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Prose

Notes protest against the vicarious gluttony of Cerasia, who at her own table sent away a dish of
Morellas, which I was applying to with great good will, to her husband at the other end of the
table, and recommended a plate of less extraordinary goose berries to my unwedded palate in
their stead. Neither can I excuse the wanton affront of .
But I am weary of stringing up all my married acquaintance by Roman denominations. Let them
amend and change their manners, or I promise to record the full-length English of their names, to
the terror of all such desperate offenders in future.
Self Assessment
1. Choose the correct options:
(i) Christ’s Hospital reveals his unpalatable experiences as a
(a) College boy (b) School boy
(c) A student (d) None of these
(ii) Essays called “Counsels civil and moral by
(a) Bacon (b) Lamb
(c) Hazlit (d) None of these
(iii) Lamb is not a moralist nor a psychologist, according to
(a) Bacon (b) Hallward
(c) Cazamian (d) None of these
(iv) In this essay ‘the vicarious gluttony of ..........
(a) Morellas (b) Cerasia
(c) Testacea (d) None of these

8.4 Summary
• Charles Lamb’s essay “A Bachelor’s Complaint of the Behavior of Married People” is just
what the title suggests: it is indeed “a bachelor’s complaint of the behavior of Married
People.”
• Lamb emphasizes his single status in the start of the essay”As a single man”and in doing so,
separates himself from the “Married People.” He talks about Married People as if they are
despicable and offensive and gives both hypothetical and personal examples to back up his
points. He believes that Married People “prefer one another to all the world” and openly
flaunt it, thus offending singles such as Lamb by implying that they “are not the object of this
preference.”
• Furthermore, Lamb believes that overall, singles are looked down on Married People are
undoubtedly more favored and knowledgeable. The main complaint that Lamb is making
throughout the whole essay is the Married People’s attitudes and how they demonstrate
their status.
• He goes as far as to “the airs which these creatures give themselves when they come to have
children and, by using the negative aspects of children, he furthers his disapproval of Married
People and their actions.
• “Christ’s Hospital” reveals his unpalatable experiences as a school boy.
• Lamb disarms the reader at once with his buttonholding familiarity.
• Bacon called his essays “counsels civil and moral.
• Lamb is too modest to pretend to proffer moral counsels.

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