The Verger – Class 12 Alternative English AHSEC

The Verger – Class 12

Note for Students: Understanding “The Verger”

William Somerset Maugham’s “The Verger” is a charming and ironic story about how an unexpected setback can lead to unforeseen success. The story follows Albert Edward Foreman, a dedicated verger at a fashionable church, whose life is turned upside down when a new vicar discovers he is illiterate.

As you read, pay close attention to the central irony of the story: the very “disadvantage” that causes Albert Edward to lose his job becomes the catalyst for his immense success as a businessman. The story cleverly questions the value of formal education versus practical intelligence and street smarts. Maugham uses the character of the verger to explore themes of pride, adaptability, and destiny. The surprising and witty ending will make you think about what it truly means to be “educated” and how opportunities can arise from the most unlikely situations.

Lesson 1: Comprehension

This section will help you test your basic understanding of the plot and characters in the story.

A. State whether these sentences are True or False.

1. Albert Edward was a habitual smoker.
   • Answer: False. (He was a non-smoker but enjoyed a cigarette when he was tired).
2. Albert Edward was very particular about his gowns.
   • Answer: True.
3. The churchwardens were young men.
   • Answer: False. (They were elderly men).
4. The verger learnt to read and write only upon entering into business.
   • Answer: False. (He only learned to sign his name; he remained illiterate).

B. Answer these questions in one or two words.

1. For how long had the verger been at St Peter’s?
   • Answer: Sixteen years.
2. In the course of how many years did Albert Edward own ten shops?
   • Answer: Ten years.
3. From where did the new vicar hail?
   • Answer: The East End.
4. How much money did Albert Edward have at the bank?
   • Answer: Thirty thousand pounds.
5. Which brand of cigarettes did the verger want to buy?
   • Answer: Gold Flake.
6. How much time did the new vicar propose to give the verger to learn reading and writing?
   • Answer: Three months.

Lesson 2: Short Answer Questions

This section requires you to think more deeply about the characters’ motivations and the story’s key events.

C. Answer these questions in a sentence or two.

1. What did Albert Edward do before he became the verger at St Peter’s?
   • Answer: Before becoming a verger, Albert Edward was in domestic service, having worked his way up from a page-boy to a butler in the houses of wealthy and important people.
2. What did the new vicar discover?
   • Answer: The new vicar discovered, to his astonishment, that Albert Edward Foreman, who had been the verger for sixteen years, could neither read nor write.
3. What is the opinion of the verger regarding the new vicar?
   • Answer: The verger did not like the new vicar, considering him a busybody from the East End who didn’t understand the discreet ways of a fashionable church like St Peter’s, Neville Square.
4. What does the bank manager suggest to Albert Edward?
   • Answer: The bank manager suggested that Albert Edward should invest his large sum of money in gilt-edged securities to earn a better rate of interest than the bank could offer on a deposit account.

Lesson 3: Brief and Detailed Answers

These questions require a more detailed analysis of character, theme, and plot development.

D. Answer these questions briefly.

1. What was the condition put forth by the new vicar to the verger?
   • Answer: The new vicar put forth the condition that Albert Edward must learn to read and write within three months. If he failed to do so by the end of that period, he would have to resign from his position as verger.
2. Briefly describe the verger’s attitude towards his gowns.
   • Answer: The verger had great pride and reverence for his gowns, which he saw as the “dignified symbol of his office.” He took meticulous care of them, pressing and ironing them himself, and he never threw away his old ones, keeping the entire series neatly wrapped in his wardrobe.
3. Explain the significance of the following sentence: ‘The vergers of St Peter’s, like the Popes of Rome, were there for life’.
   • Answer: This sentence signifies the stability, permanence, and lifelong commitment associated with the verger’s position at St Peter’s. It shows Albert Edward’s belief that the job was not just a role but a lifetime vocation, which makes his sudden dismissal all the more shocking and disruptive to his world.
4. How did the manager react upon his discovery that Mr Foreman could neither read nor write?
   • Answer: The bank manager was utterly astonished, jumping up from his chair and calling it “the most extraordinary thing I ever heard.” He stared at Mr. Foreman as if he were a “prehistoric monster” and was amazed that he could build a fortune of thirty thousand pounds without being literate.
5. Briefly describe the career of Albert Edward.
   • Answer: Albert Edward began his career in domestic service, rising to the rank of butler. He then served as the verger of St Peter’s for sixteen years before being dismissed for illiteracy. This setback led him to start a successful business as a tobacconist and newsagent, and over ten years, he expanded his business to ten shops, amassing a fortune of over thirty thousand pounds.

E. Answer these questions in detail.

1. Describe, in detail, how Albert Edward lost the job of the verger at St Peter’s.
   • Answer: Albert Edward Foreman lost his job due to the principles of a new, energetic vicar. One afternoon, the vicar summoned him to the vestry, where the two churchwardens were also present. The vicar stated that he had recently discovered, to his “astonishment,” that Foreman was illiterate. While praising Foreman’s character and satisfactory work, the vicar declared the situation “impossible” for a prestigious church like St Peter’s. He gave Foreman an ultimatum: learn to read and write within three months, or he would have to resign. Feeling he was “too old a dog to learn new tricks” and maintaining his dignity, Foreman refused the offer, stating he had managed perfectly well without literacy his whole life. He calmly offered his resignation, effectively losing the job he had held with pride for sixteen years.
2. Would you consider that the new vicar’s chance discovery of Foreman’s illiteracy was a blessing in disguise for the verger? Write a persuasive answer. (AHSEC 2022)
   • Answer: Yes, the new vicar’s discovery of Foreman’s illiteracy was undoubtedly a blessing in disguise for the verger. While losing his cherished, lifelong position was initially a heavy blow, it inadvertently pushed him onto a path of far greater financial success and independence.
     • Forced into a New Opportunity: Had he remained a verger, Albert Edward would have lived a respectable but modest life, ending his days with a small pension. Being dismissed forced him out of his comfort zone. It was his aimless, sad walk after losing his job that led him to notice a street with no tobacconist, sparking the business idea that would make him wealthy.
     • Practical Skills over Formal Education: The story ironically demonstrates that Foreman’s illiteracy was key to his success. If he had been able to read and write, he would have met the vicar’s condition and remained a verger for the rest of his life. His lack of formal education did not hinder his sharp business acumen, his ability to spot a market gap, and his diligence in managing his enterprise.
     • The Final Irony: The story’s powerful concluding lines confirm this. When the astonished bank manager asks what Foreman might have become if he had been literate, he replies, “I’d be verger of St Peter’s, Neville Square.” This proves that his illiteracy, the very reason for his dismissal, was the barrier that prevented him from staying in a humble job and the key that unlocked his potential to become a wealthy and independent man. Therefore, the vicar’s action, though seemingly harsh, was the catalyst for Foreman’s true fortune.