More final questions for Bleak House

[Kristel]

1. Discuss the role of women in Bleak House, particularly their roles within their marriages.

2. How do the two narrators work together to tell the story of Bleak House?

[Pip]

The way that John Jardyce decides for Esther that she should marry Dr Woodhouse without consulting her at all is very revealing. On the other hand, it is typical of a romantic fantasy when everything falls into place and the Little Woman (as she is belittlingly referred to constantly) lives happily ever after. By marrying Richard, Ada automatically gives up any entitlement to her possessions and this is her motivation.
There is the omnipotent narrator and then there is Esther's account. I found Est6her's much more interesting and looked forward to her story, parly because Dickens is long-winded in his story-telling!

[Paula]

1. Women are subservient to their husbands. There is one marriage where the wife makes the decisions and her husband pretends that he is in charge while deferring all decisions to her.

I didn't mind John Jarndyce arranging Esther's marriage. It was clear from the narrative that she wanted to marry him and that the only thing standing in the way was her earlier promise to Mr. Jarndyce. She was so determined to stand by that promise that he had to trick her to get her to marry the man she really wanted.

2. Esther tells her story from her narrow point of view and we get the other important details from the omnipotent narrator.