Why Does Tony Take Revenge on His Mother?
She Stoops to Conquer is a notable literary work by ___. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of She Stoops to Conquer.
Answer
How does Tony Lumpkin take revenge on his mother?
In “She Stoops to Conquer” (1773), Tony Lumpkin is a fun-loving and clever boy. He often plays jokes on people. He does not like his mother’s control. Mrs. Hardcastle wants to force him to marry Constance. Tony wants freedom. So, he plays some tricks. These tricks help him take revenge on his mother.
Inn Trick: Tony’s first trick is very smart. He meets Marlow and Hastings at an alehouse. He tells them Mr. Hardcastle’s house is an inn. They believe it. When they go to the house, they treat Hardcastle like an innkeeper. Tony uses this to get back at his stepfather and also annoy his mother.
Jewels Plan: Tony helps Constance and Hastings. He knows his mother wants Constance to marry him. So, he steals Constance’s jewel box from his mother’s room. He gives it to Hastings. When Hastings asks how he got the jewels, he says,
“Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no fibs,”
He hopes they will run away and marry. This will stop his mother’s plan. But later, the jewels go back to his mother. Still, Tony tries to help again.
Coach Trick: Tony’s best trick is with the coach. His mother wants to send Constance far away. Tony drives her in circles near their home. He says they are lost in a wild forest by saying,
“Ah, it’s a highwayman with pistols as long as my arm. A damned ill-looking fellow.”
With this, Tony scares his mother by pretending Mr. Hardcastle is a robber. She is scared and confused. This trick is his perfect revenge on her.
In fine, Tony does not hate his mother. But he does not like her strict rules. She wants to control his life. So, he plays tricks to stop her plans.