BOOK: 2 CHAPTER 14
“THE HONEST TRADESMAN”
BY: OWEN KELLY
TITLE SIGNIFICANCE
• An honest tradesman is what Jerry calls himself in
the chapter
• It is ironic because he is doing something illegal by
digging up bodies, so he is not honest at all.
• He says this to protect his identity from his son.
EVENTS IN THE CHAPTER
• Cruncher and his son are sitting outside and a funeral procession for a
spy comes down the street so they follow it with the mob.
• When they get back Jerry says that while being an honest tradesman
tonight if he gets hurt, it’s because his wife wasn’t praying right.
• Jerry announces that he will be fishing but his son is confused because
his dad’s fishing rod is rusted.
• Young Jerry follows his dad to a graveyard where Jerry is supposed to
be fishing.
• Little Jerry then realizes that his dad is a grave digger, so little Jerry is
scared and runs all the way back to the house.
• Something went wrong because Jerry was beating his wife’s head
against the table.
• When little Jerry wakes up, he asks his dad what a resurrection man is
and Jerry is startled and says that a resurrection man is a tradesman.
• Little Jerry then says that he wants to be a Resurrection man when he
grows up so Jerry is proud of him
LITERARY DEVICES
• “No games to-morrow! If I, as a honest tradesman, succeed in providing a
jinte of meat or two, none of your not touching of it, and sticking to bread. If I,
as a honest tradesman, am able to provide a little beer, none of your
declaring on water…” (pg 166)
• Parallelism: Jerry repeats “honest tradesman” over and over again to
emphasize what he is doing is right, and so his kid doesn’t know what he does.
• “He had a strong idea that the coffin he had seen was running after him; and,
pictured as hopping on behind him…” (pg 168)
• Personification: Little Jerry is scared, so he thinks the coffin is chasing him. Even
though coffins obviously can’t do that.
• “fearful of its coming hopping out of them like a dropsical boy’s-kite without
tail and wings” (pg 168)
• Simile: It is comparing the coffin bouncing after little Jerry, to a kite that is
swollen without a tail or wings. A kite like that would not fly it would just
bounce on the ground
QUOTE
• “Mr. Cruncher added to himself: ‘Jerry, you an
honest tradesman, there’s hopes wot that boy will
yet be a blessing to you, and a recompense to you
for his mother!’” (pg 170)
• Jerry is so proud of his son for wanting to be a
resurrection man even though the business is illegal.
He didn’t use to believe in his son but now he does,
in fact he says that little Jerry might make up for Mrs.
Cruncher.