The one-act play “The Dear Departed” by William Stanley Houghton is a satirical play that explores family relationships and the falsehood and hypocrisy and greed that often lie beneath it. The story exposes the sad fact that human beings often become dehumanized in the face of greed and minor material gains. This play satirizes the degradation of moral values in respect and care within the members of the family itself. This story clearly reveals how elderly people are mistreated. Stanley Houghton uses various literary devices to criticize basic human characteristics in his play. He uses irony, sarcasm, humour and a twist in the plot to criticize human traits. He tries to bring out the qualities of the two daughters called Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Jordan towards their father. He tries to show how the sisters are interested in the property of their father rather than to show true care and affection towards their father.
The story begins with Mrs. Slater telling her daughter, Victoria to change her dress before the arrival of her sister (Slater’s sister) Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband, Ben. Mrs. Slater’s husband, Henry has sent them a telegram with the message of the death of his father-in-law and Elizabeth and Ben are coming to talk over the old man’s affairs. Henry wonders if they would come at all because Elizabeth has said that she would never set foot in their house again. But Mrs. Slater says that her sister will come fast enough after her share of what their father has left. Mrs. Slater asks her husband to wear the new slippers of her father. She also suggests that they should replace their shabby old chest of drawers with the valuable bureau of her father which is in his bedroom. He agrees to do it after some hesitation. Mrs. Slater wants to do it before their arrival.
Mrs. Slater fastens the door and she and her husband carry the old chest of drawers upstairs. Henry is shocked when Victoria asks him if they are pinching grandpa’s bureau. He replies that grandpa has given it to her mother before his death. Mrs. Slater carries a handsome clock and puts it on the mantelpiece. Mrs. Slater and her husband carry the pretty old-fashioned bureau downstairs and put it in the place of the chest of drawers. At the same time Victoria ushers in Mrs. Jordan and Ben. Mrs. Jordan goes straight to Mrs. Slater and kisses her and the men shake hands. Mrs. Jordan remarks that their father has gone at last. Mrs. Slater replies that he is seventy-two a fortnight the previous Sunday. She tells them that the old man has been merry that morning and has gone out to pay his insurance. Ben and Mrs. Jordan remark that it is a good thing on his part.
According to Mrs. Slater, their father is found dead when she takes up a bit of something for him on tray.
Ben and Mrs. Jordan don’t want to look at the old man ; they prefer to have tea and so Mrs. Slater gets tea ready. They think of publishing the announcement of the death of the old man in the papers. Then they decide to look through the old man’s things and make a list of them. Mrs. Jordan tells that the old man has promised his gold watch to their Jimmy. Then Victoria tells them that grandpa hasn’t paid his insurance. Ben calls him “the drunken old beggar”. Both the sisters complain that they have to put up with their father for all those years. Then Mrs. Slater asks Victoria to go and bring the bunch of keys from grandpa’s room. Victoria is afraid to go but she does. After some time, she gets back very scared and tells them that grandpa is getting up. They are transfixed with amazement. The vigorous and well coloured old man Abel Merry weather comes in.
