An Old Man's Love

About the book

William Whittlestaff takes Mary Lawrie into his household when her circumstances leave her with few secure prospects. His wish to care for her develops into a proposal of marriage, but Mary's earlier attachment to John Gordon complicates the meaning of her consent. Gordon's return brings different accounts of obligation into direct conflict: gratitude, a promise, affection, and the interests of the person supposedly being protected do not point in the same direction. The outspoken housekeeper Mrs Baggett adds another perspective on dependence and practical security. Trollope keeps the setting and cast relatively concentrated, allowing the moral difficulty to emerge through conversation and reconsideration. The novel asks how a decent person can distinguish a generous intention from the wish to possess what that generosity has made possible.

• Love and self-interest
• Gratitude and obligation
• Dependence

Why read it

For a compact moral drama about the difficult distinction between caring for another person and claiming a right over their future.

Novel in two volumes · English text