Caleb Williams

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1794

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Volume 3, Chapters 5-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Volume 3, Chapter 5 Summary

The one rule Caleb gives himself when leaving is to “take a direction as opposite as possible to that which led to the scene of [his] late imprisonment” (329). On his travels he sees a carriage on the road and decides to hide and wait to see who is in it: It turns out to be Ferdinando (329). Caleb is shocked to see Ferdinando so far from town and unsettled by the close call.

By nighttime, Caleb reaches a small public-house on the outskirts of a village and overhears a group of men talking about the search for him; however, they call Caleb by the name of Kit Williams (330). The men say that they could forgive a man for robbery if he hadn’t robbed his master (331). One of the men “questions whether [Caleb] ever robbed his master at all” and reminds his friends “that Squire Falkland was once tried for murder” (331).

While Caleb is traveling the next day, two men on horseback approach and describe a man they are looking for. It matches Caleb’s description, But Caleb’s disguise fools them. A third rider comes up: It is the servant of Mr. Forester, but he also does not recognize Caleb. Caleb reaches a place where he could pay for a vessel over to Ireland; though Ireland is not out of England’s jurisdiction, it is far enough away for him to feel safe.

Volume 3, Chapter 6 Summary

Right before the vessel sails, a boat approaches and men from it get onboard Caleb’s ship. They are officers of justice, and they notice Caleb immediately, asking for his name. Before he can answer, they move to arrest him (335). Caleb avoids saying anything that could make things worse, as he is not sure exactly why they are arresting him. He finds out that two Irish men committed a robbery 10 days prior: The officials have already caught one of the men. Overhearing the description of the other man, Caleb is certain that he will be able to plead his case as he does not fit the description and did not do the crime. They only arrested him because of his fake Irish accent.

The officers take Caleb straight to the house of a justice of peace, and when Caleb is asked for his side of the story, he speaks with his normal accent. Caleb explains that he is not Irish, argues that he does not fit the description of the wanted man, and says that he had guineas—not Irish money—on him when he was arrested. The justice of the peace says that even if Caleb is innocent of the robbery, he is clearly a suspicious person (340). The officers take Caleb to an inn, where one of them says that he is unsure of Caleb’s innocence but will let him go if Caleb pays them. The officers leave the inn afterwards and tell the innkeepers to keep an eye on Caleb.

Volume 3, Chapters 5-6 Analysis

Caleb talks about how much he enjoys being listening in on conversations while hidden at the barn. His actions are an example of his deadly curiosity; he even remarks that he is risking too much but refuses to leave because he wants to hear more. Caleb is acting in accordance with the tragic hero archetype by allowing his curiosity to override his better judgment. In a different scene, however, curiosity appears to work in Caleb’s favor. Caleb takes the time to see who is in the carriage coming down the road, and it ends up being Ferdinando. If Caleb had not taken his time to hide, Ferdinando would have caught him.

Luck also figures in both chapters. The chances of Caleb running into Ferdinando randomly on the road seem slim. Likewise, Caleb’s choice to disguise himself as an Irish man is the reason that he is stopped before he can leave England. It is as if no matter what Caleb does, there are forces working against him whenever he tries to flee from Ferdinando.

The wanted ad for the Irish man is a plot device that ruins Caleb’s plans of getting away. The letter motif has a duality in these chapters because the same letter is also the piece of evidence that Caleb uses to try to clear his name, noting that the physical description given of the thief does not resemble him. While he does prove his innocence of the crime they are arresting him for, the officers still choose to arrest him simply because he appears suspicious (341).