The Cricket on the Hearth

The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens.

The story as a piece of literature

The plot. There are several interlocking plots.

May Fielding has been prevailed upon by her mother to become engaged to Mr Tackleton, a much older, rich toymaker, who is sarcastic, hard hearted, and oppressive. On the morning of their wedding, a long lost lover Edward (Son of Caleb, the employee of Tackleton, and Brother of blind Bertha) whisks her away and marries her an hour before the wedding of May and Mr Tackleton had been planned.

It is a year to the day since Mary (Dot) and John Peerybingle married. A happy and healthy baby is on the scene cared for by a nurse-maid, Tilly Slowboy. There is a great disparity in the ages of this couple the man (a carrier or messenger) being much older than the woman. Mary freely admits that when they first married, she did not know whether she could learn to love him, but has loved him more every day since. In the course of his day’s work, it is evident that John depends on Tackleton for his living because he carried parcels for him both to his customers and from his suppliers. This evening he has an unusual parcel with him- an old man, who keeps himself to himself and sleeps or reads rather than offer any conversation. He requests to stay over in the Perrybingle’s house as it is getting late, and he has nowhere else to stay. He reveals to her his real identity- that he is the long lost intended of her best friend May Fielding. The following evening, he gets her alone and asks her to act as go-between to find out if May still loves and wishes to marry him.. Tackleton and John spot them conversing together in secret and mistake the situation. They think that Mary and the young man (whose identity they do not know) are becoming intimate. John spends all night sitting next to the fire and is visited by a “Presence” the cricket on the hearth in “Fairy Form”. The Cricket helps John to see the sacrifice that Mary made in marrying him, and thinks that he will “let her go” to marry this young man. Tackleton visits him early next morning (The wedding morning!). They discuss the situation, and John tells him that he plans to let Mary go with her “lover”. Mary must have been listening to the conversation, and perhaps pretends to think that John is going to put her out of the house. She makes plans for Tilly to take the baby to visit its father when they are no longer living together. At that moment Caleb and blind Bertha arrive at Mary’s house. Tackleton must have told Caleb that Mary has been seen in an uncompromising position with a young man. Caleb wishes to tell Bertha that Mary has deceived them all and is not the lovely person she has come to think of her as. Hot on their heels arrive the newly married happy couple, May and Edward, and the plot is revealed. There is a scene like a detective novel where the plot is explained by Mary, and her true feelings for her husband are expressed. She has loved him more and more each day of their marriage. There is a reconciliation with great affection.
Bertha is Caleb’s Daughter. She was born blind and Caleb has been “her eyes” for all of her life. Caleb works for Tackleton, who despite being a toymaker has no affection or care for anyone. Caleb has led Bertha to believe that they live in a beautiful home, with pretty belongings and that Tackleton is a kind employer. Both of these things are falsities. He tells her lies in order to shield her from the truth as he feels sorry for her and wishes to spare her any feelings of sadness or guilt. Bertha helps Caleb in his work by putting eyes on dolls. A perverse picture that a girl with no sight puts sightless eyes onto dolls, and her real eyes (her father) has deceived her. When Tackleton says unkind things, Caleb lies to Mary that he is joking. He tells her that Tackleton is winking to show it is a joke. Indeed he is winking but this is because of a physical imperfection which has left him with an eye that is always close. He has led Bertha to believe that he himself (her father) is a young fit and carefree man without a worry in the world. He is in fact old, grey and care-worn. Since her marriage, Mary has taken a special care of Bertha. She goes every fortnight to have a “pic-nic” and talk to her. She also does as much house-work as she can without drawing attention to it. Caleb has led Bertha to believe that certain presents were gifts from Mary/Dot. On the morning of the wedding Caleb must have been informed by Tackleton that Mary will not be attending the wedding because she has been caught with a young man and John is going to put her out. He has brought Mary to say goodbye and to get off his chest the other lies he has told to his vulnerable daughter. Just as the cat is about to be brought out of the bag, the two lovers (May and Edward) arrive and tell all about the secret wedding they have contracted. Caleb has not spoilt Bertha’s love for Mary because their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of the happy couple, but he does manage to tell Bertha that he has been mis-leading her about their circumstances. He feels relieved to have got it off his chest. Bertha loves her father all the more for hearing of his sacrifices on her behalf.
Tackleton, having had a talk with John, realises the sadness of young wives married to older men on the recommendation of their mothers. He has become mellowed as a result of the talk. He turns up at John’s house to collect his “fiancé” only to discover that she has already married Edward. He seems to say “that is all right then” and leaves. Later on he sends a man with the cake that he would have served at his own wedding and asks the guests to eat it as he has no use for it anymore. After that a man arrives with a bag of toys for the “babby” and not ugly ones i.e. dolls that were not rejects. This was an act of reconciliation maybe due to the fact that he feels guilty at telling John his wife was with a younger man and spreading rumours to Caleb about something that was not true. Later still he comes and joins the party and is accepted without any recriminations.
There is in fact a long lost lover for Mary, who is represented by the Cricket on the hearth. He has been with her in spirit since her marriage to John. Although all looks rosy and happy in her household now, and she has promised undying loyalty to her husband , who knows what the future holds. Will he return and claim her? Will John be unselfish enough to give her up to him for her sake? Who knows!