10.(c) Mrs. Slater : Henry, why shouldn't we bring that bureau down here now ? We could do it before they come. Henry (stupefied) : I wouldn't care to. Mrs. Slater : Don't look so daft. Why not ? Henry : It doesn't seem delicate, somehow. Mrs. Slater : We could put that shabby old chest of drawers upstairs where the bureau is now. Elizabeth could have that and welcome. I've always wanted to get rid of it. (She points to the drawers.) (The Dear Departed) (i) Why does Mrs. Slater want to bring the bureau down ?
10.(c) Mrs. Slater : Henry, why shouldn't we bring that bureau down here now ? We could do it before they come. Henry (stupefied) : I wouldn't care to. Mrs. Slater : Don't look so daft. Why not ? Henry : It doesn't seem delicate, somehow. Mrs. Slater : We could put that shabby old chest of drawers upstairs where the bureau is now. Elizabeth could have that and welcome. I've always wanted to get rid of it. (She points to the drawers.) (The Dear Departed) (i) Why does Mrs. Slater want to bring the bureau down ?
Official answer
Mrs. Slater wants to bring the bureau down so she can claim it for herself before her sister Elizabeth's family arrives. Believing her father dead, she greedily grabs his valuable furniture, planning to replace it with her own shabby chest of drawers and leave that inferior piece for Elizabeth.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark: answer stating she wants to take/claim the valuable bureau for herself before her sister Elizabeth arrives (out of greed / self-interest).
- 2.Full mark accepted for the idea of grabbing the good furniture and leaving the shabby chest of drawers for Elizabeth.
- 3.No mark for a purely literal answer ('to move furniture') that misses the motive of greed.
Hint
Ask yourself WHY she wants it done 'before they come' — think about who gets the good furniture.
Quick oral answer
Mrs. Slater wants to grab the valuable bureau for herself before her sister Elizabeth arrives, planning to slip her own shabby chest of drawers upstairs in its place — pure greed while her father is thought dead.
Common mistakes
- 1.Giving only the literal action ('to shift the furniture downstairs') without explaining the underlying motive of greed.
- 2.Not mentioning that she wants it done before her sister Elizabeth comes to claim a share.
- 3.Confusing the bureau (valuable) with the shabby chest of drawers she wants to pass off on Elizabeth.
Analysis and explanation
Motive-based question from Stanley Houghton's satirical play 'The Dear Departed'.
Concept
- Mrs. Slater wants to bring the bureau down because she means to seize her supposedly dead father's valuable furniture before her sister Elizabeth Jordan arrives to claim a share.
Key points
- Her plan: move the good bureau into her own room and shift her 'shabby old chest of drawers' up to where the bureau stood, so Elizabeth is left with the worthless piece.
- Her line 'We could do it before they come' exposes the calculated haste of her greed even while her father is thought to be lying dead upstairs.
Common mistakes
- Giving a purely literal answer ('to move furniture downstairs') without naming the underlying motive of greed/self-interest.
Real-world theme
- The play's satire lies in this grasping behaviour, which is exposed as hollow when old Abel turns out to be alive.
Interesting facts
'The Dear Departed' was first performed in 1908 by Stanley Houghton, a member of the Manchester School of realist playwrights who satirised Edwardian middle-class values.
The play's irony climaxes when the 'dead' grandfather Abel Merryweather wakes up, exposing both daughters' greed as they had already begun dividing his belongings.
Question details
Q42 of 53 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 10
- Subject
- English (Communicative)
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section D
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- Very Short Answer
- Chapter
- The Dear Departed
- Topic
- Mrs. Slater's motive for moving the bureau
- Bloom's level
- understand
- Syllabus topic
- Section D: Drama — 'The Dear Departed' by Stanley Houghton: Characterisation and Greed
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
Why does Mrs. Slater want to bring the bureau down in 'The Dear Departed'?
She wants to take the valuable bureau for herself before her sister Elizabeth arrives. Believing their father is dead, she greedily plans to replace it with her own shabby chest of drawers, leaving the inferior piece for Elizabeth.
What does this scene reveal about Mrs. Slater's character?
It reveals her greed, selfishness and hypocrisy — she is grabbing her supposedly dead father's belongings in unseemly haste, before mourning him or sharing anything with her sister.