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) (ii) How does Henry react to Mrs. Slater’s suggestion ?

The Dear Departed

The Dear Departed - Henry's reaction

Official Answer

Henry is stupefied and reluctant; he refuses, saying "I wouldn't care to" and that moving the bureau "doesn't seem delicate, somehow" — he feels it improper before the relatives arrive.

stupefiedreluctantwouldn't care tonot delicateimpropershockeddisapprovedbefore they come

Marking Scheme

11 mark: states that Henry is shocked/stupefied and reluctant, and that he finds it improper or indelicate to move the bureau before the relatives arrive.
2Accept partial: any of — 'he refused / said he wouldn't care to', 'he felt it was not delicate/decent', 'he was uncomfortable/hesitant'.
3No mark for merely repeating the question or an unrelated point.

Hint

Look at the stage direction '(stupefied)' and his exact words about it not being 'delicate'.

Quick Oral Answer

Henry is stupefied and uneasy — he tells Mrs. Slater he 'wouldn't care to' move the bureau because it doesn't seem delicate to take the dead man's things before the others arrive.

Analysis & Explanation

Henry's reaction reveals his lingering conscience against his wife's greedy scheme in 'The Dear Departed'.

Concept

The extract shows Mrs. Slater plotting to grab Grandfather Abel's bureau before he is even buried.
Henry, though weak-willed, feels a flicker of moral discomfort at the plan.

Key points

Stage direction calls him "stupefied" — stunned/shocked by the suggestion.
He refuses in words: "I wouldn't care to."
His stated reason: it "doesn't seem delicate, somehow" — i.e., improper/indecent.

Common mistakes

Writing only "he refused" without giving his reason loses marks.
Full marks need BOTH his emotion (shock/reluctance) AND his reasoning (impropriety).

Real-world

This mirrors situations where social decency clashes with self-interest — Henry is the play's faint voice of conscience against Mrs. Slater's calculating greed.

Common Mistakes

1Writing only 'he refused' without giving his reason that it seemed indelicate/improper.
2Confusing Henry with Grandfather Abel or saying he agreed enthusiastically — Henry is actually hesitant and stunned.
3Ignoring the stage direction '(stupefied)', which is the key clue to his emotional reaction.

Interesting Facts

'The Dear Departed' was first performed in 1908; Stanley Houghton (1881–1913) was a member of the Manchester School of realist dramatists influenced by Ibsen.

A 'bureau' in the play is a writing desk with drawers — a prized, expensive piece of furniture, which is exactly why the sisters quarrel over it.

Houghton died at just 32, yet 'The Dear Departed' remains one of the most-taught English one-act comedies in Indian schools.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Henry described as 'stupefied'?

'Stupefied' means stunned or dazed. Henry is astonished that his wife wants to move the dead grandfather's expensive bureau downstairs even before the other daughter, Mrs. Jordan, arrives — it strikes him as shockingly bold and indecent.

Does Henry finally agree to move the bureau?

Despite his reluctance, Henry gives in to Mrs. Slater's insistence and helps her shift the bureau, showing that he too is drawn into the family's greed even though his conscience initially resists.