Article #588-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Master Humphrey's Clock, by Charles Dickens

It is associated with my earliest recollections. It stood upon the
staircase at home (I call it home still mechanically), nigh sixty years
ago. I like it for that; but it is not on that account, nor because it
is a quaint old thing in a huge oaken case curiously and richly carved,
that I prize it as I do. I incline to it as if it were alive, and could
understand and give me back the love I bear it.

And what other thing that has not life could cheer me as it does? what
other thing that has not life (I will not say how few things that have)
could have proved the same patient, true, untiring friend? How often
have I sat in the long winter evenings feeling such society in its
cricket-voice, that raising my eyes from my book and looking gratefully
towards it, the face reddened by the glow of the shining fire has seemed
to relax from its staid expression and to regard me kindly! how often in
the summer twilight, when my thoughts have wandered back to a melancholy
past, have its regular whisperings recalled them to the calm and peaceful
present! how often in the dead tranquillity of night has its bell broken
the oppressive silence, and seemed to give me assurance that the old
clock was still a faithful watcher at my chamber-door! My easy-chair, my
desk, my ancient furniture, my very books, I can scarcely bring myself to
love even these last like my old clock.

It stands in a snug corner, midway between the fireside and a low arched
door leading to my bedroom. Its fame is diffused so extensively
throughout the neighbourhood, that I have often the satisfaction of
hearing the publican, or the baker, and sometimes even the parish-clerk,
petitioning my housekeeper (of whom I shall have much to say by-and-by)
to inform him the exact time by Master Humphrey’s clock. My barber, to
whom I have referred, would sooner believe it than the sun. Nor are
these its only distinctions. It has acquired, I am happy to say,
another, inseparably connecting it not only with my enjoyments and
reflections, but with those of other men; as I shall now relate.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Master Humphrey’s Clock by Charles Dickens**

Context of the Source

Master Humphrey’s Clock (1840–41) is a frame narrative by Charles Dickens, originally published as a weekly serial. The titular character, Master Humphrey, is an elderly man who presides over a small club where members share stories—many of which became standalone works, such as The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge. The excerpt provided is from Humphrey’s own musings, introducing his deep emotional attachment to an old clock, which serves as both a literal timekeeper and a symbolic companion.

Dickens often imbued inanimate objects with human qualities (a device called personification), and this passage is a prime example. The clock is not merely a functional object but a living presence in Humphrey’s life, embodying memory, comfort, and constancy in a world where human relationships may be fleeting or unreliable.

Themes in the Excerpt

Memory and Nostalgia
- The clock is tied to Humphrey’s "earliest recollections", evoking a sense of childhood and the past. The phrase "I call it home still mechanically" suggests a lingering emotional attachment to a place that is no longer truly his, reinforcing melancholy and the passage of time.
- The clock acts as a bridge between past and present, its ticking a steady reminder of continuity amid change.
Loneliness and Companionship
- Humphrey personifies the clock as a "patient, true, untiring friend", contrasting it with the unreliability of human relationships ("how few things that have [life] could have proved the same").
- The clock’s "cricket-voice" and "regular whisperings" provide solace in solitude, making it a silent confidant in his quiet moments.
- The idea that the clock "regard[s] me kindly" suggests a one-sided but deeply felt bond, where Humphrey projects his need for companionship onto an inanimate object.
Time and Mortality
- The clock is a symbol of time’s relentless march, yet it also offers comfort in its constancy. While time brings loss (the "melancholy past"), the clock’s presence grounds Humphrey in the "calm and peaceful present".
- The bell breaking "the oppressive silence" at night implies that the clock is a guardian against the void, a reassurance that something endures beyond human frailty.
Faith and Trust in the Clock’s Authority
- The neighborhood’s reliance on the clock ("My barber… would sooner believe it than the sun") elevates it to a symbol of truth and order in a chaotic world.
- This public reverence contrasts with Humphrey’s private, emotional connection, making the clock both a personal and communal anchor.

Literary Devices

Personification
- The clock is given human traits:
  - It "understand[s] and give[s] back the love" Humphrey feels.
  - Its face "relax[es] from its staid expression" and "regard[s] me kindly."
  - It is a "faithful watcher" at his door.
- This device makes the clock feel alive, deepening the emotional weight of Humphrey’s attachment.
Imagery (Sensory and Visual)
- Auditory Imagery:
  - The "cricket-voice" and "regular whisperings" create a soothing, rhythmic soundscape that contrasts with the "oppressive silence" of night.
- Visual Imagery:
  - The "glow of the shining fire" reddening the clock’s face makes it seem almost human, as if blushing in response to Humphrey’s gaze.
  - The "low arched door" and "snug corner" give a sense of warmth and security.
Contrast & Juxtaposition
- Living vs. Non-Living:
  - Humphrey questions what "other thing that has not life" could offer such companionship, implying that even many living beings fail to provide the clock’s steadfastness.
- Past vs. Present:
  - The clock pulls him back from "melancholy past" to the "peaceful present", acting as a stabilizing force.
Rhetorical Questions
- "What other thing that has not life could cheer me as it does?"
- "How often have I sat in the long winter evenings feeling such society in its cricket-voice..."
- These questions engage the reader while emphasizing Humphrey’s emotional dependence on the clock.
Symbolism
- The clock represents:
  - The inevitability of time (its ticking is a reminder of life’s passage).
  - Comfort in routine (its predictability contrasts with human unpredictability).
  - A silent witness to life’s joys and sorrows (it "watches" over Humphrey like a guardian).

Significance of the Passage

Dickens’ Exploration of Human Emotion
- The passage reveals how people anthropomorphize objects to cope with loneliness. Humphrey’s profound attachment to the clock reflects a universal human need for constancy in an uncertain world.
The Clock as a Metaphor for Storytelling
- Since Master Humphrey’s Clock is a frame narrative, the clock itself can be seen as a symbol of storytelling—a device that marks time while preserving memories. Just as the clock "watches" over Humphrey, the stories in the book "watch" over the characters within them.
Victorian-Era Themes
- The idealization of the past and fear of modernity’s instability were common in Victorian literature. The clock, an old, handcrafted object, represents a vanishing world of tradition and craftsmanship.
- The public’s trust in the clock over nature ("sooner believe it than the sun") reflects the Victorian obsession with precision and industrial progress, yet also a nostalgic longing for simpler times.
Foreshadowing Humphrey’s Role
- Humphrey’s solitude and introspection hint at his role as a storyteller who observes rather than participates. The clock, like Humphrey, is a passive but essential presence, marking time while others live their lives.

Line-by-Line Analysis of Key Moments

"I incline to it as if it were alive, and could understand and give me back the love I bear it."
- Humphrey’s emotional investment is so strong that he attributes sentience to the clock. This suggests deep loneliness—he craves reciprocation, even from an object.
"the face reddened by the glow of the shining fire has seemed to relax from its staid expression and to regard me kindly!"
- The fire’s glow animates the clock, making it seem almost human. The word "relax" implies a shared intimacy, as if the clock is responding to Humphrey’s affection.
"how often in the dead tranquillity of night has its bell broken the oppressive silence, and seemed to give me assurance that the old clock was still a faithful watcher at my chamber-door!"
- The bell’s sound is a comfort, breaking the eerie silence of night. The phrase "faithful watcher" frames the clock as a protector, like a guardian spirit.
"My barber, to whom I have referred, would sooner believe it than the sun."
- This hyperbolic trust in the clock over natural time (the sun) underscores its symbolic authority. It is more than a timepiece—it is a source of truth in a world where even the sun might be doubted.
"It has acquired… another [distinction], inseparably connecting it not only with my enjoyments and reflections, but with those of other men."
- The clock is both personal and communal—it binds Humphrey to shared human experience, suggesting that time itself is a universal connector.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is a masterclass in personification and emotional depth, transforming a simple household object into a vessel for memory, comfort, and meaning. Dickens uses the clock to explore:

The human need for companionship (even from inanimate objects).
The passage of time and the weight of memory.
The contrast between stability and change.

The clock is not just a timekeeper but a silent storyteller, much like Master Humphrey himself—a figure who observes, preserves, and marks the moments of life. In a broader sense, the passage reflects Dickens’ own role as a chronicler of human experience, using objects and settings to capture the intangible emotions that define us.

Would you like any further analysis on specific phrases or connections to other Dickensian themes?

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s description of the clock’s face "reddened by the glow of the shining fire" and appearing to "relax from its staid expression" primarily serves to:

A. illustrate the psychological projection of human qualities onto inanimate objects as a coping mechanism for loneliness.
B. emphasize the clock’s physical beauty and the craftsmanship of its carved oaken case.
C. suggest that the clock is supernatural, capable of independent thought and emotional response.
D. contrast the warmth of the fireside with the cold, mechanical nature of timekeeping.
E. foreshadow the clock’s eventual malfunction, symbolizing the narrator’s declining mental state.

Question 2

The rhetorical question "what other thing that has not life could cheer me as it does?" is most effectively interpreted as:

A. a literal inquiry into the unique acoustic properties of clocks compared to other household objects.
B. an implicit critique of human relationships, suggesting they are less reliable than the constancy of an inanimate object.
C. a metaphorical comparison between the clock’s ticking and the rhythmic patterns of nature.
D. an expression of the narrator’s delusional belief that the clock possesses a soul.
E. a humorous exaggeration intended to highlight the narrator’s eccentric personality.

Question 3

The phrase "faithful watcher at my chamber-door" is most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The clock’s role as a guardian of secrets, silently preserving the narrator’s private thoughts.
B. The Victorian obsession with punctuality and the industrialization of time.
C. The narrator’s fear of burglary, projecting protective qualities onto the clock.
D. The clock as a symbol of vigilance against the encroachment of mortality and the passage of time.
E. The clock’s function as a communal timekeeper, bridging the narrator’s solitude with the outside world.

Question 4

The neighborhood’s reliance on the clock for accurate time ("My barber… would sooner believe it than the sun") primarily serves to:

A. underscore the narrator’s vanity, as he takes pride in owning such a revered object.
B. elevate the clock to a symbol of objective truth, contrasting with the subjective, emotional bond the narrator feels.
C. critique the blind faith of the working class in mechanical devices over natural phenomena.
D. introduce a comedic element, highlighting the absurdity of trusting a man-made object over celestial bodies.
E. suggest that the clock’s reputation is exaggerated, hinting at the narrator’s unreliability.

Question 5

The passage’s closing line—"as I shall now relate"—is most effectively understood as:

A. a transitional device to shift focus to the clock’s mechanical history.
B. an invitation to consider the clock’s broader symbolic role in connecting individual and collective human experience.
C. a narrative tease, implying that the clock’s true origin is mysterious or supernatural.
D. a meta-commentary on the act of storytelling, framing the clock as a literal and figurative timekeeper of tales.
E. an abrupt shift to a more plot-driven section, abandoning the introspective tone of the preceding passage.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: A

Why A is most correct: The passage explicitly frames the clock as an object onto which the narrator projects emotional needs. The description of the clock’s face "relaxing" and "regarding [him] kindly" is a clear example of anthropomorphism, a psychological mechanism to alleviate loneliness. The narrator admits he "inclines to it as if it were alive" (emphasis added), signaling awareness of the projection while still embracing it. This aligns with object relations theory in psychology, where inanimate objects become substitutes for human connection.