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Little Dorrit
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Buddy Read of Little Dorrit mid-Sept onwards with Janelle, Bridget, Lori and others
Great points, Antionette. I believe Minnie has been kind in letting Arthur know about the marriage. She certainly is now on a higher plateau than she was before. And the way Mr. Meagles acknowledged Arthur's feelings and basically let him know that had Minnie fallen in love with Arthur, he would have approved.
Lori - I’m not sure Miss Wade has lured Harriet away. I wondered if she recognised another tortured soul when they met and is simply taking her under her wing. After all, Pet\Minnie wasn’t always nice to Harriet/Tattycoram, as we know, and she was clearly unhappy with the Meagles. Maybe she will be happier as Miss Wade’s companion?
What got to me in this chapter was how Minnie and Arthur were "shaken" with emotion as they talked: "he felt her hand falter on his arm, and saw the roses shake"and then for Arthur "His own hand shook, as he accepted a rose or two from hers"
I was all choked up after that.
Of course we are prepped for this tender passage by the beautiful description of the countryside as Arthur slowly makes his walk to Twickenham. The paragraph starts with "A tranquil summer sunset shone upon him as he approached the end of his walk, and passed through the meadows by the river side"
As Sean pointed out, there is so much darkness and shadow in Little Dorrit, which makes this idyllic scene stand out all the more.
One last thought, I was struck by the contrast between Minnie and Amy in this chapter. When Minnie talks about her feelings regarding leaving her family she says"it is strange....that loving it [her home/family] so much and being so much beloved in it, I can bear to cast it away. It seems so neglectful of it, so unthankful"While I don't think Minnie is making a good choice in Henry Gowan, I do think she is right to want to be married. She is of an age where a woman should be leaving her family and setting out on her own life. Arguably Amy should be doing that too. But Minnie was raised without a care in the world, and Amy has had all the cares of her small world in her hands forever.
Bridget, I love these comparisons between Minnie and Amy. I agree Amy's life should be much the same as Minnie's in finding a match for marriage and looking forward to her own life separate from her father and siblings. I wonder if because of Mr. Dorrit's lowered position and imprisonment, this has dampened Fanny and Tip's prospects. How will they find suitable matches? We already saw how Fanny's admirer disliked Fanny because of her dancing even though had Mr. Dorrit not been in prison, Fanny would have been a good match. So, Amy must believe that marriage is impossible for her and her lot in life is with her father. But we are seeing that she is beginning to think of herself but we don't know what she will do about it yet.
Fiona wrote: "Lori - I’m not sure Miss Wade has lured Harriet away. I wondered if she recognised another tortured soul when they met and is simply taking her under her wing. After all, Pet\Minnie wasn’t always n..."I hope you are right, Fiona, and Harriet/Tatty will be happier without the Meagles. But I just don't get a good feeling about Miss Wade. She comes across as very domineering and I worry that Tatty will be in a bad situation with her. I hope not, and hope you are right!
I’m intrigued by the knowledge that Arthur and Amy are in regular correspondence. I wonder what they write about?Bridget - your observations re Minnie and Arthur are great. It seems emotions were simmering despite her decision to marry Henry and his not to fall in love with her.
Lori, I don’t find Miss Wade any more domineering than the The Meagles have been over Harriet. I wonder if she is simply giving them a taste of the way they have treated Tattycoram. Even during that last visit Mr. Meagles continued to tell her to count to five and twenty, treating her like an out of control child, not a young woman who can be talked with. If I remember correctly, Harriet isn’t much younger than Pet/Minnie.I missed the reference to the letter writing between Arthur and Amy. Interesting.
I’m not sure Amy and Arthur were in regular correspondence. This is from chapter 27“She was so much out, and so much in her own room, that he began to miss her and to find a blank in her place. He had written to her to inquire if she were better, and she had written back, very gratefully and earnestly telling him not to be uneasy on her behalf, for she was quite well; but he had not seen her, for what, in their intercourse, was a long time.”
Janelle wrote: "I’m not sure Amy and Arthur were in regular correspondence. This is from chapter 27“She was so much out, and so much in her own room, that he began to miss her and to find a blank in her place. He..."
It looks as if I misinterpreted that passage, Janelle, thanks. He does appear to be looking her up quite regularly though, even if he doesn’t see her when he tries.
Yes, he’s always asking after her.
“The house in the city preserved its heavy dulness through all these transactions, and the invalid within it turned the same unvarying round of life. Morning, noon, and night, morning, noon, and night, each recurring with its accompanying monotony, always the same reluctant return of the same sequences of machinery, like a dragging piece of clockwork.”This is a really miserable house!
“The strangest of sounds. Evidently close at hand from the peculiar shock it communicated to the air, yet subdued as if it were far off. A tremble, a rumble, and a fall of some light dry matter.”
I really want to know what the noise is.
Janelle - yes, it is a miserable house. As for the sound, either it is some activity or other in a hidden part of the house, or it’s just the building slowly crumbling, and possibly a metaphor for the Clennams’ crumbling business empire. Or is that too far-fetched? I live in an old building and when it’s quiet, usually in the middle of the night, we can hear a sound like a fall of some light dry matter. It’s just some settlement in the building and not anything supernatural or skulduggery - I hope!I love the description of the thunder and the high winds blowing through the nearby churchyard coupled with Mrs Affery’s fear of the haunted house with a premature and preternatural darkness in it. Brrrrrrr!
Perfect chapter for the month of October! And our mysterious mustached man has made an appearance. I’m curious as to what his business will be and how he knows the name Clennam. Mr.s Clennam is certainly showing a softer side with Amy here and it has Affery confused and concerned. Great chapter! Short but packed full of information.
I am assuming it is the return of our villain Rigaud, but he has not said his name yet, but the mustache clues lead me to believe it's him. And what is the meaning or significance of the watch? It is mentioned again here as always being on the table.
Poor Affery. I feel so bad for her and the state of "blank wonder" she has fallen into as a result of her husband's nasty behavior.
The chapter ends rather abruptly, and we are left wondering!
So true Daniela!! If it hadn't been late at night when I finished Chapter 29, I would have been tempted to keep on reading.I'm sure the mustachio man must be Rigaud. How fun to have him back. I like that he could hear the noises in the house too, because that gives more credibility to them. They are not just in Affrey's imagination. And like Janelle, I too want to know what they are.
Fiona wrote: " or it’s just the building slowly crumbling, and possibly a metaphor for the Clennams’ crumbling business empire. Or is that too far-fetched?."I like that connection Fiona. All the houses in this novel reflect or personify their occupants in some way, so the house crumbling could easily be a metaphor for the crumbling Clennam business. Nicely done! It may still turn out that someone is causing these noises (the Flintwinch Doppleganger always pops into my head) but that doesn't mean its not also a metaphor for the business as well.
Lori wrote: "And what is the meaning or significance of the watch? It is mentioned again here as always being on the table.Poor Affery...."
Yes, the watch, it must be important! We must "watch" out for more information on it LOL.
So many references to time standing still in the Clennam House. My favorite was "To stop the clock of busy existence, at the hour when we were personally sequestered from it" That reminded me of Miss Havisham of Great Expectations (which I hope is not a spoiler) and I'm really enjoying seeing how Dickens was developing these themes years before creating Miss Havisham.
Oh, and about poor Affrey, I agree. That woman is going to have a concussion if her husband keeps shaking her like that!
I was struck at the man who came when Affery was out was described as speaking well. I assumed that meant this probable Rigaud spoke very good English, perhaps with no accent. This surprised me. (But I should read it again in case I misread)The other section of Dickens’ prose I loved was early in the chapter when he describes the view of the world of a recluse like Mrs. Clennam, who neither sees nor recognizes any changes in the world since her withdrawal from the world.
Lastly when she kissed Little Dorrit, I think I was as startled as Affery. And I feel so sorry for Affery.
That’s a good point, Sue. Rigaud was also a man of the world, wasn’t he? Maybe all that cosmopolitan traveling means he is able to speak fluently as well?
Yes, I thought that put another spin on his identity.
What a dark and gothic chapter so full of mystery and unanswered questions. Just who is this mysterious Mr. Blandois who behaves and looks like our villain Rigaud? Who was he referring to when he sees Flintwinch and Affery coming up to him when he says “Death of my soul! …Why, how did you get here?” Is Blandois playing at something here when he thinks Flintwinch looks like someone he knows? Or could he really know someone that looks like him? We’ve hinted at a double previously.
This Blandois is really putting on the condescension and gentlemanly gestures which ease Flintwinch’s immediate suspicions.
Blandois goes into an interesting monologue and seems to be plotting something
“Blandois, you shall turn the tables on society, my little child … You shall subdue the society which has grievously wronged you.”
Thinking he could get some information out of Flintwinch he was disappointed that alcohol doesn’t make him talk.
Finally, the watch with the initials DNF - obviously something has caused Mrs. Clennam much guilt but what could it be?
When Blandois / Rigaud asks for a tour of the house and we’re told that he doesn’t pay any attention to the contents, I wonder if he’s looking for something in particular, eg the source of the mysterious noises? Flintwinch must know he has a twin or doppelgänger because he spoke with him. Surely he must realise that’s who Blandois / Rigaud thinks he is?
Why has Blandois / Rigaud immediately returned to France? All he did was visit the house, meet Flintwinch and Mrs Clennam, and look around the house. Did he even collect his £50? I don’t think he did so he must have got what he wanted from the visit even in that short time.
Flintwinch and Mrs Clennam responded to the request in the letter from Paris regarding M. Blandois without asking any questions. Why is that? Is it a normal thing to happen in their line of business?
Curiouser and curiouser! And yes, Lori, the watch!
Mod
And thank you Janelle for all your hard work on this so far :)
Fiona wrote: "When Blandois / Rigaud asks for a tour of the house and we’re told that he doesn’t pay any attention to the contents, I wonder if he’s looking for something in particular, eg the source of the myst..."I think Blandois/Rigaud makes sense, Fiona. He said he was a citizen of the world so he can be anyone he wants to be.
If I remember, he asked Affery, maybe, if there were any strange noises. Hmmmmm...... Sounds like he was looking for that one that Affery saw in her first dream. And then there is still the iron box the double carried off with him.
I'm not sure if Blandois got everything he was looking for but he is definitely up to something and could it the Clennams? He was so interested in the watch.
And we get an answer to the question as to why he spoke English so fluently when he was talking to himself. And wonder what in the world he is talking about here:
Blandois, you shall turn the tables on society, my little child......At a pinch, an excellent master in English and French...You shall subdue the society which has so grievously wronged you
Lori - I’d forgotten about the iron box. Yet another mystery. Thank you!
Assuming Blandois is Rigaud, then why were Rigaud and Arthur Clennam in Marseille at the same time? I got the feeling Arthur was passing through Marseille on his way back to London from China. But Rigaud was there long enough to marry a wealthy widow and murder her, so they weren't travelling together. Rigaud is a "man of the world" so maybe he has been to China and knows the Clennams from there. So many questions. So fun!
Fiona wrote: "Flintwinch and Mrs Clennam responded to the request in the letter from Paris regarding M. Blandois without asking any questions. Why is that? Is it a normal thing to happen in their line of business?.."I might be wrong Fiona, but I think this was a normal way to transact business in 1820's. Its sort of the beginning of banking. I'm guessing the company in Paris is one with which the Clennams usually do business. The letter lets the Clennams know that company is backing M.Blandois for the fifty pounds he is borrowing. He may have left something of value in Paris to account for the fifty pounds given to him in London. I got the impression Flintwinch gave Blandois the 50pds when he says "Very good sir, Take a chair". And then Blandois/Rigaud spends some of that money at the little tavern
By the way, did anyone else catch how arrogant Blandois/Rigaud was at that little establishment? He didn't like the first room they gave him, it was too small so he finally took "the little private holiday sitting room of the family" He's so big and brash and obnoxious, he reminds me of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast.
I agree the doppelgänger seems to be the one that “Blandois” wanted to see and actually thought he saw, initially. I’m surprised a bit that Flintwinch doesn’t get drunk but he’s just too mean to give in and let his guard down. I wonder if he noticed that Blandois’s speech changed quite a bit once he had so much to drink.What is it about these noises? I’m trying to think what they could mean and all I can think of off hand is printing money or forging something.
And was Rigaud wronged in the same way that Dorrit was? Will he then be looking for Arthur for revenge?
My feeling for why Blandois wanted the tour of the house was he was looking for the source of the noise and possibly the iron box(though I don’t think the iron box would be on display). It’s interesting Blandois knows the doppelgänger so is he involved in whatever tricky business is going on there?
This chapter really just leads to lots more questions!
Clennam and co giving him money after he presented his letter was just how international banking worked in those days. The Paris bank would reimburse Clennam and co.
I'm sure Blandois was curious about the noise, but I also got the feeling he asked to tour the house so he could observe Mr. Flintwinch more closely. Mr. Flintwinch had remarked that he never found the visitor looking at any room, after throwing one quick glance around, but always found the visitor looking at him, Mr. Flintwinch.
Sue, the revenge angle might be possible. Oh my, there are so many possibilities. Bridget, I forgot about how Blandois kept watching Flintwinch. Maybe he wanted to make Flintwinch uncomfortable but that wouldn't be a good idea if he wanted to get information out of him by getting him drunk. Hmmmm? Still no answers!
This book is so full of questions and has given very few answers so far. I have a feeling we will start being hit with things fairly soon. We are almost half way through the book.
Bridget / Janelle - I’m sure you’re right about how business transactions worked then. It makes sense.BUT I’m sure Blandois didn’t get the money. At the end of the chapter, Flintwinch says in a business like manner, ‘You will draw upon us tomorrow, sir,’. Blandois replies that he ‘will draw upon you; have no fear’ but I think he means this in a more sinister way, ie that he will get what it is he’s looking for eventually. Unless ‘to draw’ had a different meaning back then, I assumed it meant to draw on the draft, or cheque, that M. Blandois would present, as it says in the letter from Paris.
That’s a great point, Fiona. And there is no obvious handover of money that I can see either. But how did Blandois pay for his room then?
Janelle wrote: "That’s a great point, Fiona. And there is no obvious handover of money that I can see either. But how did Blandois pay for his room then?"Janelle - I assume because he already had money. He paid for his crossing from France so he’s not penniless.
Yes, but would he have pounds? I don’t think he spends his own money, he’s a conman. His documents are definitely false, because we know his real name (assuming it’s Rigaud, of course).
Fair point, Janelle. I’m sure it will all become clear eventually.
Such good comments by all. Blandois is an extremely complex character. I wondered a lot what he was hiding.
Link to Chapter 31 SummaryThere is a fantastic discussion here by Jean about the irony and satire displayed here between Mr. Dorrit and Nandy.
Another long chapter with a new character to meet. Mr. Nandy is Mrs. Plornish's father and has found himself in the workhouse. He's a book binder mostly of music books I think.I loved Dickens' writing in the beginning of this chapter. It is vivid and beautiful even though his topic is forlorn.
Anybody may pass, any day, in the thronged thoroughfares of the metropolis, some meagre, wrinkled, yellow old man (who might be supposed to have dropped from the stars, if there were any star in the Heavens dull enough to be suspected of casting off so feeble a spark), creeping along with a scared air, as through bewildered and a little frightened by the noise and bustle.
He is familiar with Mr. Dorrit and visits him occasionally when he is able to leave the workhouse like today because it is his birthday.
If there were ever two more different characters, these two are extreme. Again, we see the hypocrisy of how the Dorrit's treat Amy making her feel guilt for lowering herself to come to the aid of Mr. Nandy. I was so incensed.
Tip and Fanny are so selfish and Tip's dismissal of Arthur was so repulsive.
I love the last sentence and can't wait to learn what Arthur and Amy have to talk about!
That's a great quote Lori. I loved how Dickens started with talking about an old man in general (indicating there were many on the streets of London) and then moved on to the specific Old Mr. Nandy.And here is yet another father/daughter pair: Mrs. Plornish and Mr. Nandy. Amy and Mrs. Plornish have very similar feelings for their fathers.
The other father/daughter pair I can think of is Mr. Meagles and Minnie. Are there more I'm not remembering?
Fanny, Tip and Mr. Dorrit had their noses so high up in the air in this Chapter with their haughtiness and snobbery, I'm surprised they didn't all end up with nose bleeds!I loved the irony of the Chapter Title "Spirit". After the Clennam Haunted House of the last couple chapters, I expected "spirit" to mean something completely different.
Fiona wrote: "‘You will draw upon us tomorrow, sir,’. Blandois replies that he ‘will draw upon you; have no fear’ but I think he means this in a more sinister way, ie that he will get what it is he’s looking for eventually. .."Fiona, nice job with careful reading! I missed that the first time. I think Janelle is also right he must have had some English pounds to pay for his room. Ah well it will all get sorted eventually.
The Dorrit family, except for Amy, are all living in a dream world. Somehow they see themselves as a privileged few, better than all around them, but also due extra benefits such as money from an outsider such as Arthur for no reason at all. Tip is likely to end his days at Marshalsea since he has absorbed his father’s lessons so well. Poor Amy gets chastised for doing a good deed. Heaven forbid she spend time with someone who looks too seedy.. Perhaps Mr Dorrit could lend Mr Nancy a coat!
That's great Sue! I love that, Mr. Dorrit may have an extra coat to lend Mr. Nandy. I'm not sure he has a lot of clothes. What a lesson he was teaching Tip to nurture and bend toward Arthur so that he will be able to try to beg for money from him in the future. That's pretty scummy!
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Books mentioned in this topic
Bleak House (other topics)The Holly-Tree (other topics)
The Chimes (other topics)
Little Dorrit (other topics)
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Charles Dickens (other topics)Charles Dickens (other topics)
Charles Dickens (other topics)
Charles Dickens (other topics)
Charles Dickens (other topics)
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Sadly I don't think Minnie is aware of what type of man she is marrying and I'm afraid she has wool over her eyes. Henry is taking her very far away which is sad for her because she has such a strong bond with her family. I also am curious as to why the Meagles' changed their minds and have allowed the wedding.