Middlemarch Lesson Plan

Did Fred deserve to inherit anything from Featherstone? Why or why not?

This discussion should come from two different perspectives: did Fred himself do anything that would make him deserving of inheriting anything, and did Featherstone act in a way that made Fred deserving of inheriting anything? From the description of Fred so far, it does not seem like he's done anything to make himself worthy of inheriting money. But he is Featherstone's nephew, and Featherstone has acted as though Fred will be inheriting a lot from him. Does that make Fred's inaction excusable? The question is much bigger than Fred and Featherstone. It's about whether people should depend on support...