Dombey and Son

Charles Dickens' Dombey and Son is a novel concerning Paul Dombey, the wealthy owner of the shipping company whose dream is to have a son to continue his business. When his son is born his wife dies shortly after giving birth. Dombey employs a wet nurse while neglecting his daughter Florence. Dombey's callous neglect of his family triggers his professional and personal downfall. "Mr. Dombey undergoes no violent change, either in this book, or in real life. A sense of his injustice is within him, all along. The more he represses it, the more unjust he necessarily is. Internal shame and external circumstances may bring the contest to a close in a week, or a day; but, it has been a contest for years, and is only fought out after a long balance of victory."