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Bleak House
Bleak House - Group Read 4
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Bleak House: Chapters 1 - 10
My guess is that the godmother/aunt kept Esther with her after the offer as a sort of 'masochistic' gesture, being obsessed with sin and all.Sadly, we are reminded that Victorian children seem jaded about death by today's standards it seems to me.
I, too, had the feeling we haven't seen the last of the man in the carriage...
Anne (On semi-hiatus) wrote: "Sam: "Anyone care to venture on the significance of Esther's name? "In Hebrew Esther means to hide or conceal. Very apt for this story so far and for Esther, in particular. The truth of her birth..."
Thank you Anne and everyone for responses to my question.
I wonder if Esther could be My Lady Dedlock? I'm wondering if perhaps she burried the doll because it had a letter or letters in it,and perhaps the scene where Lady Dedlock is surprised by the handwriting is because it's the same as whoever wrote the letters she hid in the doll?Of course, I could be completely wrong!
Another great chapter with lots of fun comments and insights! I had many similar thoughts to what has already been said. I know absolutely nothing about this story and haven’t read ahead so everything is just a guess. :) It was fun meeting Esther. I liked the stark difference in feel from the third person to the first person. It jolts the reader in a good way.
Like many of you, reading about Esther brought Jane Eyre to mind. I appreciated that tidbit you added, Jean, about how the two authors felt about each other’s characters.
This line broke my heart a bit, Imperfect as my understanding of my sorrow was, I knew that I had brought no joy at any time to anybody's heart and that I was to no one upon earth what Dolly was to me.
As an elementary school teacher I have seen many heartbreaking situations. One student that came from an abusive situation was talking with me one time and he asked “Why does my mom hate me?” It shattered me. Every child deserves to be loved, but in our time, as in Dickens, it doesn’t happen that way.
I also suspected that Esther was born out of wedlock and was being punished for it.
"Your mother, Esther, is your disgrace, and you were hers. The time will come—and soon enough—when you will understand this better and will feel it too, as no one save a woman can.
I found this line about the godmother very telling:
To the very last, and even afterwards, her frown remained unsoftened.
I was thinking how sad that would be, to go through life frowning at everybody for not being as perfect as you thought they should be.
With the appearance of Mr. Kenge I figured that Esther must be connected to someone related to the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case. Even if she’s not connected directly. Why would this man pay for her boarding at school and then offer her a job? This part of the story made me think of the book, Daddy Long Legs. Though, I’m not expecting Esther to have a great romance with her benefactor. I do think she has to be connected, how else would he have found her? That actually brings up a question I had, after Esther gets the letter inviting her to come be a companion to Ada, she makes a comment about how grateful she is and says:
...it was so gracious in that father who had not forgotten me to have made my orphan way so smooth and easy and to have inclined so many youthful natures towards me…
Who is the “father” she is referring to? Does she think her benefactor is her father? Is she talking about God? Did I miss something earlier?
I found this description of Mr. Kenge amusing, especially as we learn he’s called “Conversation Kenge.” He appeared to enjoy beyond everything the sound of his own voice.
He listened to himself with obvious satisfaction and sometimes gently beat time to his own music with his head or rounded a sentence with his hand.
Since some of you mentioned that Esther could be an unreliable narrator, I’m looking at phrases like this a bit differently.
Mrs. Rachael was too good to feel any emotion at parting, but I was not so good, and wept bitterly.
All the questions that Petra and Anne brought up have made me question everything I’d been thinking about Esther. I like how Luffy put it, “Esther is partly shrouded in possibilities, rather than actualities. I thought that summed it very nicely.
I also found burying the doll to be a bit odd, but I thought it might symbolize burying the past and moving forward to the future. Maybe she did bury it so she could return someday to find Dolly.
I loved that man in the coach. He instantly delighted me. Based on some of the suppositions people have made here, I’m now starting to wonder if he might be Jarndyce himself. This line is one of my favorites and made me giggle: "Con-found Mrs. Rachael!" said the gentleman. "Let her fly away in a high wind on a broomstick!"
The following was one of my favorite descriptive passages in the chapter. I found it quite poetic.
Then I went on, thinking, thinking, thinking; and the fire went on, burning, burning, burning; and the candles went on flickering and guttering, and there were no snuffers...
I was happy to meet the little old lady again. I thought this was one of the most poignant lines in the book:
"I had youth and hope. I believe, beauty. It matters very little now. Neither of the three served or saved me.
That is a hard truth that a lot of us learn in life. I think that’s why I’ve been enjoying Dickens more these days. I’m finding his characters so real and relatable. You’re not just reading about wealthy people, as is the case with so many classics, even many of my favorites.
I was a bit late to the party today, so apologies if I repeated what had already been said. :)
Paul - That was how I interpreted the line about Esther not looking in the mirror, as well. I thought she felt so worthless that she didn't even bother looking at herself.
Natalie, I think Esther speaking about the father who had not forgoten her is her speaking about God. I know there are lots of biblical and religious allusions and ideas in Dickens writing. I also think the man in the carriage could be Jarndyce!
Thank you, Jenny! I was a bit confused because it wasn't capitalized "Father" like many references to God usually are.
Natalie and Jenny, I also was considering that the man in the carriage could be Jarndyce. He definitely seemed to be there by design which would fit with the rest of the chapter.
Kathleen wrote: "Bionic Jean wrote: "In fact Charles Dickens found Jane Eyre’s rebellious attitudes objectionable. And Charlotte Brontë considered Charles Dickens’s handling of Esther’s narrative to be “weak and tw..."The Burial of the Doll intrigues me after reading the discussion. My initial impression was that this act represented her pain and absolute loneliness. She has no friends, no adults to care for her, only "my dear old doll". Her Aunt warns her after she inquires about her mother, to "forget your mother" and "submission, self-denial, diligent work, are the preparations of a life begun with such a shadow on it . . . You are set apart".
There is some theology worth looking at here. Dickens inserts his own voice and knowledge to clue the reader, because Ester is too young and naive to understand the scripture she is hearing. I speculate that burying the doll was a form of Christian self-punishment and self-denial. She had been taught that she deserved nothing. Also, Dolly knew her heart and knew she was unredeemable in the Christian sense.
But there is more. Dickens knew children, as he had many of his own. So he would have realized that for a child to leave behind their precious dolly was an outrageous act, in the sense that no child would do it! To bury it tells me that Ester had at this point a very primitive knowledge of her faith, so ascribes her personal worthlessness to the doll she loves. God SHOULD punish her as it was clear she deserved it. The scripture shouted by Aunt before dying is ominous. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her!" John 8:3-11.
"Watch ye therefore! lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping," warns the Aunt. "Keep awake." Mark 13:37b (NRSV).
"Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man going on a JOURNEY, when he leaves home . . . and commands the DOORKEEPER to be on the watch. . . . Therefore keep awake -- for you do not know when the master of the house will come. . . " Mark 13:33-35a (NRSV).
Is Dolly the "doorkeeper"? I believe Dickens is signaling something important here!
Lee - I wondered about the significance of those scriptures as well. Before I realized the Aunt was about to die, I wondered if she was crying out because she realized that she had been "casting stones" at Esther, and Esther's mother. Those are interesting thoughts about the doorkeeper.
Natalie wrote: "Thank you, Jenny! I was a bit confused because it was capitalized "Father" like many references to God usually are."I also think she was referring to God because Father was capitalized, but also because she says he "inclined so many youthful natures towards me…". It seems like she is saying that the Father made the other students inclined to like her. This appears to me to be some invisible force that made them feel this way, because she can't think of any other reason they would like her.
Natalie wrote: "Thank you, Jenny! I was a bit confused because it wasn't capitalized "Father" like many references to God usually are."I have "Father" with capital F in my book.
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John - Yes, she is both masochistic and sadistic, from a 21st century point of view. Charles Dickens included quite a few characters like this in his fiction, who use their Faith as a reason (or excuse) for making everyone's life a misery, including their own. We saw another extreme example of this in our group read of Little Dorrit: Mrs. Clennam. She quoted the Holy Bible at length, to justify her own behaviour.
Plus there are dozens of "martyrish women" who are like a watered down version, and very true to life even now.
Charles Dickens doesn't go a lot into the character of Esther's Aunt, (and we must remember too, that we see her through Esther's eyes) but we can tell that she is cut from the same cloth. And it is a topic Charles Dickens felt very strongly about.
Lee - Thank you very much for decoding Esther's primitive religious views, being "too young and naive to understand the scripture she is hearing". Yes, as you say she was ignorant of the larger picture and context, and only had her aunt's narrow slanted view. I am sure your interpretation is correct. She truly believes her aunt to be good, and is following her precepts.
Natalie - Great thoughts, and yes "Father" should be capitalised, as others have picked up. Esther is very devout, and here she is grateful to God. But it is likely that her aunt taught her not to say "God" but "Heavenly Father", as more respectful. Esther does vaguely wonder about her birth father, throughout, but it has been impressed on her not to ask questions, and she has been told over and over that her very existence is a sin. At the moment she is grateful to God for having provided for her.
Katy - Yes, she is saying that she is sure that is it God who has made the other children like her. Her self-image appears to be so low, that she cannot conceive of why they would like her for herself.
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""Con-found Mrs. Rachael!" said the gentleman. "Let her fly away in a high wind on a broomstick!"
Several keen minds here have wondered who this gentleman might be, and this is a clue, although we cannot interpret it quite yet! That short sentence has 3 functions:
1. Humour :)
2. Character: it indicates the temperament of the speaker.
3. Identifying (but who?)
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I have located Phiz's illustration of the letter Esther received from him, and have added it to my summary of chapter 3 now. Please do look at these, and the following comments, when you can Natalie (I know this is your first read with us :) ) - it's quite easy to find via the links in comment 2, and then you'll know you're not "repeating" anything, as you said.
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Introducing the Jellyby family.
Mr. Kenge tells the three young people that they are to stay with a Mrs. Jellyby for the night. He seems very surprised that none of them have heard of her. Mr. Kenge tells them that Mrs. Jellyby:
“is a lady of very remarkable strength of character who devotes herself entirely to the public … Mr. Jarndyce, who is desirous to aid any work that is considered likely to be a good work and who is much sought after by philanthropists, has, I believe, a very high opinion of Mrs. Jellyby.”
At present, Mrs. Jellyby’s good works are to do with Africa. When asked about Mr. Jellyby, Mr. Kenge tells them the only thing he can say of Mr. Jellyby is that he is the husband of Mrs. Jellyby. Mr. Jarndyce has told him that he considers that it would be best to break their journey with Mrs. Jellyby, and then proceed to “Bleak House” from there the next morning. Mr. Kenge’s assistant, Mr. Guppy, escorts the young people to Mrs. Jellyby’s residence, which is only a few minutes’ walk from Mr. Kenge’s offices.
When they arrive at Mrs. Jellyby’s house, the young people witness a curious scene. A small child with a big head, who Mr. Guppy says is one of the Jellybys’ children, is crying because his head is stuck between the railings. Meanwhile, a milkman and the beadle are trying to force him loose by pulling him through the railings. At Esther’s suggestion, the rescuers push the child through the railings rather than pulling him, and Mr. Guppy runs down through the kitchen to catch him at the bottom.
They go in to find that dirty children are swarming through the house, and it is difficult not to step on them in the dark. Then they meet Mrs. Jellyby who is a pretty, plump woman in her mid-forties, with eyes which always seem to be looking a long way off, as if they could see nothing but Africa. As Mr. Kenge has told them, she is a philanthropist. Indeed, Mrs. Jellyby is so immersed in her philanthropic activities that she has not only neglected her own hair and dress, but she has neglected her children, who are dishevelled and unsupervised. She is more interested in the prospects of the 250 inhabitants of Borrioboola-Gha. Everything about the house is untidy and dirty; the sofa isn’t brushed, and the room is strewn with papers.
Esther observes an older child, pale and unhealthy-looking, sitting at a writing desk:
Mrs. Jellyby and Caddy - Sol Eytinge 1867
This quiet girl looks miserable and very inky. She is Caddy, (Caroline) Mrs. Jellyby’s oldest daughter, who is sitting at the writing desk, writing out a letter that Mrs. Jellyby dictates. Mrs. Jellyby tells the three young people about her charity work, cultivating coffee and educating the natives of Borrioboola-Gha, Africa (while ignoring her children). In fact the smallest child tumbles down the stairs, banging his head on every step. He runs to his mother for comfort, but is shooed away with a:
“Go along, you naughty Peepy!” To the toddler’s surprise, Esther picks him up to nurse him, and Ada kisses him too. Mrs. Jellyby continues to expounds on the importance of her philanthropic work in Africa, while Esther and Ada lull the crying Peepy to sleep. Esther loses track of the conversation, telling us:
“I derived such an … impression of the momentous importance of Africa, and the utter insignificance of all other places and things, that I felt quite ashamed to have thought so little about it.”
Not surprisingly, the complete disorder of the house extends to Esther’s and Ada’s rooms. The curtain in Esther’s room is fastened with a fork, there is no hot water or heat, and no knobs or locks on any of the doors. Esther has carried Peepy upstairs, and now lays him on her bed. All the other children creep in, and Esther indulges them by telling them the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
The eventual dinner is chaotic. They are served a fine cod-fish, a piece of roast beef, a dish of cutlets, and a pudding:
“an excellent dinner, if it had had any cooking to speak of, but it was almost raw” Esther observes to us. “All through dinner—which was long, in consequence of such accidents as the dish of potatoes being mislaid in the coal skuttle and the handle of the corkscrew coming off and striking the young woman in the chin—Mrs. Jellyby preserved the evenness of her disposition.”
And as for Mr. Jellyby, he is as miserable looking as the children are, and sits in a corner, leaning his head on the wall:
The Jellybys at Home - Harry Furniss 1910
The talk at the table is dominated by Mrs. Jellyby’s philanthropy, as she engages a “Mr. Quale”, another visiting philanthropist, who clearly admires Mrs. Jellyby, drawing attention to the fact that at one time Mrs. Jellyby had received as many as 200 letters respecting Africa in a single day:
In an Atmosphere of Booriobooble-Gha - Fred Barnard 1873
Esther again finds it difficult to concentrate, as Peepy and the other children come to her and Ada and to ask for another story; so they whisper the story of “Puss in Boots” to them. When the children are sent to bed, Peepy cries for Esther to take him up again.
With Peepy now sound asleep on Esther’s bed, Esther asks Ada about her cousin, Mr. Jarndyce. Ada admits that she has never laid her eyes on Mr. Jarndyce, but that Richard had, five years earlier at Winchester school. According to Richard, Mr. Jarndyce was a “bluff, rosy fellow”. Esther sits thinking about Mr. Jarndyce for a while after Ada has gone to bed.
While Esther is sitting by the fire wondering, Caddy knocks on her door, and seems to be very sulky and disagreeable:
Miss Jellyby - Phiz (Hablot K. Browne) 1853
She looks at Ada, who is sleeping:
““She is very pretty!” she said with the same knitted brow and in the same uncivil manner.
I assented with a smile.
“An orphan. Ain’t she?”
“Yes.”
“But knows a quantity, I suppose? Can dance, and play music, and sing? She can talk French, I suppose, and do geography, and globes, and needlework, and everything? … You think yourselves very fine, I dare say!””
Caddy continues to accuse them all of various things, but as Esther listens, Caddy soon reveals how unhappy she is at home. She does not care for Africa in the least; she hates it and detests it. Indeed, Caddy wishes that Africa was dead. She wishes that she were dead. She wishes that everyone was dead. Simultaneously, Caddy remarks how pretty Ada is and expresses her admiration for Esther. By and by, Caddy falls asleep with her head on Esther’s lap.
When Esther awakes the next morning, she finds that the fire has gone out. She finds that Peepy has climbed out of his crib to be next to her, and is so cold that his teeth are chattering.
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About Caroline Chisholm:
Mrs. Jellyby was based on a real person— Caroline Chisholm —who had started out as an evangelical philanthropist in Sydney, Australia, and then moved to England in 1846. Over the next six years Caroline assisted 11,000 people to settle in Australia.
Charles Dickens admired her greatly, and supported her schemes to assist the poor who wished to emigrate. But he was appalled by how unkempt her own children were and the general neglect he saw in her household. Of course he couldn’t resist painting her portrait as Mrs. Jellyby …
Here is her biography, for anyone who would like to know a little more:
“Caroline Chisholm arrived in Sydney, Australia from India with her husband Archibald in 1838. Reared in a tradition of evangelical philanthropy, Caroline was deeply moved when she observed single girls being dumped on the wharves in Sydney with nowhere to go. On one occasion, she found a group of 64 girls sheltering in the Rocks area with only 14s 3d amongst them. Caroline set up the Female Immigrants Home with the support of the clergy, the Governor’s wife and finally the Governor himself.
Through her work at the Female Immigrant Home, Caroline gave protection and shelter to hundreds of young women, some of whom she accompanied into country areas where she found employment for them. Caroline was also concerned for families who, having migrated in the hope of better things, found themselves destitute.
In 1846, Caroline returned to England and became the publicist for Australia. She formed a society to send out groups of families to Australia and succeeded in despatching some 3,000 persons in five years. Caroline agitated for and achieved better conditions on the vessels carrying the immigrants. As well as free passages for emigrant’s wives and children, she established the Family Colonisation Loan Society. When she first chartered a ship, Slains Castle, which sailed in 1850 from England to Australia, she personally supervised the embarkation and appointed a reliable surgeon to control rations.
In six years Caroline assisted 11,000 people to settle in Australia. Her activism, energy and experience contributed to changes in the migrant selection process, the treatment of migrants on the voyage out and their reception in the colony. She was worried by the news of the discovery of gold in Australia, fearing that the great influx of migrants such rushes resulted in would cause instability in such a fragile society.
In 1851 Caroline’s husband, Archibald, went to Australia to work as her colonial agent while she continued to send out families and girls from Britain. In England, Caroline continued to agitate for lower colonial postal rates, for the introduction of colonial money orders and for better shipboard conditions. To this end, she ensured the passage of the Passenger Act (1852).
Caroline Chisholm, after a daguerreotype by Antoine Claudet 1853 (the year Bleak House was published).
Now famous and supported by many powerful figures, including Charles Dickens, Caroline returned to Australia in 1854. She was imbued with the optimistic idea that the wealth of a society lay in the settling of many small farmers and she worked for the unlocking of the lands.
Caroline continued to work despite illness and needy circumstances. She and her husband lived on a pension in Liverpool and then in Highgate, London. Caroline died in poverty and obscurity in England in 1877—the inscription on her grave at Northampton reads ‘The emigrant’s friend’.
According to her biographer, Caroline Chisholm‘began her work accepting established conventions, but when she encountered the obstruction and indifference of officialdom, her attitude began to harden and she became an uncompromising radical’."
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It strikes me that in Bleak House, Charles Dickens is using short titles. Sometimes he employs the 18th century habit of titling with a long sentence containing many clauses, which tells the events. In this novel though, they are short and to the point. And yes, they were there in the original installments, at the head of each chapter.
They have several functions: they might as before, hint as to the plot of the coming chapter, or they might be sarcastic or witty, or just meant to tease the reader.
“Telescopic Philanthropy” is one such a clever title, obviously meant as an ironic comment on Mrs. Jellyby and her ilk. Whereas Esther’s attention to detail and intuitive caring makes her nurturing “microscopic”, Mrs. Jellyby’s caring seems unbalanced. She is trying to set things right in Africa, (although now we might challenge the idea that establishing colonies for impoverished English people in Africa will really address the problem of poverty in London, and teaching the inhabitant of Borrioboola-Gha English manners and an imposed religion can really be called setting things right) and does not look more closely at what has to be set right in her immediate surroundings. Charles Dickens is telling us that this is yet another form of hypocrisy, because it makes Mrs. Jellyby feel good to be involved in sorting out global problems, but meanwhile she is impervious to the ones she is creating at home, by so doing.
What fabulous minor characters we have here, to be sure! I was chuckling quite a lot at these, and appreciated that Charles Dickens gave us a chapter of light relief, while we absorb all the mysterious information. It’s interesting too, to discover Mrs. Jellyby was based on a real person. He is not just poking fun regardless, to hammer home his view that women should primarily focus on their household and their children instead of engaging in any social activities. Apparently John Stuart Mill hated the character of Mrs. Jellyby, incorrectly thinking it was an attack by Charles Dickens on women’s rights.
Charles Dickens wrote as many “negative” women characters as he did negative men, but he admired the Victorian ideal woman, and made it very obvious. Docile, industrious, kind, intelligent, pretty (rather than what Victorians would call “handsome”), young (17 being the ideal …). So as we found with characters like Edith Granger in “Dombey and Son” (view spoiler), she never comes across as wholly good, although we in our century admire her very much.
And what a contrast between the structured and caring education of the girls at “Greenleaf”, and Mrs. Jellyby’s children. Her “philanthropy” does not seem to extend to them. They appear to not even have the basics provided (although the eldest does know how to write).
We also see more of Esther’s caring nature. We knew from her time at “Greenleaf” that the young pupils were drawn to her, and now we see how her first instinct is to look out for the children, who are all so neglected. She may be meek and self-effacing, but she is the only person there who is at all organised and capable.
The Jarndyce case looks set to go on for ever. The task Mrs. Jellyby has set herself also seems endless.
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Please use the time too, to catch up on posts you might have missed :) The original readers had a whole month to mull these 4 very different chapters over - but we just have a day!
Thanks for all this information, Jean. It really does add to the pleasure of reading. I loved this chapter. It’s just hilarious. I kept thinking I’d stumbled into Cold Comfort Farm! The description of Caddy is wonderful - “I suppose nobody was ever in such a state of ink.” Dickens is such a master of comedy and, as you say, this is welcome light relief after being bogged down in legal goings-on.
I also love the name Mr Guppy. As it’s such a tiny (though colourful) fish, this seems to tell us that he’s a minor character and of not much consequence.
Bionic Jean wrote: "Mrs. Jellyby was based on a real person— Caroline Chisholm —who had started out as an evangelical philanthropist in Sydney, Australia,"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but my personal reaction to Mrs Jellyby's evangelical philanthropy was that it was entirely self-serving, self-righteous and totally sanctimonious. It served to give HER a warm fuzzy but in no way addressed real social issues in Africa. She was so personally focused on that appearance of hyper-active philanthropy that she ignored all of the issues around her - hygiene, children's needs and wants, warmth, cleanliness, cooking, love for her own daughter, and so on. In fact, it was more than just ignoring these issues. There was ACTIVE neglect in that any time a child seemed to intrude on her philanthropic work or thought processes she actually became angry to the point of scolding or hitting a child. Caddy's reaction to Africa and her mother bear this out.
In short, she was odious and totally unlikable. My hope is that this was Dickens' intent and that she will ultimately be cast on the "bad guy" side of the dramatis personae list. She's already there in my books.
Further to Mrs Jellyby, perhaps I missed it, but I wondered about two points. Why would Kenge (or Jarndyce by proxy) choose Mrs Jellyby's home as a waypoint on their journey? And, what was Mrs Jellyby's personal story as to why she was fostering this small mob of children despite the fact that she obviously resented their intrusions on her other activities?
Lots of fascinating characters in this chapter! I was especially intrigued with the names, Jellyby, Guppy, and Peepy. (I admit, I couldn’t help but giggle when I heard the narrator read that name!) I chuckled at the description Mr. Kenge offered of Mr. Jellyby, "Ah! Mr. Jellyby," said Mr. Kenge, "is—a—I don't know that I can describe him to you better than by saying that he is the husband of Mrs. Jellyby." "A nonentity, sir?" said Richard with a droll look.
I was struck by the chaos at the Jellyby house.
They were excessively bare and disorderly, and the curtain to my window was fastened up with a fork.
At last he was happily got down without any accident, and then he began to beat Mr. Guppy with a hoop-stick in quite a frantic manner.
Like Paul, I couldn’t help but wonder why Mr. Jarndyce would choose to have the three young people stay there. From everything we’ve learned so far, he seems to have money, so it’s surprising he’d be associated with such a place. I suppose he might only know Mrs. Jellyby through her philanthropic works.
In contrast to the wild children that “are always up to something,” Mrs. Jellyby seems removed from the situation with her eyes that “could see nothing nearer than Africa!
Mrs. Jellyby, whose face reflected none of the uneasiness which we could not help showing in our own faces as the dear child's head recorded its passage with a bump on every stair—Richard afterwards said he counted seven, besides one for the landing—received us with perfect equanimity.
I’m not sure what to make of Mrs. Jellyby yet, and I haven’t a clue how she’ll figure into the story later on. It’s so fascinating what you said, Jean, about her being based on a real person. She doesn’t seem to care much for the children, or just ignores them. All of the children latched onto Esther rather quickly, probably thrilled that someone was paying attention to them.
...so we sat down among them and told them in whispers "Puss in Boots" and I don't know what else until Mrs. Jellyby, accidentally remembering them, sent them to bed.
Paul, I supposed that all the children were Mrs. Jellyby’s. As I’ve been watching Call the Midwife, (again! I love that show so much!) I was thinking about the advent of birth control and how it completely revolutionized life for women. Mrs. Jellyby doesn’t seem like a bad woman, just a woman who didn’t really want to be a mother, but had little choice in that day and age. It was funny to me, as Jean mentioned, that the real life inspiration for Mrs. Jellyby sent her husband off to be her “agent on the ground” in Australia.
Describing Mr. Jarndyce as a bluff, rosy fellow brought to mind the mysterious, carriage man again. He could definitely fit that description!
I also learned three new words in this chapter. :)
*patten - a shoe or clog with a raised sole or set on an iron ring, worn to raise one's feet above wet or muddy ground when walking outdoors.
*amanuensis - a literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.
*purblind - having impaired or defective vision, slow or unable to understand; dimwitted.
Was she fostering, or were they her own children? That was not clear to me. I agree with you Paul, in your assessment of Mrs. Jellyby. To ignore the conditions right under your nose to help those far away to give yourself congratulations for "improving" those less fortunate....... that seems self-serving. Unfortunately, a lot of do-gooders have the same problem. I also see that Esther is quickly becoming the leader and spokeswoman for this little group.
Daniela, Jean, and Katy Thank you for letting me know that "Father" is supposed to be capitalized. That makes a lot more sense. I've reported it as a typo in my ebook. :) It's amazing how one letter can change the meaning of the sentence!
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They are her own children, by her husband. Sorry if I didn't make that clear in my summary.*
Natalie - "Like Paul, I couldn’t help but wonder why Mr. Jarndyce would choose to have the three young people stay there."
They have to break their journey somewhere. As to why the Jellyby's house is chosen, well that tells you something about the nature of Mr. Jarndyce!
*Edit: Actually I did make it clear that all the children are Mrs. Jellyby's own, referring to "her" children several times. In the text we are prepared right from the start, as Mr. Guppy says "One of the young Jellybys" twice.
The scene at the end of the chapter where Esther is approached in her room by Miss Jellyby brought so many emotions. Initially I had some fear that she was jealous of Esther and Ada and meant harm to them. But as she gradually dissolved and showed the extent of her misery, I felt so sad for her. She was intelligent and knew that her life had been destroyed by her mother’s obsession with Africa. (“I wish Africa was dead!”) ‘It’s disgraceful,’ she said. ‘You know it is. The whole house is disgraceful. The children are disgraceful. I’m disgraceful. Pa’s miserable, and no wonder.’ …what a burden she carries. And somehow she knows that Esther has taught girls in the past and knows her life could have been so different too. As she also knows she cares for Esther.
I find it amazing how Dickens took us through such a range of emotions, on the part of both women, in such a short span of time and with a minimum of actions.
Bionic Jean wrote: "This is the end of the first installment. We now have a “free” day to mull over these chapters.."Does that mean the discussion for Chapter 5 begins on Thursday, Mar 3?
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Sue - That part made me sad too. What a terrible life for that poor girl! Just “inking” away all day long. Dickens really does capture characters so quickly and so well.
Scrumptuous reading.
I can't figure out how to pronounce Jellyby. Is it Jelly-bee or Jelly-bye? Perhaps someone listening to the novel can help me out. It would be a shame for me to keep reading it the wrong way!I was so glad Jean pointed out Esther's reaction to all the hubbub about Africa. The line that starts "of all the momentous importance of Africa . . . . that I felt quite ashamed to have thought so little". I underlined that line as well because, I think, so much is going on here.
It highlights the irony of Mrs. Jellyby's "telescopic philanthropy" (such a brillant phrase!) but it also tells us a lot about Esther's inability to see other characters accurately. She can't see Mrs. Jellyby's hypocrisy at all. Which adds to this idea of Esther being an unreliable narrator that we've been discussing. This is the second chapter now narrated by Esther, if this trend continues (which I assume it does) I will have to remember not to fully believe the things Esther says. In this passage it is obvious Charles Dickens is brilliantly using Esther's naivete to bring out the hypocrisy of Mrs. Jellyby. But what of Esther's views of Caddy, or Ada or Richard? I think i should stay cautious as I read.
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Yes, it's fascinating to observe Esther's character coming out, or not, or what she thinks it should be ... there are so many variations! Plus just as Charles Dickens puts a little of himself in the narrator sometimes, just occasionally we hear his sarcasm in her voice (i.e. her written passages) as well!
As you say, "stay cautious".
You can google to hear the correct pronunciation of words (rather than trust audio readers, who vary). In this case "Jellyby" is
jelly-bi as in "bin".
Bridget, Esther may not see the ultimate hypocrisy of Mrs Jellyby, but it’s through her eyes that we are observing just how awful everything is in the house, how filthy and out of control the children are as opposed to how quickly they respond to a kind word and an appropriate story from Esther. I wonder if it is simply beyond Esther’s experience at this point to be able to give Mrs Jellyby such a label, especially since Esther has always been a self-effacing person.
Sue wrote: " I wonder if it is simply beyond Esther’s experience at this point to be able to give Mrs Jellyby such a label,"She may not have the life experience or the actual scholastic education to even know what the word means or that such people exist. Esther is probably taking absolutely everything at face value and her own innate goodness precludes judging anyone else beyond face value and an assumed goodness.
Chapter 3A sudden shift to a first-person narrative lends an air of mystery. We learn almost nothing of Esther’s forebears, how she came to be placed with her governess or why she is provided with ongoing financial support — or her connection with Jardyce. Her character is made to emerge slowly through her voice and mannerisms (starkly different in language and emotional timbre from that of the arms-length third-party narrator). Dickens shows himself to be a very efficient writer in this chapter, telling Esther’s whole life story from infancy to about age 18 a few pages, without seeming at all rushed.
I was immediately struck by the Africa project as a parallel to the Chancery case - receiving 200 letters day comprised of committee reports, etc. with lots of words, that ding really say much (have a point).One thing that I don't think I've seen mentioned yet, and bear with me as listening to the audio, so paraphrased... doesn't Mrs. Jellyby say "I always wondered (about Esther)"? Is there a reference in passing that it wasn't a matter of Jarndyce asking her to put up some "unknown" travelers as a favor, but that Mrs. J. has been well aware of these young people for a while?
I agree with all the comments about Mrs. Jellyby. Made me wonder if she inspired the old adage "charity begins at home." :-) I was willing to see it as humorous ... until the child fell down the stairs on his head. Yikes!
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Nice :)
John that’s an interesting catch and I think I have a vague feeling that Mrs Jellyby had knowledge of these three young people. Perhaps this is due to her close acquaintance with Mr Jarndyce or maybe another secret is coming along. After all, we don’t know any of the parents of these three so anyone we meet could turn out to be a relative.
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"I think I have a vague feeling that Mrs Jellyby had knowledge of these three young people."
No, there is no hint of that. I think you misheard/misread. Mrs. Jellyby greets them with:
""I am very glad indeed," said Mrs. Jellyby in an agreeable voice, "to have the pleasure of receiving you. I have a great respect for Mr. Jarndyce, and no one in whom he is interested can be an object of indifference to me."
We are not told that she knows anything about them, other than Mr. Jarndyce's one-time request, and she is being polite. The only other thing she says to Esther directly is:
"Do you know, Miss Summerson, I almost wonder that YOU never turned your thoughts to Africa."
Here is the Gutenberg copy - you can click on chapter 4 to check:
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/...
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Dickens shows himself to be a very efficient writer in this chapter, telling Esther’s whole life story from infancy to about age 18 a few pages, without seeming at all rushed ..."
Yes, good point. Charles Dickens covers a lot of time in just one chapter or less, yet we still feel we have a good knowledge of Esther's early childhood.
Today was chapter 4, so perhaps if possible you could read it tomorrow, and synchronise on Thursday with chapter 5? (Not to worry if not.)
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The final one, by Phiz, is the only one commissioned by Charles Dickens himself, and I found it interesting that Phiz has illustrated the second part of the chapter, with Caddy and Esther (with her back turned away from us - as I've mentioned before - and we've seen in the other illustrations by Phiz so far). The later illustrators have virtually illustrated the same part of the chapter.
Looking forward to tomorrow's observations :)
The Phiz one is lovely, I like it a lot. Of the others I prefer the Furniss because Mrs Jellyby looks unkempt too, the one below it she looks too neat. I love Mr Jellyby, head against the wall, he looks completely overwhelmed.
Bionic Jean wrote: "John and Sue -"... doesn't Mrs. Jellyby say "I always wondered (about Esther)"? Is there a reference in passing that it wasn't a matter of Jarndyce asking her to put up some "unknown" travelers as ..."I get now - thanks
Dickensians!
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Thank you Petra! I'm so glad you enjoy my summaries, and find them a useful reference :)
As we read further, people may find they are on a different chapter from today's (like Jim just went back to chapter 2), so if you've scooted ahead, please just look at Nisa's links in comment 2, and you'll see exactly what is in the current daily chapter. There should never be any difficulty about spoilers, then :)
Our next chapter will be Chapter 4. It's another wonderful chapter as I said before, introducing yet more new characters in a new place! Charles Dickens always gives us "good value for money".
That's all from me today, as it's late here.