Who Adam Patch is
Adam Patch is a rich businessman who turns toward public causes in his later life. Stern and concerned with morals, he lectures against drink and campaigns against vice. His wealth gives him power over Anthony, his grandson and only close heir.
What Adam Patch wants
Adam promotes a disciplined way of living, preaching against the drink and idleness that surround Anthony. His beliefs place him at odds with the pleasures Anthony and Gloria treat as ordinary parts of life.
Adam Patch and the others in the story
Anthony builds his plans around Adam's fortune, expecting an inheritance to spare him the need to work. Although he already has a small income, Anthony lets the promise of greater wealth shape his days. For Anthony and Gloria, Adam's good opinion matters because their comfortable future depends on his money.
Edward Shuttleworth serves as Adam's secretary and assistant, enjoying his place close to the old man's wealth. Through these relationships, Adam stands at the center of other people's hopes without sharing their way of life.
Questions
Who is Adam Patch?
Adam Patch is Anthony Patch's stern, wealthy grandfather, whose fortune shapes Anthony's expectations.
What does Adam Patch believe in?
He believes in moral reform and publicly opposes drink, vice and idleness.
Why does Adam Patch matter to Anthony?
Anthony expects to inherit his wealth and relies on that prospect rather than pursuing steady work. That dependence gives Adam considerable power over Anthony's plans.