Dombey and Son is a novel by the English author Charles Dickens that explores some of the family and social themes he treated in many of his other works. The novel is mainly about the grasping and arrogant merchant Mr. Dombey, who cuts himself off from the warmth of human love. The themes of the novel are the evil of pride, the corrupting influence of money, and the hidden virtues to be found among the poorest in society.
One of the central images in the book is the system of railroads that was radically changing the English landscape and way of life. The story was published in installments from 1846 to 1848 and published in book form in 1848.
Mr. Dombey is the head of the shipping house of Dombey and Son. His wife dies shortly after giving birth to his son, Paul. At the age of 6, Paul, who is sickly and delicate, is sent to a school run by Dr. Blimber, who is extremely strict. The harsh discipline is too much for Paul, and he becomes ill and dies. Mr. Dombey also has a daughter, Florence, who is the real moral force of the action. Florence is devoted to him, but Mr. Dombey does not take much notice of her.
One of Mr. Dombey’s employees, Walter Gay, falls in love with Florence, but Mr. Dombey disapproves of the match and sends Walter to the West Indies. He is shipwrecked and thought to be drowned. Mr. Dombey then marries Edith Granger, a proud, young, and poor widow. His unpleasant treatment of her drives her to one of his employees, a man called Carker. They run away to France, pursued by Mr. Dombey. He catches up with them at a railroad station, where Carker falls under a train and dies.
Florence runs away from home. Walter Gay, who has survived the shipwreck, returns and marries Florence. Mr. Dombey’s shipping business fails. He is faced with the fact that he has lost his wife, his son, his fortune, and his daughter. This series of catastrophes finally break his spirit, and he lives forsaken and alone until Florence returns and their relationship is restored and healed. Without losing any of its great power as a story, Dombey and Son stresses the virtue of forgiveness and suggests the hope and possibility of redemption.
See also Dickens, Charles.
