Dombey and Son

The wealthy merchant Paul Dombey expects his business and family name to pass to a male heir, treating his daughter Florence as an emotional and commercial disappointment. His long-awaited son, also named Paul, is physically fragile, and the boy’s death deepens Dombey’s pride and isolation. Florence continues to seek her father’s affection even as his second marriage to Edith Granger collapses under the pressure of control, status and resentment.

The fortunes of the Dombey household intersect with railway expansion, maritime trade and a changing London. Dickens uses the firm and family to explore the damage caused when commercial values govern intimate relationships, while Florence’s endurance and the loyalty of friends create the possibility of moral recovery.