, which is not completely black.
Elizabeth is coming as Henry had sent them a telegram after their grandfather’s death. She is coming to mourn his death and settle the financial matters and the distribution of the property.
Mrs. Slater comes as a hypocritical person who is quite emotionless. Instead of mourning her father’s death, she is more bothered about her mourning dress and the need to outdo her sister.
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What are they coming for? They haven’t been here for ages.
Who is coming ‘!
Why are they coming?
Why haven’t they been here for ages?
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Sign up now“I don’t call that delicate, stepping into a dead man’s shoes in such haste.”
Who makes this comment?
What prompts the speaker to say this?
Bring out the significance of this statement.
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About the Author - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 10 Literature | English
Stanley Houghton (1881-1913) was an English playwright and a prominent member of the Manchester School of dramatists. Born in Manchester, Houghton gained recognition for his plays that often explored social issues, moral dilemmas, and the hypocrisy of the middle class. His best-known works include "Hindle Wakes" and "The Dear Departed." Houghton's plays, characterized by their wit and use of irony, contributed significantly to the development of modern British drama before his untimely death at age 32.
Summary - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 10 Literature | English
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Themes - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 10 Literature | English
🤑 Greed and Materialism
The play demonstrates the corrosive effects of greed and materialism on relationships and values. The family members show no genuine grief over Abel's supposed death, focusing solely on their share of his possessions. Their desire for material gains leads them to prioritize belongings over familial bonds, revealing the selfish and greedy nature of their characters.
🙅 Hypocrisy
The hypocrisy of the family members is evident throughout the play. They pretend to ...
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Introduction:
The play begins with Amelia Slater and her husband, Henry Slater, discussing the recent death of Amelia's father, Abel Merryweather. They anticipate the arrival of Amelia's sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, Ben Jordan, and express their intention to claim the best of Abel's possessions.Plotting and Manipulation:
Amelia and Henry....
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 10 Literature | English
"My heart’s fit to break when I see the little trifles that belonged to grandfather lying around, and think he’ll never use them again."
This line is important because it shows Mrs. Slater's veiled hypocrisy. When she says this, she is essentially faking care and sorrow for her grandfather's belongings, so that she can capitalise on this sympathy later on to get more of his belongings.
"Henry, I’ve been thinking about that bureau of grandfather’s that’s in his bedroom. You know I always wanted to have it after he died."
This line highlights Mrs. Slater's desire for her grandfather's possessions, ...
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Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - The Dear Departed | Interact in English: Literature Reader | Class 10 Literature | English
TIT-BITS- ABritish weekly magazine founded by George Newnes in 1881, which was in mass circulation
in England.
Tit-Bits was a highly popular British weekly magazine that enjoyed widespread circulation in England when it was founded by George Newnes in 1881.PEARSON'S WEEKLY - A British weekly magazine founded by Sir Cyril Pearson (1866-1921) in 1890.
Pearson's Weekly, founded by Sir Cyril Pearson in 1890, became a prominent British magazine that captured the attention of readers.precocious - a person whose mental attitude is developed beyond his/ her age
The precocious child .........................
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