The Old Curiosity Shop

At the Quilp residence, Betsy Quilp and her mother, Mrs. Jiniwin, host a small group of women for afternoon tea. As they eat, they discuss their shared belief that women (especially married women) are subjugated by men and that it is a woman’s duty to resist her oppressor. The group quickly turns their focus to Mr. Quilp as an example, each woman talking louder and faster than the next about how horrible he is to Mrs. Quilp, how unhandsome he is, and how if Mrs. Quilp died and he tried to marry one of them, they would “stab him if he hinted at it” or “kill [themselves], and write a letter first to say he did it” (39-40). Mr. Quilp himself arrives just in time to hear their harshest criticisms. His presence frightens the ladies, especially Mrs. Quilp. The group leaves, and the Quilps are alone. Mr. Quilp intimidates his wife into a pitifully compliant state, and he forces her to sit absolutely still in a chair as he smokes cigars and drinks rum late into the evening. When she fidgets involuntarily from fatigue, Mr. Quilp smiles, apparently taking pleasure in her discomfort.