The Ordeal of Richard Feverel: A History of a Father and Son

A father devises a rigid philosophical system to govern his son's upbringing; the son's instincts and romantic attachments subvert that experiment, producing escalating conflicts, secrets, and consequences. The narrative traces the son's coming-of-age through episodes of social comedy and psychological probing, culminating in a rupture that tests familial authority and social expectation. Recurring concerns include the limits of rational pedagogy, the tension between will and passion, and the satire of moral theories, while the text blends irony, lively characterization, and moral inquiry into a layered exploration of parental control and individual freedom.