Chapters 21 and 22 Summary and Analysis
Summary
Dr. Sloper visits Mrs. Almond, the sister who
is most in sympathy with his personality and worldview. He remarks again that
he thinks that Catherine will indeed “stick.” Yet in this case he means that
she is going to wait. He is not sure if, in the end, she will decide to marry
Morris Townsend, but at the moment she is fulfilling his expectations of
waiting. Mrs. Almond is bothered by his seeming disinterestedness in the
happiness of his own daughter. The siblings discuss whether the word
cling is a better term than stick concerning Catherine’s
current behavior. Dr. Sloper discusses the possibility of taking Catherine to
Europe, ostensibly to “polish her up.” Mrs. Almond doubts that Catherine will
forget Morris, but Dr. Sloper says that in fact Morris may forget
Catherine.
Mrs. Penniman arranges to meet Morris once again outside the door of a church she does not attend (her own church is sure to gossip if she met him there). Morris is clearly out of patience with Mrs. Penniman and is rather blunt. She tells him that she has no further news concerning Catherine, only that she herself may be out on the streets due to her confrontation with her brother. Mrs. Penniman also informs Morris that she has changed her mind and recommends that he wait before marrying Catherine. Morris is contemptuous of Mrs. Penniman’s wavering opinions and informs her that he and Catherine have already agreed to get married as soon as possible. Mrs. Penniman does an about-face and expresses great delight. Morris is vague about the date of the marriage, only of Catherine’s agreement to it. He states that it would be awkward now to back out of it as Mrs. Penniman suggests. Mrs. Penniman tells him that, such is Catherine’s love for him, he may do anything and she will agree.
The narrator then reveals the true workings of Morris Townsend’s mind. He is clearly after Catherine for her money. He knows that the ten thousand dollars a year that Catherine has received from her mother would be adequate, yet he values himself as a much higher commodity. Catherine, however, is not aware that he is playing with her. She is more concerned at the moment with her relationship with her father.
Dr. Sloper has ceased communicating with his daughter, even to the point of ignoring her existence. Catherine’s sense of honor is bothering her, forcing her to realize that if she is not going to follow the wishes of her father, she should no longer live under his roof and provision. It is mostly for this reason that she is contemplating a speedy marriage to Morris.
Catherine at last gathers enough courage to speak to her father. She tells him that she and Morris will soon be married. Dr. Sloper responds, but states that the matter can scarcely be any concern of his. Catherine is hurt. Later, after some consideration, Dr. Sloper proposes the trip to Europe to her, saying that he would “like” her to join him. Catherine is overjoyed that he still desires her company, so she agrees, knowing that this will separate her from Morris for six months. She tells her father that she will inform Morris of her impending departure. Dr. Sloper replies that he hopes that Morris will give his consent. Catherine is bothered by this, seeing its implication that her father has given up all duties to her as a father. She mentions her idea that she should not live with him if she cannot obey him. Dr. Sloper realizes that he has underestimated his daughter’s...
(This entire section contains 1130 words.)
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character, but he tells her that this idea is in “very bad taste.”
Analysis
The revelation of Morris’s thoughts takes away any doubts as to his true
character. He is clearly lazy but desirous of a better life than he himself is
willing to work for. His interest in Catherine is not just for her money, since
ten thousand dollars a year will still allow him the freedom of not earning any
money himself, but for the lifestyle to which he wants to become accustomed.
Ten thousand dollars will not provide for this. He values himself more than
that. He is selling himself to Catherine for the price of thirty thousand
dollars. Ten thousand dollars is too cheap, and Catherine herself, he feels, is
not worth the discount.
Though he is described as an extremely attractive man, he settles for an unattractive heiress. He could do better, finding a younger woman who possesses both looks and money, but there would be too much effort in this. It would involve first finding a position that would make him a breadwinner suitable for a more “valuable” wife. This is not something he is willing to do. On the balance, Catherine Sloper is the best he can hope for. But it is Catherine Sloper at thirty thousand dollars a year that he wants.
Dr. Sloper is still betting that although Catherine is willing to wait for marriage, Morris is not. He believes that Morris is running to the end of his resources and needs to find a “meal ticket” quickly. It is not so much for the strength of Catherine’s character that he is impressed, but rather that he thinks that waiting will force Morris to move on and find another source of income-by-marriage. The proposed trip to Europe will thus prolong that wait. His trust in Catherine’s fidelity, both to himself and to Morris, is well-founded. Catherine delights that her father still wants her company. Since she is waiting, she might as well wait in a manner that will please her father.
Catherine’s sense of honor is revealed to be much greater than that of her father, her aunt, or her fiancé. She recognizes that obedience is necessary if one is enjoying the providence of someone else. She knows that she is not being fully obedient to her father’s wishes in her refusal to give Morris up. Even though she has chosen to wait until she gains her father’s approval, she feels she can no longer accept his protection. Her sense of duty is such that she is willing to leave her father’s home. The fact that her father does not quite see it in this way must give her some hope that he will eventually yield to her desire that he bless her marriage.
The plot is moving steadily to the point where a final choice must be made. Catherine can no longer have the best of both worlds—the love of her fiancé and the protection of her father. She must make a choice between the two, but her resistance to hurting either one holds her back.
