He always took Iris into town with him for business meetings for moral support. He mostly needed someone to pick up because the button company was going out of business and his ultimate goal in life was his own company over everything. As we begin to understand, his bad business and bad economy were causing some of his factories to close. The workers rebelled against him and his daughters' lives were in danger. During this part of the story, the reader feels very bad for Norval as he has a legacy to uphold, especially since he is the only surviving son of the company's founder. Desperate, Norval turns to his business rival named Richard for help. Even though Richard had a lot of money, he never really helps Norval in his crisis and only manipulates him to overthrow the unions, which makes the workers even angrier. Caught in a more difficult situation than before, Norval practically sells Iris to Richard in exchange for the safety of his company. He initially tells Iris that "it's up to [her]" (226) but that he had already given his "consent" (226). Ultimately, he manipulates Iris by telling her that it's all for her and Laura's economic future as their family is now close to poverty. The reader is obviously outraged when he sees Norval's manipulation of Iris. Iris hopes to marry Richard solely for the safety of her father and his company. This is the most evil action that Norval does