Dickensians! discussion
Novellas and Collaborative Works
>
The Wreck of the Golden Mary (hosted by Petra) - 2nd Summer Read 2021
I liked the conclusion with most people accounted for, at least those we had the most acquaintance with during the journey. I also like that John’s surname is so English and character-sounding. He is a steady man. I can hear Chaucer naming a character so.
I suppose in terms of miraculously being saved in the vast ocean, this would classify as a Christmas story, with the ship personnel spontaneously thanking God when they see the ship the next morning. And it took place in December, didn’t it, or am I making that up? That may be because you mentioned the December issue of Household Words.
Mod
After his five "Christmas Books", (beginning with A Christmas Carol), Charles Dickens grew increasingly weary of having to write a themed novella for Christmas every year. But his public clamoured for them. So instead he started the tradition of writing a "Christmas Story", instead of a novella and continued with this all his life.
There are 20 of these shorter stories, although a couple contain more than one. They often do not mention "Christmas", but reflect the Christian values celebrated at that time of year, such as fellowship, compassion etc.
We've already read a couple of them! The Signal-Man (part of "Mugby Junction") and Doctor Marigold were both "Christmas Stories" i.e. published in the Christmas issue of Charles Dickens's newspaper, and given that name. The Wreck of the Golden Mary is another such. It's best to think of them as stories which were first read around Christmas. If you read the other 4 Christmas Books, they do not have a central Christmas theme either! But we do have a more Christmas related story by him planned for this December.
Sue wrote: "I liked the conclusion with most people accounted for, at least those we had the most acquaintance with during the journey. I also like that John’s surname is so English and character-sounding. He ..."Sue, John certainly proved himself to be one of the best and most loyal of friends. Without him, the boats may have been lost. He knew it was a time of "fight or flight" for these people. They could "flight" to the other world or "fight" for this one. He chose to fight.
Sue, I had to go back and check. The Golden Mary set sail in March, 1851. The wreck happened about 70 days thereafter, making it an early summer wreck.I hadn't thought of that before. The calendar was important. This lot wouldn't have survived in colder, rougher, winter seas.
Nice point, Sue!
The wreck happened in the Southern Hemisphere didn’t it? So it’s actually early winter
Thanks, Jean! I could see getting tired of being obligated to write a sweet story of redemption every year. That would be hard to do.I have looked for signs of Christmas in this story but don't know if my thoughts tie together very well.
As Sue states, there is the fact that most of these people were saved by a miraculous sighting of a ship, at the 11th hour. That is miraculous and miracles can occur at Christmas (publishing time for this story). Not only would the public expect (maybe?) a happy ending but Christmas is about happy endings. It's a time of joy. These people were full of joy at being saved. I imagine, too, that the crew of the ship that saved them would be joyful as well. It's not everyday that one can be such an aide to a fellow human being.
There's also the good people. They are true and pure, which are Christmas traits.
The Golden Lucy shone for all, like the Star of Bethlehem.
One of the meanings of the number 6 is redemption. But I didn't see redemption in this story. The people were already good. Mr. Rarx, won't change or redeem himself, so he's swept away.
Christmas occurs at the darkest time of year. This voyage is the darkest time in these people's lives. I doubt if anything they endure afterwards will be darker.
Another thought that came to mind regarding the ship that saved them:Ships could only take on board enough supplies for the voyage, for the number of people on it. There might be a little bit extra but space was limited, so there wouldn't be much extra.
This ship took on 30+ people. It was a week before John Steadiman went on deck and longer for the Captain. They were on the ship for over two weeks, I think.
That's a lot of extra mouths to feed on limited supplies! It's not surprising that they looked for another ship to take them on once everyone was strong again.
Janelle wrote: "The wreck happened in the Southern Hemisphere didn’t it? So it’s actually early winter"Oh....right.....there's that. LOL. Sorry, I forgot that. It was early winter. That makes their survival even more miraculous.
Thanks, Janelle! Good reminder.
I completely forgot that "tiny" fact.
It just occurred to me (that happens when I try to organize my thoughts sometimes), if Golden Lucy represents the Light and Hope for everyone, then her demise was the end of Light and Hope. But at the end of the story, there's another Golden Lucy, another beacon of Light and Hope, showing that Light & Hope never die and will always survive the darkest moments.
Huh......that's a Christmas theme, too.
.....Maybe this is a Christmas story after all. :D
The spirit of cooperation and sacrifice of the people in the lifeboats also shows good values. They shared what little food was available. The men continued rowing when they had no strength left. They tried to keep each other warm in the chilly boat. They thanked God for saving them. As Jean mentioned, the stories seem to include Christian values.We can continue looking for religious themes as we read the five passengers' stories. There was a small mention of Christmas in one of the stories, and a prayer at the end of another.
These stories are not sweet Christmas stories. Many people were illiterate so they would be exciting stories to hear read aloud around the holidays.
Mod
The Spiritual Side:
Petra - I very much like your interpretation of this as a story suitable for reading at Christmas (as I said rather than a "Christmas story"). Although Charles Dickens was a Christian in a Christian country, I have no worries in recommending these works to my friends who are not Christian, or to the Jewish, Moslem and Hindu members of this group. Charles Dickens chose Christian themes which can often be seen as maxims common to all religions, and moral codes informing all good ways of life.
For example, in addition to your interpretations, we can see two more: that the resurrected spirit of Lucy could be directly related to a Christian belief. We also have a parallel with Judas, with the traitorous Mr. Rarx being so concerned with his gold. His burden on the whole company was a betrayal of all they strove to do.
So we can trace these points directly to the Christian religion. However, we can also see that the emphasis on fellowship, community, hope, sacrifice, kindness, endurance, courage, etc. are all themes common to all religions. I would be interested to hear interpretations of any of these from other points of view too, from any readers belonging to other Faiths.
As Connie says, when we eventually come to read the other stories, we can look for these aspects - but we are only 5 days into this read, and have read the three main stories! So there's definitely no rush. Whenever Petra deems us ready :)
Mod
Emigrating from the UK to the USA was a very risky business indeed, and people would not hear from their loves ones for a long time. A story such as this one would be gripping indeed, as Connie says, and I can imagine "Dickens' Latest Christmas Tale" as being a great occasion - a favourite to look forward to gathering round and listening to on their one day off work a year! Plus for some it would seem personal.
In my own family, my great-grandmother and her sister, and both their husbands emigrated on a sailing ship to the USA, at around this time, to try for a new life working on the land. These were working class folk, and I've always thought how brave they must have been, and how much they must have saved up to get their passage, however basic. In fact they did get to America, but the husband - perhaps all of them - became ill, and things went from bad to worse. I'm not sure of details, sadly, but my great-grandmother got a passage home on her own after a couple of years. Her husband had died and she was pregnant with my grandmother.
It's always intrigued me that but for a quirk of fate I could have been American :)
Have read all your entries. Thanks to everyone for the insights brought to this read. I love the idea of Lucy as "light and hope", a Christ-like figure who dies and is resurrected. Jean, you missed being American by a hair, and had my ancestors stayed put, I would have been English. Isn't fate amazing. Love your story. Did you know your great grandmother? Just curious.
I was thinking about how Victorians might have interpreted this story, so perhaps that did give a Christian slant to my posts. From a modern point of view, like Jean, I see Dickens as a very universal author. He writes of universal themes in all his stories (that I've read so far) such as goodness, kindness, unity, love. These traits are part of all religions.
Sorry if I excluded anyone. That was not my intention.
Jean, I'd forgotten that scene in A Christmas Carol. Dickens did like to include the sea.
Fate is interesting. I wish I knew more of my family history to see these moments of Fate. Jean, that's a remarkable story. Most wouldn't or couldn't go back. It's sad that your great-grandmother and her husband went for a new start and she lost him. The home voyage must have been a sad one for her, poor thing.
Mod
Sara, I would love to hear your story! Sadly I didn't know my great-grandma. I am the younger sibling, and my mother was the youngest of five, so my grandma herself was quite old. But I do have a photograph of my great-grandma, and my parents spoke of her as a tiny, kindly old lady; always cheerful although by then she was crippled with Parkinson's disease. When my Dad got leave from the Air Force in World War II, and wanted to take Mum out, my Grandparents apparently said they should stay in and talk to my great-grandma. But she argued, insisting that they go out and have some fun instead, saying "I'm happy sitting here; I have my memories".
So hopefully she was glad to have lived her life to the full, even so :)
I wish I knew more too, Petra, but that simple story has always stayed with me :) Oh my goodness, I don't think you excluded anyone! And parts of Charles Dickens's writings are overtly Christian, mentioning Christ, or "Our Saviour" etc. But it's good to also recognise the wider meanings - what you rightly call the universality of his messages - especially in these Christmas stories. Thank you.
Mod
When the story began and Mr. Rarx was introduced, I thought there was going to be a back story somewhere that included his sacrificing the life of a child to save his wealth. Lucy did not care for him, even though he was almost sycophantic toward her. We aren't ever told his story, so it is fine for me to make up whatever works in my mind. At the end, his seeing her and then plunging into the water as he reaches for her seems like some kind of retributive justice. Few people perish on this trip before the rescue, it is significant that the two that we know about by name are Lucy and Rarx. Who knows what Dickens might have had in mind when he invented the character that wasn't imagined by Collins, but even without a back story to draw on, we know Rarx's greed destroys him.
Jean, that reminds me of the references, one in Captain Ravender's account and one in John Steadiman's account, of seeing Lucy flying above the boat. That image also makes one think of a protective force over the group, or, since she's flying only over the Long-boat, a protective force over her mom and the Captain, who is trying his hardest to get everyone (both ships) safely to shore or ship. It's as if she's watching over them, protecting them from the biggest harms.
Mod
Agree, Petra. The fact that she is lifted up and can be seen by the other boat, and that the sight of her gives them hope, enlarges her protective powers to both boats and all the passengers.
I would have liked to know more about Mr. Rarx's backstory, too. Perhaps it was just the calling of the gold in California. The gold rush turned many a man into a form of Mr. Rarx, I think.
I wasn't aware that the North American gold rushes were a draw over the World. I thought it was a North American thing.
That surprised me as well, Petra. I suppose the promise of "get rich quick" would call some people no matter how far away they might be. What is sad is how few people actually "got rich" from the California gold strikes, compared to the number of men who left home and family to try their luck.
The same bad luck happened in the Yukon gold rush, Sara. There were so many hard luck stories. The only people who got really rich were the middlemen like shop keepers, restauranteurs, ladies of the evening, etc.
Even John Sutter died a pauper, Petra. I had a friend who played the lottery every single day, multiple tickets. He always believed he would win, but what happened was he dumped untold amounts of money that he could not afford into taking that chance that the wheel of fortune would smile on him. I think the gold rush was that kind of dream. It happened to a few people, but the main good thing that came out of it was the westward expansion (and there is a strong argument as to how good that was).
Percy Fitzgerald (1834–1925)
He was born in Ireland at Fane Valley, educated at Stonyhurst College and at Trinity College. He was called to the Irish bar and was for a time crown prosecutor on the northeastern circuit.
After moving to London, he became a contributor to Charles Dickens's magazine, Household Words, and later dramatic critic for the Observer and the Whitehall Review. Among his many writings are numerous biographies and works relating to the history of the theatre.
In 1900 he completed a bust of his friend Charles Dickens, which can be seen in the Pump Room in Bath.
He is buried at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.
****
The Observer is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
Whitehall Review – no info found. Must be defunct.
Percy Fitzgerald's bust of Dickens:
I'll be posting the linking paragraphs found at the beginning or the beginning and the end of these upcoming stories. The linking paragraphs will be in italics.
This is the linking paragraph of John Steadiman’s Account. It is the final paragraph of his Account and is not found in any editon that does not contain the five stories in The Beguilement of the Boats.
This paragraph is attributed to Charles Dickens'
“Before I go on to relate what happened after the two boats were under my command, I will stop a little here, for the purpose of adding some pages of writing to the present narrative, without which it would not be, in my humble estimation, complete. I allude to some little record of the means by which – before famine and suffering dulled our ears and silenced our tongues – we shortened the weary hours, and helped each other to forget, for a while, the dangers that encompassed us. The stories to which Captain Ravender has referred, as having been related by the people in his boat, were matched by other stories, related by the people in my boat; and, in both cases, as I well know, the good effect of our following, in this matter, the example of Bligh and his men, when they were adrift like us, was of unspeakable importance in keeping up our spirits, and, by consequence, in giving us the courage which was necessary, under Providence, to the preservation of our lives. I shall therefore ask permission, before proceeding to the account of our Deliverance, to reproduce in this place three or four of the most noteworthy of the stories which circulated among us. Some, I give from my remembrance; some, which I did not hear, from the remembrance of others.”
The Armourer by Percy Fitzgerald The linking paragraph is attributed to Charles Dickens.
“I come from Ashbrooke. (It was the Armourer who spun this yarn). Dear me! How many years back is that? Twenty years ago it must be now – long before I ever thought of going to sea – before I let rambling notions get into my head when I used to walk up the street singing, and thinking of the time when I should come to have a forge of my own.”
A picturesque and lovely Ashbrooke is a place he loves and remembers fondly. Artists came from miles around just to paint the towns quaint views. He wishes he also could paint well enough to have painted a picture to hang over his hammock: the moss covered church, where the townsfolks emerged every Sunday after service, with the sounds of the organs wafting through the streets; past the church are the cottages with shingle roofs; beyond those yet a queer bit of building that looks like a church window. Rumor has it that there had been an old abbey or nunnery in the town, in the time of the papists, and that bits of it remained in the town. Beyond that more moss covered houses, then the town’s watering hole, The Joyful Heart Inn, where all travellers arrived and housed themselves and their horses. Here the Armourer has spent many hours of enjoyment, both outdoors on the ivy covered porch or inside by the great fireplace.
Sitting on the porch, he overlooked a large marketplace courtyard with a spring where the women came to gather water and visit in friendship & conversation. The painters congregated here, too, to paint the lovely scene of the gathering women. The armourer has seen similar scenes in his travels but none that equalled this one of his hometown.
Just over the way from the Joyful Heart is a great forge. He speculates that it is another part of the old Abbey, the great gate; a huge, wide archway covered with moss. A stone hutch is on top in what was once the belfry. The bell is gone but the rings & stanchions remain. Walls have been erected behind the archway to build a good, snug forge.
The forge is kept by Will Whichelo but no one in the town knows him by this name. He is called Ding Dong Will, because of his cheerful, steady, good work in which he puts his whole soul into. He sang through the day; the women would have liked his attentions, although he never gave them this beyond being kind and courteous to all.
The armourer wanted nothing more but to be a forger; his father wanted to send him to London to learn accounting. He spent all his spare time hanging around the forge, watching all the proceedings. The clinking of the iron made better music in his ears than the organ of the church.
Occasionally a horseman would stop when his horse had thrown a show. Then the townspeople would gather around to eye the horse and the man while Ding Dong Will did his work. Then Ding Dong, with hammer over the shoulder, would watch man & horse gallop off until they rounded the hill.
His father eventually saw that accounting was not for him and spoke with Ding Dong, who liked the boy and took him in as an apprentice. He soon became a good helper for Will and the two made fine music together.
Ding Dong Will never went to the Joyful Heart for a pint, while the Armourer went often, after work, to catch up with whoever was there at the time. Will goes to the green where he throws the bar with other men. (axe throwing?)
Miss Arthur, the niece of the landlord, Joe Fenton, was a good mistress of the Inn. She had been educated in London and women thought she acted a bit above her station, so she was not much liked by them, but the Armourer did not think this was true. She was a beauty; long hair down to her feet, eyes that sparkled like stars & that took you in when she looked at you; making a person uneasy. All the men were interested in her but she had no interest in anyone, unless maybe Dong Dong Will.
She begins to question the Armourer about Whichelo’s habits after work (she calls him by his given name). Why does he not go to dances and other merry-makings? She’s agitated, eyes shifting restlessly. She tries to encourage the Armourer to bring Will along sometime. The Armourer feels he spends enough time with Will but before he can tell her this, she is called to work.
Will does enter the Joyful Hear that evening. He’s beat the boys again and he’s thirsty. The Armourer says there is no malt & Will says he’ll go to the forge to get some. The Armourer steers him towards Miss Arthur to order a drink from. Will objects, not wanting to talk with women. The Armourer taunts him with cowardice. Will goes to get his malt from the forge. It should take only a few minutes but he doesn’t return for close to an hour. He says Miss Arthur had kept him with her talking and he couldn’t get away. The Armourer teases him but Will says that the incident won’t happen again. Will seemed uneasy about the incident, so the Armourer stopped the teasing.
The next day, at work, Will asked him continually about what Miss Arthur has said about him. Will is “clean gone” on Miss Arthur. His work suffered. He worked with less energy and less time. He spent more time in the Joyful Heart or staring at the window. A time came where he didn’t work at all; his hammer rested in the corner.
Business dropped off, people gossiped about Ding Dong being caught. It was a sad day for the Armourer when the riders rode past the forge to have their horses shoed at the new place, just by the church.
Ding Dong Wills mood also changed. His light hearted happiness turned to moroseness. He was down hearted and moping. Rumour had it that Miss Arthur was giving Ding Dong the cold shoulder. One day she was all warm and loving, the next cold and forbidding towards Will or pretending she didn’t see him. Will would go home raging and swearing.
The Armourer wondered what game she might be playing. Then one day, he sees a handsome gentleman at the door of the Joyful Heart: Mr Temple of Temple Court, 10 miles away, in town to do some fishing. He’d been in town for about 10 days. Had come to fish for a couple of days and stayed on. The fishing was better in the parlour than in the river. Miss Arthur saw herself as the Mistress of Temple Court.
The gossip reached Will’s ears. He’s jealous and picks up his hammer. Mr. Temple should stay out of Will’s way. He hammers on some iron, throws it aside and walks out of the forge. Armourer goes after him, afraid of what he’ll do. Will goes to the Joyful Heart, looking at the ground, and walks right into Mr. Temple. They have words and it looks like a fight will break out, but Miss Arthur comes out at that moment. She’s blazing mad at Will and berates him, telling him to leave the premises.
He’s stricken.
She turns to Mr. Temple, all sweet tempered and mild, ensuring him that such a ruckus would never happen again. She had to repeat herself before he heard her. He seems uninterested and walks away to a window. She takes her anger out on the Armourer, telling him to take Will away. The Armourer defends Will, telling her she’s done him wrong.
Mr. Temple comes back, asking if Will is “the famous Ding Dong Will”. After finding the affirmative, he apologizes to Will, saying how much he’s admired him & his forging talents. He takes Mary aside and whispers something to her. She turns red & gave him a devilish look, stating that whatever was said was a joke. Mr. Temple laughs and says he’s serious.
He turns to Will, tells him to propose to Mary. He himself has to go off to the ladies in London but promises to come back to give away the bride and give them a comfortable start to their lives together.
Mary was livid and left the room. Mr. Temple yawned and went back to the window. Will & the Armourer left & returned to the forge. Mr. Temple is an unfeeling fellow, despite generous offerings.
About 4pm (it is dark), Armourer, returning from an errand, sees Will going over to the Joyful Heart. He sees Will & Mary talking together in the hall, she seems eager, then she pulls him into the parlour. Will returns to the forge after an hour, seems drunk and denies being in the Joyful Heart or seeing Mary. When pressed, he turns savage towards the Armourer, who decides to leave him as soon as possible and find employment elsewhere.
They both retired early that night, around 8:30-9:00. Their sleeping quarters were in the back, where arches crossed and met, a place that may have been a clergyman’s pantry or wine room back in the day of the Abbey. Lots of carvings of queer faces, horn and hoods. Armourer fell asleep, watching the fire and the faces. When he woke, the fire was out and Will’s cot was empty. He jumps out of bed, pulls on his clothes and goes to look for Will.
He’s not in the forge. Armourer follows a path to the river’s edge. He follows the edge, noticing the clear, frosty sky, the stars and the moon, until he sees an old tree. Looking at it he pulls back in fright. Under it is a figure, with a fisherman’s cap, stretched out over the ground. It was Mr. Temple, dead and covered in blood. In horror & grief he runs a bit further along and sees Ding Dong Will, standing motionless, carrying his hammer on his shoulder, his face covered by his other hand. Will stays that way for awhile, then comes towards the Armourer still crying, eyes to the ground. The armourer is fixed to the spot and Will starts when he sees him. “What have you done, Will?” Will falls back with a groan. The armourer turns away, leaving Will under the tree, and wanders the countryside through the night. At dawn, he returns to the forge, looks in the window….but Will is gone.
By noon the next day, people are gossiping. Will is missed. They go looking for him and find Mr. Temple, head caved in by a hammer.
Will Whichelo’s fate can be guessed. Miss Arthur, who put him up to it, returns to London to continue her mischief. The forge is closed and the building falls into greater ruin. For a long while, no one went near that spot by the river after dark.
Ahhh, the fickleness of women! I don't really understand the editor's decision to include these passenger stories in the middle of the narrative, when readers would have been anxious to know if they would have been rescued. It seems to fit better following the main story, as you are doing with this discussion.
If all the extra stories are like this, they do seem to belong separate. I’m not sure where I would put them since at least this one is a brief history and reason for going to sea and has nothing to do with this voyage in particular.
Mod
The illustrations are by John Duggan - etchings very much in the style of Charles Dickens's earlier illustrators. Chris says they remind him of Sir John Tenniel (most famous for The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass) :)
This edition is sequential, in three parts. Interestingly "The Beguilement of the Boats" is broken down into untitled chapters, and the whole of the work is attributed to Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins.
I think this is the version I read many years ago, before I realised it had multiple authors. The linking passage you gave, Petra is there, as part of "The Wreck: Chapter 4", which is in fact John Steadiman's Account". That is not titled either, but has a note "All that follows is written by John Steadiman, chief mate."
I'll try to scan and post a couple of illustrations over the next few days, and also read these middle sections (with a magnifier). Thank you so much Petra for your investigations and excellent posts.
Mod
As I said before Charles Dickens hardly ever allowed others to have their names in print in his magazines. Here he gives a sort of reason:
"I propose to print no names of contributors, either in your own case or any other, and to give established writers the power of reclaiming their papers after a certain time"
(This was to one of the contributors, Mary Howitt.)
It's likely though that it was to keep overall control! Charles Dickens had been the editor of various newspapers for 10 years, but resigned from the new "The Daily News" just 3 weeks before it launched. Nobody knows why - he never said. He probably just wanted a vehicle for his own ideas.
It was first published in book form in 1898 (I think Petra said this) "by Charles Dickens and Others" - but by then Charles Dickens had already received letters from readers of "Household Words" complimenting him on various parts which he had not, in fact, written!
The passengers in the lifeboats took turns telling stories in the early afternoon as a diversion to keep their spirits up. It was something to look forward to every day. Willie Collins has built up the tension and suspense in John Steadiman's account. So we're emotionally ready to read the ending, even though the five stories are interesting to read. I wonder if the five stories should have been placed earlier in the tale before the situation was less desperate.
The Armourer's Story was entertaining. I think we have all met a woman who likes to wind multiple men emotionally around her little finger. She has no reason other than she likes the feeling of power over the men who will be jealous of each other. She doesn't think about the lives she is destroying by playing games.The Armourer is telling us why he no longer had a job at the forge, and decided to go to sea.
Thank you for your interesting bio about Percy Fitzgerald, Petra. I was reading in the Victorian Web that John Forster introduced Fitzgerald to Dickens. Fitzgerald had helped Forster with some sources for a book he was writing, and Forster acted as a mentor to him, introducing him to people.https://victorianweb.org/sculpture/fi...
Petra, I have been enjoying your summaries and all the information. You've taken on a big task since there are seven stories in the whole Christmas edition, and I appreciate your effort.
Diane, Connie and Sue, I was also wondering why it was decided to include the stories at this point of the main story. By the time I got to the end of these stories, I wondered whether this placing was a way for us to see the people on the lifeboats as real people. They have back stories, have suffered pain and good times. I guess that (maybe) these stories are meant to show that these people matter and would leave a hole somewhere if they didn't return? I don't know if this is the intention but it's what I walked away with.
Jean, like you, I received the 5 stories after reading Deliverance. I enjoyed the stories out of order. It worked. But now I wonder whether it would have been nice to read these sequentially. It would (perhaps) make the final section more personal, knowing the stories of some of the people who are clinging to life.
Bionic Jean wrote: "My copy has come! (I read the main 3 parts on kindle.) It was published in 1955, and only has one page of date-stamps - the first one was 14th December 1959! I don't think it's been taken out much ..."Jean, I'm glad you found a copy to read.
Illustrations would be nice to have. I read somewhere (in one of the links, I think) that the illustrators only illustrated the sections that Dickens wrote. There are only 3 illustrations that I found for this story.
Mod
Thank you everyone. I'm enjoying gathering this information for us all. Connie, I had no idea there were so many parts when I chose this story. It is a big task, I admit. Luckily, a fun task, too, or I might have been a bit overwhelmed (not being prepared for the scope of it). Dickens is always a surprise. :D
I'm all caught up with it now and have things prepared. Now I can sit back and join in the discussion with everyone. LOL.
I'm really happy to have chosen this story. It is one I hadn't heard of before and the first Dickens story I've read where he collaborated with others and turned all the various pieces into one cohesive work. It makes for an interesting experience.
One thing that passed through my head after reading this was the ripple effects of one person's actions and how these ripples touch people not involved in the original act.The Armourer describes an idyllic life. The town, the people, the life, his life, his dreams, etc. Everything in this man's world was perfect. He was where he was happiest and most content. All his dreams were contained in Ashbrook and it's people.
Then one woman, an outsider, moves to town and influences Ding Dong Will.
Her deeds not only destroyed Will's and Mr. Temple's lives, it changed everything for the Armourer (and possibly many others in the village). Because of this one woman's actions, the armourer finds himself adrift at sea, starving and with little hope of being saved, even though he wasn't involved in the instigating event.
Such is the Fickle Finger of Fate.
Aside:
Anyone remember Laugh In, the TV show from.....the 60s? or the 70s? They introduced the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award.
Speaking of illustrations and drawings, here is Harry Furniss' caricature of Percy Fitzgerald: (c. 1890)
Love the fickle finger of fate. It has been too long!
Yes, the fickle finger of fate! Thanks for the laugh Petra.
Mod
I do like Harry Furniss's caricature though :) He doesn't usually capture likenesses in his illustrations for the novels, so it's nice to see this side of his work. He did a lot of cartoons for "Punch": an English satirical magazine which started in 1841, and was still popular right up until 1992!
I very much like the illustration of the Golden Lucy by him, which Petra posted too :)
Mod
I have linked "The Armourer's story" to the first comment - twice - temporarily. My inclination is to put it in its proper sequential place, as you say Petra, and the linking passage by Charles Dickens does make it clear that the story mostly ends well: there is to be a "deliverance".
But there is also a case for putting the links in the order in which we read them. I've put the comment numbers in, to make it clear. Which would you like me to remove? Then I'll follow the other stories by the same principle.
Another aside ... I'm sorry but there will be a short delay in posting the pictures :( They are not on the internet (but may find their way to google images when I post them here! It's happened before ...) so I need to scan them. But the laptop I use has stopped talking to the scanner :( I have a bid on a disc on ebay to reinstall the software. Ah, the trials of using outdated technology until it drops! And a very odd topic to have in a discussion about Charles Dickens. But I think they are worth a look.
Mod
I'm not sure this is the sort of story which would have sustained me if I were shipwrecked in a lifeboat! Far too dour and bleak about human nature - a similar feel to Thomas Hardy. I admire his work enormously - he's a favourite - but not when I need cheering up!
What do you think was the remark made by Mr. Temple to Miss Arthur, out of Will's hearing? I was intrigued by her reaction, and surprised by the events which followed
The Victorians, and country people later, would say that this young lady was "no better than she should be". Is that an expression which is known outside the UK?
Bionic Jean wrote: "I googled John Sutter and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh in" - both must be part of American culture, but unknown in the UK. I do like Harry Furniss's caricature though :) He doesn't ..."
Sorry, Jean. I wondered if that might be the case about Laugh In.
I was a young kid when it was out, so don't recall much, other than the Fickle Finger, Goldie Hawn (she got her start on this show) and a few other regular skits they had.
When I wrote "fickle finger of fate" my mind went to Rowan and Martin. It does every time I hear that phrase. LOL
The show was very popular, so I thought it may have appeared in the UK, maybe, but wasn't sure if TV shows were shown internationally at that time and it is a show that is "of its time" and wouldn't age well for reruns, I think.
I looked up John Sutter, too. I learn a lot through these discussions. :D
Furniss' drawing is interesting. It has the feel of a group meeting, where he's bored and, to pass the time, drawing the person in his direct sight so as not to be caught being distracted.
I get that impression from Fitzgerald. He's looking like he's a bit bored but, looking straight ahead, it's as if he's listening to someone.
Imagining the position that the two of them would have been sitting and their connection through the magazine, made me think of a Team meeting for a story.
Dickensians!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Life of Charles Dickens : Volume II (other topics)The Life of Charles Dickens : Volume II (other topics)
The Woman in White (other topics)
David Copperfield (other topics)
Dombey and Son (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Arthur Conan Doyle (other topics)
Elizabeth Gaskell (other topics)
Charles Dickens (other topics)
Wilkie Collins (other topics)
More...
From the link in post 149 ( https://www.djo.org.uk/indexes/magazi... ):
The Wreck of the 'Golden Mary' is far and away the best conceived and most cunningly integrated of the Christmas stories written to this date. Dickens himself felt that this was true. In a letter to Angela Burdett-Coutts dated 9 December 1856, he called The Wreck of the 'Golden Mary' 'the prettiest Christmas No we have had.'
I'm having trouble filing this story under "Christmas".