# Hypocrisy and Deception in Erewhon Revisited

> Theme guide for Erewhon Revisited by Samuel Butler.

The epigraph condemns those who say one thing and hide another, a theme echoed throughout as characters like Hanky and Panky manipulate truth for personal gain, while Higgs himself navigates a web of lies and half-truths.

## Where it surfaces

- [Epigraph](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/epigraph): The epigraph directly condemns duplicity, setting a critical tone for the narrative's exploration of hidden motives and false appearances.
- [III: My Father While Camping Is Accosted by Professors Hanky and Panky](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/iii-my-father-while-camping-is-accosted-by-professors-hanky-and-panky): My father deceives the professors about the quails and his identity, while the professors themselves are willing to bend rules for personal gain.
- [My Father Overhears More of Hanky and Panky’s Conversation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/iv-my-father-overhears-more-of-hanky-and-panky-s-conversation): Both professors engage in self-serving deception, with Panky being a 'living lie' and Hanky using occasional frankness to disarm others.
- [V: My Father Meets a Son, of Whose Existence He Was Ignorant; and Strikes a Bargain with Him](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/v-my-father-meets-a-son-of-whose-existence-he-was-ignorant-and-strikes-a-bargain-with-him): Both the Bridgeford professors and the Sunch'ston people dare not speak their true beliefs, hiding skepticism behind public conformity.
- [VI: Further Conversation Between Father and Son—The Professors’ Hoard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/vi-further-conversation-between-father-and-son-the-professors-hoard): Higgs hides his identity from his own son, while Yram publicly supports the Musical Bank Managers despite privately disbelieving their narrative.
- [Signs of the New Order of Things Catch My Father’s Eye on Every Side](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/vii-signs-of-the-new-order-of-things-catch-my-father-s-eye-on-every-side): Higgs's internal conflict about revealing his identity and the Erewhonians' exploitation of his legend highlight themes of deception and self-interest.
- [VIII: Yram, Now Mayoress, Gives a Dinner-Party, in the Course of Which She Is Disquieted by What She Learns from Professor Hanky: She Sends for Her Son George and Questions Him](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/viii-yram-now-mayoress-gives-a-dinner-party-in-the-course-of-which-she-is-disquieted-by-what-she-learns-from-professor-hanky-she-sends-for-her-son-george-and-questions-him): Yram's internal suspicion and the Professors' obliviousness highlight the theme of hidden truths and deceptive appearances.
- [Interview Between Yram and Her Son](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/ix-interview-between-yram-and-her-son): Higgs's disguise and the professors' poaching highlight the gap between appearance and reality.
- [X: My Father, Fearing Recognition at Sunch’ston, Betakes Himself to the Neighbouring Town of Fairmead](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/x-my-father-fearing-recognition-at-sunch-ston-betakes-himself-to-the-neighbouring-town-of-fairmead): The father's complaint about his daughter's lack of immoral sense and the Mayor's advice highlight the societal expectation of learning deception as a survival skill.
- [President Gurgoyle’s Pamphlet “On the Physics of Vicarious Existence”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xi-president-gurgoyle-s-pamphlet-on-the-physics-of-vicarious-existence): Gurgoyle selectively uses Higgs's sayings, twisting them to support his own views, which the narrator implies is a form of intellectual dishonesty.
- [XII: George Fails to Find My Father, Whereon Yram Cautions the Professors](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xii-george-fails-to-find-my-father-whereon-yram-cautions-the-professors): The Professors' willingness to suppress evidence and manipulate public perception to protect Sunchildism highlights institutional hypocrisy.
- [A Visit to the Provincial Deformatory at Fairmead](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xiii-a-visit-to-the-provincial-deformatory-at-fairmead): The entire system is built on the premise that insincerity and controlled vice are necessary for social harmony, inverting conventional ethics.
- [XIV: My Father Makes the Acquaintance of Mr. Balmy, and Walks with Him Next Day to Sunch’ston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xiv-my-father-makes-the-acquaintance-of-mr-balmy-and-walks-with-him-next-day-to-sunch-ston): My father deceives Mr. Balmy by pretending to have the gift of tongues, while Hanky and Panky are portrayed as initially insincere in their religious fervor.
- [XV: The Temple Is Dedicated to My Father, and Certain Extracts Are Read from His Supposed Sayings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xv-the-temple-is-dedicated-to-my-father-and-certain-extracts-are-read-from-his-supposed-sayings): My father's guilt over his earlier deceptions and the false relics and sayings underscore the theme of hypocrisy and the spread of lies.
- [Professor Hanky Preaches a Sermon, in the Course of Which My Father Declares Himself to Be the Sunchild](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xvi-professor-hanky-preaches-a-sermon-in-the-course-of-which-my-father-declares-himself-to-be-the-sunchild): Hanky's public reverence for the Sunchild contrasts with his private disdain, and he goads Higgs into revealing himself to trap him.
- [George Takes His Father to Prison, and There Obtains Some Useful Information](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xvii-george-takes-his-father-to-prison-and-there-obtains-some-useful-information): Hanky and Panky's manipulation of the permit and the bonfire incident underscore the hypocrisy and deception prevalent in Erewhonian society.
- [Yram Invites Dr. Downie and Mrs. Humdrum to Luncheon—A Passage at Arms Between Her and Hanky Is Amicably Arranged](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xviii-yram-invites-dr-downie-and-mrs-humdrum-to-luncheon-a-passage-at-arms-between-her-and-hanky-is-amicably-arranged): Hanky's attempt to downplay Higgs's declaration and his own violent suggestion reveals the hypocrisy of religious leaders.
- [A Council Is Held at the Mayor’s, in the Course of Which George Turns the Tables on the Professors](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xix-a-council-is-held-at-the-mayor-s-in-the-course-of-which-george-turns-the-tables-on-the-professors): The Professors' attempt to use legal depositions to condemn the prisoner backfires when George reveals their own trafficking, exposing their hypocrisy.
- [Mrs. Humdrum and Dr. Downie Propose a Compromise, Which, After an Amendment by George, Is Carried Nem. Con.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xx-mrs-humdrum-and-dr-downie-propose-a-compromise-which-after-an-amendment-by-george-is-carried-nem-con): The compromise involves swearing false oaths and manipulating truth to avoid public scandal.
- [Yram, on Getting Rid of Her Guests, Goes to the Prison to See My Father](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xxi-yram-on-getting-rid-of-her-guests-goes-to-the-prison-to-see-my-father): Yram and Higgs plan to deny Higgs's identity and lie to protect George, with Yram praising the 'invaluable gift' of knowing when to lie.
- [XXII: Mainly Occupied with a Veracious Extract from a Sunch’stonian Journal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xxii-mainly-occupied-with-a-veracious-extract-from-a-sunch-stonian-journal): Hanky and the officials publicly celebrate the Sunchild while imprisoning the real one, and the newspaper lies to maintain the facade.
- [After Dinner, Dr. Downie and the Professors Would Be Glad to Know What Is to Be Done About Sunchildism](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xxiv-after-dinner-dr-downie-and-the-professors-would-be-glad-to-know-what-is-to-be-done-about-sunchildism): Higgs advises maintaining the Sunchild myth despite knowing it is false, highlighting the pragmatic deception underlying Sunchildism.
- [George Escorts My Father to the Statues; The Two Then Part](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xxv-george-escorts-my-father-to-the-statues-the-two-then-part): Hanky and Panky are portrayed as deceivers who knowingly propagate falsehoods for personal gain.
- [George and I Spend a Few Hours Together at the Statues, and Then Part—I Reach Home—Postscript](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/chapters/xxviii-george-and-i-spend-a-few-hours-together-at-the-statues-and-then-part-i-reach-home-postscript): Hanky's false claims of royal favor, George's anonymous newspaper article, and the King's gradual deflation of Sunchildism all exemplify deception.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/themes/hypocrisy_and_deception
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/erewhon_revisited_se/themes