What is the summary of the drama- The Dear Departed by Stanley Houghton?

Stanley Houghton uses various literary devices to criticise basic human characteristics, in “The Dear Departed”. He uses a mixture of irony, dramatic irony, sarcasm, simultaneous speech, humour and a twist in the plot to criticise human traits. The characters in the story are very two-dimensional and there is no development. This allows us to easily see through their character and understand their actions.

In this short play, Houghton manages to portray irony in many different ways. Firstly, the title is already ironic. The departed, Abel Merryweather, is not one bit dear and precious to them. The only thing the sisters are interested in is the money or valuables he owns. The ironic statements make the readers think. While the more they think the more they realise the irony criticises our basic human characteristics.

Another instance of irony is between the sisters. When they thought Abel was dead, they were complaining of what a burden he was to them. The moment Abel mentions his new will, in which he will leave everything to the person he is living with when he dies, they both fight for him to live with them. This will is a trophy that both this sisters want and will do anything to get. The irony of this shows us the shallowness of humans, the need for us to have anything that benefits us, no matter what the cost.

Houghton criticises human traits by using dramatic irony, a situation in a play or other fiction in which a character unwittingly makes a remark that the audience is intended to see as ironic, or in contradiction to the full truth. In the play, Mrs Slater comment on the ‘low, money-grubbing spirit’ of her sister. To us as the audience, we clearly see that she herself is exactly what she calls her sister. This exposes the hypocritical nature of humans, where we jump up at any situation to criticise others while failing to see similar faults in ourselves.

Houghton also uses sarcasm to criticise and bring out the faults of human characteristics. At the end of the play, Abel says he is going to get married. He says it is meant to come as a ‘pleasant surprise’. This is clearly sarcasm in action as he knows exactly what his children want, yet he is putting guilt on them. For the sisters, Abel moving away with his money is indeed a surprise, a shocking one. This insults their greed and selfishness.

In several parts of the play, people talk simultaneously. This is to increase the tension in the play. When the characters do this, it is usually to cover up some of their mistakes. This gets our attention and we see the struggle they are up against to make up a viable lie. Though this is humorous, we see truth in it. We, humans, are constantly covering up for ourselves; we lie to hide our previous lies. The sisters have a need to portray a good image to everyone else. They do not want to be second best hence the cover and hide until they give people the impression of what they want to be seen. Houghton is critical of our need for society to perceive us good human beings, an image we want to uphold, and not what we truly are.

Houghton includes a twist in the plot to surprise the audience. This brings out the characteristics of humans that he is so critical of. In light of a sudden change, we can clearly see the ways in which the characters try to make the situation bend in such a way it benefits them. When the sisters realise Abel has changed his will, they try to lie and get him to live with them. This twist in the plot is how the sisters get the lesson they deserve. They are unable to get what they want.

Victoria is an important character in the play. She is the contrast to what the older generation are; she is innocent, smart and observant. This is seen when she questions her father about ‘pinching’ the bureau. She sees what the older people block out. Her role as a foil is very important in the way in which Houghton criticises human traits. Victoria is a foil; her contrast to the others brings out the bad characteristics in the others. She has genuine affection and love for her grandfather. She spoils everything the others have tried to do by saying ‘I’m so glad you’re not dead’ to Abel. This depicts a clear contrast between love and heartlessness.

There are many themes in this play. One of them is family. This family is the prime example of what a family should not be like. There is no sense of filial duty from the sisters. There is no love, only cold heartedness and bitter resentment. Another theme is greed. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins, being greedy deserves a bad ending. Houghton is critical of humans and their lack of concern to anything or anyone other than themselves.

With the use of cleverly crafted sarcasm, irony, themes and twists, Houghton effectively criticises human characteristics. He is able to convey a message of love and family values. He is able to tell us that we have to love to be happy. No one is able to live in a live of coldness, selfishness

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 character sketch of d fav character of the play the dear departed

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Please some 1 give the answers of the DEER DEPARTED chapter:(

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 How are the dramatic irony, sarcasm, and simultaneous speech are used by the author in the play 'The Dear Departed"?

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 what is the theme of the play "the dear departed "

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download the  script of the dear departed

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wat is the summary of this chapter dear departed

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what is thesummary of the dear departure

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 how did mrs slater plan to outshine mrs jordans?

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dont know

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what r the problems faced by the old people as a result?

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mrs slater planned to outshine mrs jordan by the morning dress

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 mrs slater planned to outshine mrs jordan by shifting the bureau..! before they arrived..!

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 dont know

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 its a story of two families 

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     In this drama,The Dear Departed ,by William Stanley Houghton satirizes(critisizes)the degradation of moral values in respect and care within  the members of the family itself.

       It starts like this when the slater family got to know that their grandpa paved way heavenly  abode  at seventy two.The drama is  likely seemed to take place two weeks after his death.The fourteenth day was the mourning day for the family.He spent his last days with Mrs.Slater but before he lived with Mrs.Jordan.Slater never wanted to divide up the belongings of grandpa with mrs.jordan  as she acheived what she planned to get grandpa's bureau dowm from his room and pretend to her sis' that she won it at an second hand auction.The humurous thing is that both of them thought that their grandpa is dead. The fact is that he is still living in upstairs,and when he came down,the family portraits him as transmigrated one.He comes to know that his daughters were only after his valuables and didn't even dare to care about him.So,now here's a funny stuff when they heard the  words sayin' that he is goin' to be married to a lady in the church.

                         This drama signifies that how the present generation is reacting towards  the elders.The worldly people are after materealistic things , not the care and affectionate they have for the lonely old aged ones.How close we are to them and even a bit time we spend with them,we should ask ourselves.

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plzzzzz telll me the summary of chapter the dear departed by stanley houghton.... plzz in easy language... 

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bullshittttttttttttt

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PLZZZZZZZZ HELLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPP TROBLE

OOPS TROUBLE

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 Summary Please ! :( :( For Not Marbles Nor the gilded monuments too !

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summary of not marble nor the gilded monument

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Neither marble nor the gilded tombs of princes will outlive this powerful poetry, but you will shine more brightly in these pages than those neglected buildings that crumble to dust, besmirched by heartless time. When devastating war overturns statues, and battles uproot buildings, neither the sword of Mars nor the quick-burning fires of war shall destroy this living record of your memory.

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i need the pot in details and the main characters ?

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wer cn i gt da chrcter skcth of da grandfther...???

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 Stanley Houghton's The Dear Departed is a social play on the condition of the elderly people who are being abandoned and neglected by their own children. The play is optimistic that even elderly people may chose to live merrily, despite their old age. They can even opt to marry at old age to lead a happy life .

In the beginning of the play Mrs.Slater goes to offer something to grandfather Abel Merryweather and finds him quite cold, not responding at all. He is motionless. So, Mrs.Slater declares that the grandfather is no more.

Accordingly, her sister and her husband, the Jordans are informed about the sudden demise of the grandfather. Mrs.Slater and her husband are busy making arrangement for the mourning. They are expecting the Jordans to join them. They start using the various materials used by the grandfather. Victoria, daughter of Mrs.Slater does not like all these but reluctantly she is helping her parents in these matters. Victoria is asked to keep a watch on the main door to inform her mother about the arrival of the Jordans. Mrs.Slater is not willing to share everything of her father's belongings with Mrs.Jordan. When all these arrangements are being done, the Jordans arrive to join them.

The family members start detailed conversation on the deeds of the grandfather, planning the details of the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment. They start discussion over the distribution of grandfather's belongings among them.

Surprisingly, at this point of time, the play witnesses a turn of events. Victoria who has been sent to the grandfather's room, returns very scared. She tells everyone that grandfather is alive. To everybody's surprise, grandfather is seen coming downstairs. He is surprised to find the Jordans. No one dares to tell him that he has been declared 'dead'. While taking tea, the truth comes out and the grandfather gets to know how his daughters have been in a hurry to divide his possessions among them.

On knowing the harsh reality, the grandfather decides not to live with any of his daughters. He even expresses his final intention to change his Will. He declares that he is going to give everything to Mrs. Shorrocks whom he will marry. He feels that by marrying Mrs. Shorrocks he will have someone to look after him wholeheartedly without considering him to be a burden.

 

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 what is the summary of the drame the dear departed

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Stanley in his one act play tries to bring out the qualities of the two daughters called Mrs. Slater & Mrs. Jordan towards their father. The author tries to show how the sisters are interested in the property of their father rather than to show true care and affection towards their father. The play begins with Mrs. Slater who is dressed in black demands her husband Henry and her daughter to be in black dresses as a symbol of mourning. The hero of the play Abel who is sick and bedridden is taken as a dead person and she starts dividing the properties of her father.

The three things Mrs. Slater takes from his father’s property, first she took his Slippers and asks her husband Henry Slater to wear it. Second is Clock, it was in the upstair in his room, and then it has been shifted to her ground floor and third one is Bureau. After all arrangement and shifting, her sister Mrs. Jordan and her husband Ben Jordan enter there for Mr. Abel’s mourning. Mrs. Slater asks them to have something like coffee or tea before seeing their father’s dead body and they start to discuss about the property of his father. Mrs. Jordan asks to her sister about Bureau and Clock to be there. Mrs. Slater tells her, it has been gifted by her father, before his death.

They plan to see the will, so Victoria Slater goes to get the Bureau key in the upstair her Grandfather’s room and she tells, he is alive and coming. Abel asks them about their black dress and shifted things. Mrs. Jordan explains to him all what happened. Then Able understands about their interest to get his property and he says, going to marry a woman who take care him up to end. He says, three things going to do on next day. First he has to change his property to his new wife and should pay the premium in Insurance office and last he has to go St. Philip’s Church to marry Mrs. John Shorrock who is a widow and living in Ring-O- Bells place. Finally Abel says thanks to Mrs. Slater for shifted the Bureau down because that will be easy to carry to Ring-O-Bells and the dear departed from there.

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 nice

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 Stanley in his one act play tries to bring out the qualities of the two daughters called Mrs. Slater & Mrs. Jordan towards their father. The author tries to show how the sisters are interested in the property of their father rather than to show true care and affection towards their father. The play begins with Mrs. Slater who is dressed in black demands her husband Henry and her daughter to be in black dresses as a symbol of mourning. The hero of the play Abel who is sick and bedridden is taken as a dead person and she starts dividing the properties of her father.

The three things Mrs. Slater takes from his father’s property, first she took his Slippers and asks her husband Henry Slater to wear it. Second is Clock, it was in the upstair in his room, and then it has been shifted to her ground floor and third one is Bureau. After all arrangement and shifting, her sister Mrs. Jordan and her husband Ben Jordan enter there for Mr. Abel’s mourning. Mrs. Slater asks them to have something like coffee or tea before seeing their father’s dead body and they start to discuss about the property of his father. Mrs. Jordan asks to her sister about Bureau and Clock to be there. Mrs. Slater tells her, it has been gifted by her father, before his death.

They plan to see the will, so Victoria Slater goes to get the Bureau key in the upstair her Grandfather’s room and she tells, he is alive and coming. Abel asks them about their black dress and shifted things. Mrs. Jordan explains to him all what happened. Then Able understands about their interest to get his property and he says, going to marry a woman who take care him up to end. He says, three things going to do on next day. First he has to change his property to his new wife and should pay the premium in Insurance office and last he has to go St. Philip’s Church to marry Mrs. John Shorrock who is a widow and living in Ring-O- Bells place. Finally Abel says thanks to Mrs. Slater for shifted the Bureau down because that will be easy to carry to Ring-O-Bells and the dear departed from there.

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 The plot of the story is how a selfish family members of a person suppose their father as dead and argue over division of property. They are more concerned about the material gains rather than mourning over the dead. Therefore, when they find out that Abel Merry Weather is not dead, the situation is very awkward and turns out to be humorous. Even by the end of the story the characters do not come to their senses and act greedily to own the property their father possessed. The story ends on a light note where Abel decides to re-marry and name te entire property in his wife's name.

 

You can go through the chapter summary for further reference for your answer:

http://cbse.meritnation.com/study-online/chapter_translation/english/Fr77O3iBytowLTmukJGheg!!

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the two sisters were waiting for their fathers death and they also wanted his properties and they divide they were not gave a proper care for their old father

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about the darma of the dear departed

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Stanley Houghton uses various literary devices to criticise basic human characteristics, in The Dear Departed. He uses a mixture of irony, dramatic irony, sarcasm, simultaneous speech, humour and a twist in the plot to criticise human traits. The characters in the story are very two-dimensional and there is no development. This allows us to easily see through their character and understand their actions.

In this short play, Houghton manages to portray irony in many different ways. Firstly, the title is already ironic. The departed, Abel Merryweather, is not one bit dear and precious to them. The only thing the sisters are interested in is the money or valuables he owns. The ironic statements make the readers think. While the more they think the more they realise the irony criticises our basic human characteristics.

Another instance of irony is between the sisters. When they thought Abel was dead, they were complaining of what a burden he was to them. The moment Abel mentions his new will, in which he will leave everything to the person he is living with when he dies, they both fight for him to live with them. This will is a trophy that both this sisters want and will do anything to get. The irony of this shows us the shallowness of humans, the need for us to have anything that benefits us, no matter what the cost.

Houghton criticises human traits by using dramatic irony, a situation in a play or other fiction in which a character unwittingly makes a remark that the audience is intended to see as ironic, or in contradiction to the full truth. In the play, Mrs Slater comment on the low, money-grubbing spirit of her sister. To us as the audience, we clearly see that she herself is exactly what she calls her sister. This exposes the hypocritical nature of humans, where we jump up at any situation to criticise others while failing to see similar faults in ourselves.

Houghton also uses sarcasm to criticise and bring out the faults of human characteristics. At the end of the play, Abel says he is going to get married. He says it is meant to come as a pleasant surprise. This is clearly sarcasm in action as he knows exactly what his children want, yet he is putting guilt on them. For the sisters, Abel moving away with his money is indeed a surprise, a shocking one. This insults their greed and selfishness.

In several parts of the play, people talk simultaneously. This is to increase the tension in the play. When the characters do this, it is usually to cover up some of their mistakes. This gets our attention and we see the struggle they are up against to make up a viable lie. Though this is humorous, we see truth in it. We, humans, are constantly covering up for ourselves; we lie to hide our previous lies. The sisters have a need to portray a good image to everyone else. They do not want to be second best hence the cover and hide until they give people the impression of what they want to be seen. Houghton is critical of our need for society to perceive us good human beings, an image we want to uphold, and not what we truly are.

Houghton includes a twist in the plot to surprise the audience. This brings out the characteristics of humans that he is so critical of. In light of a sudden change, we can clearly see the ways in which the characters try to make the situation bend in such a way it benefits them. When the sisters realise Abel has changed his will, they try to lie and get him to live with them. This twist in the plot is how the sisters get the lesson they deserve. They are unable to get what they want.

Victoria is an important character in the play. She is the contrast to what the older generation are; she is innocent, smart and observant. This is seen when she questions her father about pinching the bureau. She sees what the older people block out. Her role as a foil is very important in the way in which Houghton criticises human traits. Victoria is a foil; her contrast to the others brings out the bad characteristics in the others. She has genuine affection and love for her grandfather. She spoils everything the others have tried to do by saying Im so glad youre not dead to Abel. This depicts a clear contrast between love and heartlessness.

There are many themes in this play. One of them is family. This family is the prime example of what a family should not be like. There is no sense of filial duty from the sisters. There is no love, only cold heartedness and bitter resentment. Another theme is greed. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins, being greedy deserves a bad ending. Houghton is critical of humans and their lack of concern to anything or anyone other than themselves.

With the use of cleverly crafted sarcasm, irony, themes and twists, Houghton effectively criticises human characteristics. He is able to convey a message of love and family values. He is able to tell us that we have to love to be happy. No one is able to live in a live of coldness, selfishness

hope it helps

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