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Chapter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Wives and Daughters, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Friendship
Class, Status, and Romance
Independence, Opportunities, and Gender
Challenges, Growth, and Community
Gossip and Rumors
Summary
Analysis
One day, Mr. Gibson comes home early and finds the youngest of his servants, Bethia, carrying a note meant for Molly. Gibson becomes suspicious and asks Bethia to hand over the note. When he reads it, he sees that it’s a florid love letter from Mr. Coxe to Molly. Gibson is dismayed. Coxe is supposed to live with the family for another three years, and there’s no telling what might happen to Molly’s reputation if Coxe’s feelings aren’t stopped in their tracks. Still, Gibson doesn’t want to embarrass Coxe. He writes him a note in the form of a tongue-in-cheek prescription that he hopes will send Coxe the message that he (Coxe) cannot let his feelings develop further.
This passage begins to explain why Gibson has changed his mind about sending Molly to stay with the Hamleys. Notably, that decision seems to be tied to gender norms, as it stems from Gibson’s fear about what would happen to Molly’s reputation if Coxe were to act on his infatuation with Molly and people were to find out about it. With that in mind, the passage also points to the double standard the community applies to courtship between young people, as the town seems prepared to punish Molly based on how a man interacts with her, while simultaneously not holding the man in question (Coxe) responsible for his actions.
Themes
That night, after dinner, Mr. Coxe confronts Mr. Gibson. Coxe, having correctly discerned the prescription’s implications, is indignant. He says that it was ungentlemanly of Gibson to open the letter meant for someone else and to read it himself. Gibson says that, as a young woman, Molly’s reputation can quickly become sullied. He tells Coxe that he can stay in the house but only if he swears not to try and make his feelings known to Molly ever again. Coxe is dismayed but ultimately agrees. Gibson then thinks the matter over. Eventually, he concludes that he should take Mrs. Hamley up on her offer to have Molly stay at the Hamleys’ house for a matter of time.
This passage provides further information about the rigid gender norms of the town when Mr. Gibson calls attention to how quickly Molly’s reputation could be damaged if she were to interact with Coxe in a way that local social norms consider inappropriate. This reinforces not just the restrictive gender norms that govern women’s interactions with men, but it also hints at the power that rumors and gossip might play in the town, as Gibson seems to be especially concerned with people’s perception of Molly’s reputation and is less concerned about her welfare if Coxe were to make unwanted advances on her.
Themes
The next day, Mr. Gibson rides to the Hamleys’ house. Squire Hamley is out, but Mrs. Hamley is there, and she’s overjoyed to hear that Mr. Gibson is going to allow Molly to come and stay with them. After Gibson leaves, Squire Hamley returns home, and he’s also enthusiastic about Molly coming to stay with them. He’s especially happy that Mrs. Squire, who is ill, will have someone to keep her company. He also says it’s probably for the best that Osborne and Roger are off at Cambridge, or else they might have a love affair on their hands. But that wouldn’t do, Squire Hamley says, because Osborne must marry someone of a higher status than Molly, and Roger must make his own way and won’t be able to think of marriage for the next 10 years at least.
Squire Hamley’s reaction to the news that Molly will be coming to stay with them again underlines the restrictive norms that govern interactions between men and women, as Squire Hamley wants to avoid any hint of romance between Molly and his sons. Notably, this passage also reveals Squire Hamley’s ideas about class and status. To him, the most important aspect of Osborne’s future marriage will be his prospective wife’s socioeconomic status. This shows that for Squire Hamley, socioeconomic status—not romantic love—is the most important factor to take into account when considering a potential spouse.
Themes
Meanwhile, Mr. Gibson tells Molly that she’ll be going to stay with the Hamleys. He says that there’s a reason, but he’s not prepared to tell her what it is. Privately, Mr. Gibson doesn’t want to see Molly go. Molly is confused and agitated because Gibson won’t tell her why he’s sending her away. She then tells Gibson that she’ll need a new gown and new frocks if she’s going to leave. Gibson gives her money to buy clothing from the dressmaker in town, which surprises Molly, as previously Betty has made all of Molly’s clothing.
This passage underlines the role that clothes play throughout the novel, as clothes repeatedly serve as symbols of different characters’ attempts to navigate questions related to socioeconomic status. In this instance, Gibson splurges on new, store-bought clothes for Molly when she is going to stay with the Hamleys, a family from a higher socioeconomic class than the Gibsons.
Themes
Literary Devices
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