Short Stories: Tomorrow

Given: The passage describes Captain Hagberd's move from Colchester to Colebrook.

Answer: Captain Hagberd came to Colebrook because his long-lost son Harry had once been seen there. He believed that since Harry had visited Colebrook at least once, there must have been some powerful reason or inducement that would bring him back there again. Convinced that Colebrook was the place where his son would eventually return, he sold his old home in Colchester and settled in Colebrook to wait for Harry's homecoming.

Given: The passage describes the townspeople's attitude towards Captain Hagberd.

Answer: The people of Colebrook did not have a favourable opinion of Captain Hagberd because they considered him mad or eccentric. He was obsessed with the belief that his son Harry would return 'tomorrow', and this delusion made him the subject of ridicule and mockery. The barber, for instance, laughed at him openly in the tap-room and even made it a point to 'cure' him through 'judicious chaffing'. The townspeople found his behaviour irrational and his single-minded fixation on his son's return absurd, which led them to regard him with amusement and contempt rather than sympathy.

Given: The passage provides hints about Captain Hagberd's seafaring past.

Answer: Captain Hagberd had been a domestic and cautious seaman who did not truly belong to the sea. He himself pointed out that none of the Hagberds ever really belonged to the sea — he had not drowned, and he believed his son, not being a true sailor, would also survive and return. He was described as having a 'maritime rig' and a weather-beaten face, suggesting years at sea, but his heart was always with his home and family rather than with the seafaring life. He had retired from the sea and taken to gardening and domestic preparations, indicating that he was never deeply attached to the sailor's life.

Given: The passage mentions that Hagberd's hints made Bessie blush faintly.

Answer: Captain Hagberd constantly hinted at the prospect of Bessie marrying his son Harry when Harry returned 'tomorrow'. He spoke of domestic arrangements — such as doing away with the fence between their properties and giving Bessie a clear drying-line for her flowers — as though she already had a legitimate interest in his cottage and his plans. These hints at a future union between Bessie and his son, spoken with a wink, made Bessie blush faintly, as it was an intimate and personal suggestion that touched her deeply.

Given: The passage describes Bessie's relationship with Captain Hagberd and her responses to his delusions.

Answer: Bessie's reactions to old Hagberd's ravings were a mixture of pity, kindness, and cautious management. She did not openly contradict him, as she had once tried to cast doubt on his hopes and had been frightened by the violent emotional reaction it provoked in him. Instead, she would steady him by a pretence of belief, laughing a little to salve her own conscience. She argued practically against unnecessary expenses like advertising in newspapers, showing that she was grounded in reality even while humoring him. She was compassionate but also realistic, aware that his hopes were doomed to disappointment, yet unwilling to cause him further distress.

Given: The passage describes Mr Carvil's behaviour and his relationship with Bessie.

Answer: Mr Carvil was a fat, blind, and utterly selfish man who had made himself deliberately helpless in order to enslave Bessie completely. Though blind, he knew his way around the parlour perfectly well, yet he refused to move without calling Bessie to his side and hanging his full weight on her shoulder. He would not eat without her close attendance, would not reach for things left at his very elbow, and would not lift a finger for himself. He had made himself more helpless than his affliction required, purely to keep Bessie bound to him. He was tyrannical, demanding, and exploitative — a man who used his disability as a tool of domination.

Given: The passage describes the arrival of a stranger at Captain Hagberd's gate.

Answer: The stranger who met Captain Hagberd was his own son, Harry Hagberd, the very person the old man had been waiting for all these years. However, Captain Hagberd did not recognise him or believe him to be his son. His reaction was one of suspicion and hostility. He dismissed the young man as an 'information fellow' — someone who had come to bring bad news or disturb his peace. He was so deeply locked in his delusion that his son would arrive 'tomorrow' that he could not accept the reality of Harry standing before him. He was triumphant when he thought Bessie had 'frightened away' the stranger, showing that his madness had completely blinded him to the truth.

Given: The passage describes Harry's understanding of his father's behaviour.

Answer: Young Harry Hagberd initially interpreted his father's repeated use of 'tomorrow' literally — he thought the old man was genuinely expecting his son to arrive the very next day, and that perhaps the old man somehow knew or expected Harry's arrival. However, as he spoke with Bessie and understood the situation more clearly, he realised that 'tomorrow' was not a literal date but a permanent state of delusion — a word his father used to keep hope alive indefinitely. It was a madness of perpetual deferral, where 'tomorrow' would never actually come. Harry found this deeply contemptible and was enraged rather than moved by his father's condition.

Given: The passage describes Bessie's attitude towards Hagberd's delusions.

Answer: Bessie encouraged old Hagberd in his insane hopes primarily out of pity and kindness. She had once tried to shake his belief and had been terrified by the violent, near-manic reaction it produced in him — he had looked as though he might lose his mind entirely. After that experience, she chose to sustain his hope rather than destroy it, as she felt it was the only thing keeping him alive and relatively stable. She also admitted to herself that she could not be entirely sure he had never had a son, and there was a small part of her that wondered — what if the son did return? Additionally, his gentle hints about a future for her with his son gave her a rare sense of being valued, which her own oppressive home life with her tyrannical father denied her.

Given: The passage describes Harry's physical resemblance to his father.

Answer: Bessie becomes convinced that the young man is indeed Harry Hagberd primarily because of his striking physical resemblance to Captain Hagberd. Harry himself points this out by asking her to imagine his father's beard on his chin, saying he was 'the very spit of him from a boy.' When Bessie looks at him carefully, she murmurs to herself, 'It's true,' confirming that the family resemblance is unmistakable. This physical likeness, combined with his confident knowledge of his father's character and domestic habits, convinces her that he is genuinely the long-lost son.

Given: The passage provides details about Harry's life through his own words and behaviour.

Answer: Harry had lived a roving, adventurous, and irresponsible life after leaving home. He had travelled widely — to foreign parts and across the world — and had never settled in one place. He was charming and rakish, always getting into 'scrapes' from which women had repeatedly rescued him. He had no savings, having spent his last shillings on the railway fare to Colebrook and his last twopence on a shave. He was hungry, penniless, and dependent on others' generosity. He had lived freely and without domestic ties, in sharp contrast to his father's obsessive domesticity. He was a wanderer by nature — the very opposite of the dutiful, home-loving son his father had imagined.

Given: The passage describes the conversation between Bessie and Harry.

Answer: Bessie tells Harry that his father has been saving and preparing everything for his return — that all the old man has in the world is meant for Harry. She reveals that Captain Hagberd has been buying furniture and making domestic arrangements in anticipation of Harry's homecoming, and that he has been planning for Harry to settle down in Colebrook. She also hints at the old man's plan for Harry to marry her, which is the detail that enrages Harry most. He is furious at the idea that his father expects him to come back and live a settled domestic life — 'sit on it like a dam' toad in a hole' — in exchange for the inheritance. He sees it as a trap and a manipulation rather than a loving welcome.

Given: The passage describes Captain Hagberd's behaviour during Harry's visit.

Answer: Captain Hagberd called out to Bessie from the window to ask whether the stranger — whom he called 'that information fellow' — had gone yet. He was suspicious and hostile towards the visitor (his own son, whom he did not recognise) and was relieved when he thought Bessie had driven him away. He then spoke to her in a tone of triumphant happiness, telling her not to be impatient and reassuring her with his eternal refrain: 'One day more.' He also threatened, in his excitement, to cut Harry off with a shilling and leave everything to Bessie if Harry did not comply with his wishes — revealing both his possessiveness and his distorted sense of control.

Given: The story traces Captain Hagberd's obsessive belief across many years.

Answer: The consistency in Captain Hagberd's madness lies in his unshakeable, unwavering belief that his son Harry will return 'tomorrow'. This single idea organises his entire existence and gives it purpose and meaning. Every action he takes — buying furniture, preparing the cottage, tending the garden, advertising in newspapers, settling in Colebrook — is directed towards this one fixed point. His madness is not chaotic or random; it is remarkably ordered and purposeful within its own logic. He is rational in all other matters, as the barber observes, and even within his delusion he is consistent: he never says Harry has already come, nor does he abandon hope — he simply perpetually defers the arrival to 'tomorrow'. This consistency gives his madness a kind of tragic dignity and makes it both pitiable and, in its own way, coherent.

Given: The story describes Hagberd's domestic preparations in detail.

Answer: Captain Hagberd prepares for Harry's homecoming with meticulous and loving care. He buys furniture — described as carpets thick and vertical like fragments of columns, and gleaming white marble tops — and describes each purchase carefully to Bessie as though she has a legitimate interest in them. He plans to lay the overgrown yard of his cottage with concrete. He considers doing away with the fence between his property and the Carvils' so that Bessie can have her drying-line clear of her flowers — hinting at the domestic future he envisions for Harry and Bessie together. He also continues to advertise in Sunday newspapers for Harry, believing these sheets are read in foreign parts to the ends of the world. Every detail of his daily life is oriented towards the moment of Harry's return, which he believes is always just one day away.

Given: The story traces the gradual effect of Hagberd's delusion on Bessie.

Answer: Bessie began to share Hagberd's insanity gradually, drawn in through the kindness of her own heart. Initially she humoured him out of pity, pretending to believe in Harry's imminent return in order to keep the old man calm and happy. Over time, however, his madness entered her life and took root. She began to wonder — what if his son really did return? She found herself emotionally invested in the possibility, partly because Hagberd's hints about a future for her with Harry offered her a rare vision of escape from her oppressive life with her tyrannical blind father. The story notes that 'this madness that had entered her life through the kind impulses of her heart had reasonable details.' She began to argue on Hagberd's behalf, to manage his delusion carefully, and to feel a personal stake in the outcome — so much so that when Harry actually arrived and proved to be a disappointment, she was devastated.

Given: The story describes Harry's arrival and his conversation with Bessie.

Answer: Harry's reasons for coming to meet old Hagberd were primarily practical and financial rather than sentimental. He had spent his last shillings on the railway fare to Colebrook and his last twopence on a shave — he was penniless and hungry. He came out of respect for the old man, as he said, but also clearly with the hope of benefiting from his father's accumulated savings. He was aware that his father had been saving everything for him. However, he had no intention of settling down in Colebrook or living the domestic life his father had planned. He was contemptuous of the idea of being trapped in a 'hole' in exchange for the inheritance. His visit was opportunistic — he came to see what he could get, not out of genuine filial love or a desire for reconciliation.

Given: The story describes Bessie's hopes and Harry's actual character and behaviour.

Answer: Harry's return proves to be a profound disappointment for Bessie on multiple levels. First, she had nurtured a quiet, secret hope — fed by Hagberd's hints — that Harry would be a worthy man who would value her and offer her a way out of her miserable life with her tyrannical father. Instead, Harry turns out to be a selfish, irresponsible wanderer with no intention of staying. He is charming but callous, taking the food she offers, accepting her money, and raising her hopes momentarily ('I have a great mind to stop... for a week') only to make clear he is leaving. Second, his violent contempt for his father's plans and his refusal to even acknowledge the old man destroy the fragile world of hope that Bessie had helped to sustain. Third, he leaves without giving her anything — not love, not rescue, not even kindness — taking her half-sovereign and swaggering away. She is left with nothing but the hollow voice of old Hagberd shouting of his 'everlasting tomorrow', and the tyranny of her blind father calling her back inside.

Points for Discussion:

This statement is richly illustrated by Conrad's story 'Tomorrow'.

1. Captain Hagberd's equilibrium: Hagberd's madness is built upon the belief that his son will return 'tomorrow'. This belief gives him self-esteem — he is a father who has not given up, a man with purpose, a provider preparing a home. As long as this belief is undisturbed, he is, in his own way, content and even cheerful. The barber notes that in all other matters he is quite rational.

2. Disturbance causes unhappiness: When Bessie once gently tried to suggest that Harry might be drowned, Hagberd's reaction was one of horror and near-collapse — 'as though he had seen a crack open out in the firmament.' His self-esteem, his entire identity as a waiting father, was threatened, and the result was acute distress. This confirms the statement: disturbing the equilibrium of even a mad mind causes suffering.

3. Broader application: The statement applies beyond madness. Old Carvil's self-esteem rests on his power over Bessie — disturb that, and he howls. Harry's self-esteem rests on his freedom and his contempt for domesticity — threaten it, and he rages. Even Bessie's quiet, suppressed hope for a better future is a form of mental equilibrium; its destruction at the end of the story leaves her in silent despair.

4. Conclusion: Conrad suggests that human beings construct mental worlds — sane or insane — that protect their sense of self. These constructions, however fragile or deluded, are necessary for psychological survival. Their violent disruption, as the story shows, leads not to liberation but to unhappiness.

Points for Discussion:

Both stories deal with the theme of paralysis, entrapment, and the failure to escape, and both centre on a young woman whose life is constrained by duty, fear, and circumstance.

1. Entrapment by a domineering father: Eveline is trapped by her abusive, demanding father; Bessie is trapped by her blind, tyrannical father Mr Carvil. Both women are denied autonomy and personal happiness by paternal authority.

2. The promise of escape that fails: Eveline has the opportunity to leave with Frank but cannot bring herself to go; Bessie has the brief, tantalising possibility of escape through Harry Hagberd, but he proves unworthy and leaves. In both cases, the escape route closes, and the woman is left in her original condition of servitude.

3. Duty versus desire: Both women feel the pull of duty — to their fathers, to their domestic roles — even when those duties are oppressive. This internal conflict prevents them from seizing freedom even when it is briefly available.

4. The theme of 'tomorrow' / deferred living: Just as Hagberd perpetually defers life to 'tomorrow', Eveline defers her own happiness, always finding reasons to stay. Both stories suggest that the habit of deferral becomes a prison.

5. Difference: Joyce's story ends at the moment of paralysis — Eveline frozen at the gangway. Conrad's story ends with Bessie returning to her 'inferno of a cottage', equally paralysed but with the added cruelty of having had hope raised and dashed. Conrad's treatment is perhaps more bitter.

Conclusion: Both stories are powerful studies of lives unlived, of hope deferred until it dies, and of the social and psychological forces that keep individuals — especially women — trapped in cycles of duty and despair.

Answer:

Conrad uses the technique of gradual, indirect revelation — sometimes called the retrospective or delayed exposition technique — to unfold Captain Hagberd's past. Rather than presenting the backstory directly or chronologically, Conrad reveals it piece by piece through the conversations and observations of secondary characters, most notably the barber.

1. The barber as narrator: The barber serves as a kind of unreliable but informative chorus. Through his gossip and psychological commentary in the tap-room, the reader learns about Hagberd's loss of his son, the death of his wife, his search for Harry, and his eventual settlement in Colebrook. This technique is realistic — we learn about people the way we actually do, through hearsay and community gossip.

2. Dramatic irony: Because the backstory is revealed gradually, the reader understands Hagberd's situation more fully than some characters do, creating dramatic irony — particularly when Harry arrives and does not recognise the depth of his father's devotion.

3. Fragmented revelation: Details are dropped casually — the advertisement in the Sunday papers, the sale of the Colchester home, the wife's death — rather than being explained in a block. This mimics the way memory and community knowledge actually work, and keeps the reader engaged in piecing together the full picture.

4. Effect: This technique creates sympathy for Hagberd without sentimentalising him. By the time we understand the full extent of his loss and his love, we are already emotionally invested, making the story's ending — with Harry's callous departure — all the more poignant.

Answer:

Conrad subtly suggests that insanity is not confined to Captain Hagberd alone — it is distributed, in varying degrees, among several characters:

1. The barber: The barber laughs at Hagberd's obsession, yet confesses that it has become 'catching'. He admits that whenever a strange sailorman comes in, he cannot help thinking, 'Suppose he's the son of old Hagberd!' He laughs at himself for it, but the admission reveals that Hagberd's delusion has infected his own mind. His obsessive plan to 'cure' Hagberd through 'judicious chaffing' is itself a kind of fixation.

2. Old Carvil: Carvil's behaviour is a form of wilful, deliberate madness — he has made himself more helpless than his blindness requires, purely to enslave Bessie. His lust for laziness and domination, his refusal to move or act independently, suggests a mind that has chosen a destructive and irrational path.

3. Bessie herself: Bessie gradually begins to share Hagberd's insanity. She sustains his delusion, begins to invest emotionally in the hope of Harry's return, and allows herself to dream of escape through a man she has never met. The story notes explicitly that 'this madness had entered her life.'

4. Harry Hagberd: Harry's violent, disproportionate rage when he learns of his father's plans — sending the plate flying, cursing, raging — suggests an instability that mirrors, in a different register, his father's obsession.

Implications: Conrad implies that the line between sanity and madness is thin and permeable. Hagberd's madness is simply the most visible form of a universal human tendency — to construct comforting fictions, to defer reality, to enslave others or be enslaved by hope. The story suggests that all human beings live, to some degree, by their own version of 'tomorrow'.

Answer:

Example 1:
*'She began to totter silently back towards her stuffy little inferno of a cottage. It had no lofty portal, no terrific inscription of forfeited hopes—she did not understand wherein she had sinned.'*

This is an allusion to Dante's Inferno (from *The Divine Comedy*), specifically to the inscription above the gates of Hell: *'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.'* The 'lofty portal' and 'terrific inscription' refer to this famous image. Conrad compares Bessie's cottage — with its tyrannical blind father and suffocating domestic servitude — to Hell itself. The allusion deepens the tragedy of Bessie's situation: she is condemned to a kind of living hell, yet unlike Dante's sinners, she does not even understand what sin she has committed to deserve it. The comparison underscores the injustice and hopelessness of her condition.

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Example 2:
*'With his maritime rig, his weather-beaten face, his beard of Father Neptune, he resembled a deposed sea-god who had exchanged the trident for the spade.'*

This is an allusion to Neptune (Poseidon), the Roman (Greek) god of the sea, traditionally depicted with a trident. The comparison between Hagberd and a 'deposed sea-god' is richly ironic: Hagberd was once a sea captain — a man of the ocean — but has now abandoned the sea entirely and taken to gardening (the spade). The allusion suggests a fall from power and purpose, a man displaced from his natural element, now reduced to pottering in a garden while waiting for a son who never comes. It gives Hagberd a mythic, tragic dimension.

Answer:

The stress pattern shifts when a word changes its grammatical function (verb → noun). In many cases, the stress moves to a later syllable in the noun form.

| Verb | Noun |
|---|---|
| pre'sent | presen'tation |
| ex'amine | exami'nation |
| pro'duce | pro'duction |
| 'calculate | calcu'lation |
| dis'tribute | distri'bution |
| 'specialise | speciali'sation |

Note on stress:
- pre'sent (verb, stress on second syllable) → presen'tation (noun, stress on third syllable)
- ex'amine (verb, stress on second syllable) → exami'nation (noun, stress on fourth syllable)
- pro'duce (verb) → pro'duction (noun, stress remains on second syllable)
- 'calculate (verb, stress on first syllable) → calcu'lation (noun, stress on third syllable)
- dis'tribute (verb) → distri'bution (noun, stress on third syllable)
- 'specialise (verb, stress on first syllable) → speciali'sation (noun, stress on fourth syllable)

This pattern illustrates the general rule that nominalisation (forming nouns from verbs) often shifts the primary stress towards the suffix, particularly with suffixes like *-ation*, *-tion*, and *-sation*.