Mrs. Farrel confronts Farrel Senior over McDermott’s death
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Mrs. Farrel expresses shock and concern over Mr. McDermott's death, but Senior Farrel notes Rex and Colonel Masters' apparent indifference, perceiving them as inhuman.
Mrs. Farrel demands that Senior Farrel force Rex to get rid of Colonel Masters. Senior Farrel agrees, citing his dislike for the Colonel and a 'repulsive toy'.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Absent but implied as emotionally hollow; his indifference is a direct result of Masters’ hypnotic control, stripping him of his humanity.
Rex Farrel is mentioned but absent, his ‘inhuman’ indifference to McDermott’s death and his alignment with Masters’ unnatural influence described by Farrel Senior. His absence is telling—his failure to react humanely to McDermott’s death and his deference to Masters are the catalysts for Mrs. Farrel’s outrage and Farrel Senior’s resolve. The Auton doll, a product of his complicity, becomes a symbol of his moral corruption.
- • N/A (absent, but his goals are implied to be aligned with Masters’: to continue the factory’s production of Autons).
- • That obedience to Masters is necessary, even at the cost of moral compromise.
- • That the factory’s operations must proceed without interference, regardless of human cost.
Triumphed (off-screen); his control over Rex and the factory’s operations is secure, and the Farrels’ growing unease is a sign of his influence taking root.
Though physically absent from this scene, Colonel Masters (The Master) is the looming presence behind Rex’s unnatural behavior and Farrel Senior’s unease. His hypnotic control over Rex is implied by Farrel Senior’s description of his ‘inhuman’ indifference, and Mrs. Farrel’s demand to ‘get rid of that man’ directly targets his influence. The Auton doll, a tool of his Nestene alliance, serves as a physical manifestation of his corrupting power, eliciting Mrs. Farrel’s horror.
- • To maintain his hypnotic hold over Rex to ensure the factory’s production of Autons proceeds unimpeded.
- • To suppress any resistance from the Farrels, particularly Mrs. Farrel’s moral objections, to prevent interference with his plans.
- • That humanity’s emotional attachments (like grief or moral outrage) are weaknesses to be exploited or eliminated.
- • That his Nestene alliance’s invasion is inevitable, and any resistance from the Farrels is futile.
Uneasy yet determined; his horror at the Auton doll and Rex’s behavior propels him toward action, but his internal conflict over challenging his son is palpable.
Farrel Senior is visibly unsettled by Rex’s and Masters’ indifference to McDermott’s death, describing it as ‘inhuman.’ He shows Mrs. Farrel the Auton doll, reinforcing his own unease and her horror. His decision to ‘make Rex get rid of that man’ (Masters) marks a turning point, signaling his willingness to challenge the unnatural influence over his family and factory. His actions are those of a patriarch grappling with the erosion of his authority and moral compass.
- • To remove Colonel Masters from the factory and his family’s lives to restore moral order.
- • To protect Mrs. Farrel and the Farrel legacy from the corrupting influence of Masters and the Nestene.
- • That Rex’s behavior is unnatural and must be corrected, even if it means confronting him.
- • That the Auton doll and Masters’ presence are signs of a deeper, evil corruption that must be stopped.
Horror-stricken yet resolute; her grief for McDermott fuels a protective fury against the unnatural influence corrupting her family.
Mrs. Farrel enters the home visibly distressed, her coat and hat still on, signaling her haste and emotional state. She immediately voices her grief over McDermott’s death, expecting Rex to share her shock, but Farrel Senior’s revelation of Rex and Masters’ indifference horrifies her. Her demand that Farrel Senior intervene against Masters is firm and urgent, and her visceral reaction to the Auton doll—calling it ‘evil’—reveals her intuitive sense of the unnatural forces at play.
- • To force Farrel Senior to remove Colonel Masters from their lives and the factory.
- • To confront the moral rot she senses in Rex’s behavior, driven by her maternal instinct to protect.
- • That McDermott’s death should have shaken Rex, and his indifference is a sign of something deeply wrong.
- • That Colonel Masters is a corrupting force, and his presence must be eradicated to restore normalcy.
Absent but mourned; his death is a catalyst for the Farrels’ awakening to the corruption around them.
McDermott is mentioned posthumously as the tragic figure whose death should have provoked a human reaction but instead was met with indifference. His absence looms over the scene, symbolizing the unnatural order imposed by Masters and the moral decay Farrel Senior and Mrs. Farrel are beginning to resist. His death serves as the catalyst for Mrs. Farrel’s outrage and Farrel Senior’s growing resolve to act.
- • N/A (deceased, but his memory drives the Farrels’ resistance).
- • That the factory’s traditions and moral standards must be upheld, even against disruptive outsiders like Masters.
- • That loyalty to the Farrel family is paramount.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Mrs. Farrel’s coat and hat are symbolic of her disrupted state—still worn upon her return, they signify her haste and emotional turmoil. The damp or rumpled condition of the garments reflects her distress over McDermott’s death and her urgency to confront Farrel Senior. While not directly interacted with during the event, their presence underscores her unresolved grief and the immediate, raw nature of her emotional response to the unnatural forces at play in her family.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Farrel Senior’s home is depicted as a domestic refuge that has now become a battleground for moral and supernatural forces. The scene unfolds in the living area, where Farrel Senior reveals the Auton doll, and the adjacent kitchen traps Mrs. Farrel during the doll’s sudden attack (implied by the scene’s tension). The home’s once-safe atmosphere is shattered by the Farrels’ confrontation with the unnatural, symbolizing the erosion of their family’s stability. The living area, typically a space for warmth and connection, becomes a site of horror as Mrs. Farrel recoils from the doll, and the kitchen’s later role as a trap underscores the home’s transformation into a space of danger.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"McDermott's death at the hands of the Master in Act 1 causes suspicion and distress to Mrs.Farrel, later in Act 2, the Master continues on with killing people close to the main characters in order to move closer to obtaining his final Goal."
Master reveals humanity’s fatal flawThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Key Dialogue
"MRS FARREL: Oh, poor Mister McDermott. It must have been a terrible shock for Rex."
"FARREL SR: On the contrary. When I walked in, he was just carrying on with his work as if nothing had happened."
"MRS FARREL: Oh John, no!"
"FARREL SR: And this Colonel Masters was just as unconcerned. Frankly, they both seemed to me quite inhuman."
"MRS FARREL: You will make Rex get rid of that man."
"FARREL SR: I most certainly shall. Frankly, I didn’t take to the chap really, or to his repulsive toy. Now, just look at that!"
"MRS FARREL: Oh, it’s a horrible looking thing. There’s something evil about it."