The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
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Hester
Hester - Mrs Oliphant
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Hester - Week 3
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Roland seems opposite to Edward and Harry, who are carefully following Catherine's blueprint for the bank, and who (especially Edward) are devoting their lives to satisfying her whims.
Ellen is a bit of a stereotype, but recognizable. I was more interested in Emma, who shows up near the end, and dares to question the accepted social order and customs. Ellen and Algy are a good couple, since he is laid back and she directs him. Not sure how long his money will hold out, though!
Hester is aware of the romantic tropes of a "first ball" and doesn't experience them. There is something between her and Edward that never existed with Harry. And what about the hint Edward drops that Catherine may have caused the bank crisis that ended up with her in charge?
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I like Edward less and less-he seems quite dishonest, and as if he will cause trouble for Hester without coming through with a proposal, and it would be even worse if she did marry him. I was particularly annoyed by him letting her suppose that Catherine Vernon ruined her father, when it appears everyone but her and her mother knows the truth.
So far I quite like Roland, and assume he will be the ultimate love interest for Hester. While a terrible flirt, he seems a good sort at bottom and as long as he doesn't break her heart through carelessness I think she would be safer with him than with Edward. I do feel badly for poor Harry, though, having to watch Hester presumably triumph at her first ball when he loved her even before the pretty dress and pearls.
Mod
I think I agree with everyone’s comments thus far:What I really loved about this week’s read was the dialogue between Hester and Edward as they were dancing; the confusion about Edward referring to Hester as Cinderella was a masterstroke - as Cinderella can imply a princess or a poor servant girl, I thought he meant the former and wondered why Hester should take umbrage at such a compliment, but Hester implied that Edward had meant the latter. I was completely taken in by Mrs Oliphant’s clever writing, which I enjoyed.
I like the way that the novel is unfolding, but I still believe that Catherine is devious and we will soon find out.
The conversation between Hester and Edward was interesting. Even though I do find Edward a very interesting character, I think he might be tricking Hester into believing that Catherine might have been involved in her father’s ruin, igniting her hatred towards Catherine so she might join him into whatever plan he is devising. But so far I wish we had more on Catherine since we are now half way through the novel? She is one of the major characters in the novel and yet to me she still feels “unexplored” compared to the others. Anyone else agrees?
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The tea dance felt to me like it revealed the first bubbles of a soon to be vigorously boiling pot. Edward, finally off his (self imposed?) leash, showed his teeth immediately, unable to stop slobbering all over Esther. Those distasteful words emanating from his jowls made me fear for the young girl. I think that Edward’s devious ways may soon be extended beyond his complete betrayal of Catherine. How warped has that servitude made him?Both the men that Hester likes seem dangerous to me. The tête à tête with Roland on his departure and the whisperings behind the pot plants with Edward at the dance revealed how vulnerable Hester has become. Her apparent strength and feisty attitude melted away in the face of two very different approaches from the men that make her insides quake. Maybe ‘simple’ and much maligned Harry would be the safest after all, yet Hester (and many more like her) always seem to end up with their fingers (often much more) burnt pursuing the false and the flamboyant.
As for Roland, I have mixed feelings. I think there is both the good and the bad in him. The bad comes from the way he makes women his slaves. This might happen naturally but his words to Hester on his departure went beyond what was required from a simple parting of friends. For some reason he wanted to entrance Hester and he succeeded. He has a couple of the traits of Ferdinand Lopez ( from Trollope’s The Prime Minister written just six or seven years before ‘Hester’,) but I think he is much less (spoiler for those who have not read Trollope’s ‘The Prime Minister’)(view spoiler). On the good side, he does have a sense of fairness and rightly thinks badly of Edward for the way he is deceiving Catherine. He wants others to prosper along side him rather than at their expense. But the bottom line is that he is a gambler and has a very high opinion of himself. Gambling and over confidence is a dangerous mixture.
I am worried that Catherine could be caught between Edward’s deceptions and seeming willingness to bring the bank down (or is it just bravado?) and Roland’s charming offers of inexperienced speculations.
Catherine could be gripped by two great claws, as if between the devil……
’ The object of his (Roland’s) visit was not very clear to any one: he had left his grandparents for years without showing so much interest in them. But, whatever his motive had been, his expedition had not been without fruit. He had discovered a new and wealthy vein well worth working, and lit a fire which, no doubt, would light up still further illuminations, in some inflammable spirits.’
and the destroyer……..
’ "I should like," he (Edward) said, "if I broke down, to carry the whole concern along with me. I should like to pull it down about their ears as Samson pulled the temple, you know, upon his persecutors."
’ What has made him take this idea?" said Miss Vernon, when Captain Morgan had hobbled out."Oh, my dear, he has his fancies like another. We have had many things to put up with, and he thinks when it comes to the second generation—he thinks we have a right to peace and quiet in our old age."
"And so you have," said Catherine gravely, "so you have."
She did not ask any questions. Neither she nor any one knew what it was with which, in the other part of their lives, these old people had been compelled to "put up." Nor did the old lady say. She answered softly, "Yes, I think so too. Peace is sweet, but it is not life." (Volume II Chapter 1)
I am wondering if the Morgans are harbouring a secret about their past. Something that gives Captain Morgan the reason to have a concern about Roland. The Captain has said openly that he hated Roland’s father, the man who caused his daughter so much misery. But is there something more?
Neil wrote: "I think I agree with everyone’s comments thus far:"Me too. I like Frances' assessment's of the suitors. Reminds me of a Thomas Hardy novel with the tale of a young woman with three suitors. I would never have guessed that Edward would, at this point, be my third preferred suitor of the three. I can see Trev's assessment of Roland as a possible Ferdinand as, at this point, Oliphant's characterization methods have us anticipating that Roland's character could go in various ways and not necessarily mutually exclusive ones.
While I mentioned a comparison to Hardy, any similarity to Hardy is only in the romantic quadrangle. In fact, I get a less Victorian feel with this novel and more of a Gilded Age feel. Not quite the big city of Edith Wharton's New York, but the American small city of Booth Tarkington's portrait of turn of the 19th/20th Century Indianapolis.
I wasn't sure why had this feeling. I doubt if anyone else ever thought that the world set-up in Hester reminded them of Tarkington's. I have read his The Magnificent Ambersons the second book of his Growth series along with Alice Adams and Seventeen, but that was more than 15 years ago.
So, in order to better understand this feeling I just went and bought the first and third volumes of Tarkington's Growth series, The Turmoil and The Midlander. I like reading trilogies anyway.
I'm spending all this time on this subject because I discovered that the main characters in The Midlander are the affluent Oliphant family, mainly brothers Dan and Harlan Oliphant. Hmm. Is it a coincidence or intentional reference by Tarkington? I haven't been able to find any connection between Tarkington and Mrs. Oliphant, though.
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Trev, I agree that Edward sounds like a crab in a bucket here!
Frances, I agree that Catherine seems quite isolated, which is why it's so sad that she and Hester don't get along. Maybe she has some friends in town outside the family that she gets along with, such as those that Edward has to take down to dinner instead of Mrs. John.
I don't like or trust Edward. I think he is presenting a false self to Catherine in order to control her money. Roland, on the other hand, seems to have come into the picture with some dark intentions of his own, but the more he was around Edward, the more he began to reflect on his own actions and to change. Harry is such a nice man, but I think Hester would run riot over him. Plus, she would have to have the snobbish Ellen for a sister-in-law, and that would be a terrible fate.
Brian E wrote: "I'm spending all this time on this subject because I discovered that the main characters in The Midlander are the affluent Oliphant family, mainly brothers Dan and Harlan Oliphant. Hmm. Is it a coincidence or intentional reference by Tarkington? ..."This is so interesting. I see at some point I put The Magnificent Ambersons on my list, but have never followed up. His novels are all on Gutenberg. I hope to find some time for these. Thanks.
The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910
Books mentioned in this topic
The Magnificent Ambersons (other topics)The Turmoil (other topics)
The Midlander (other topics)
The Prime Minister (other topics)
Ellen returns to town with her husband. Do you think they are a good match? Has your opinion of her changed?
What were your impressions of Hester's first ball and her conversation with Edward? Did that change your opinions of them? What did Hester learn from him?