I would like to compare Esther and Lucy not just to each other, but to other women and their roles in the Victorian Era. Where both these young women have similarities and differences, it’s interesting to see how they stack up against the “average” woman. Through their relationships, we can see that they both don't fit the perfect cookie cutter mold of the time.
It is safe to say that women of this time period knew their place: in the home. Depending on which social class they were a part of, this role varied. Some had to leave the house to find work, while others stayed at home and kept it perfect. We can see a blend of these two roles with our main protagonists in the novels we read. Both were sent at a young age to schooling, to help further their current position in society into something better. Where we saw Lucy flourish as a teacher at the school, Esther’s role is simpler in just keeping the house running for Mr. Jarndyce. Both women were considered well off, neither of them having to work in tough conditions such as a factory. Although Esther was originally an orphan, she lucked out by receiving care—not loving in ways—from her aunt. She could have ended up like Jo or any other homeless child and not survive as long as she did.
Woman of the time also relied heavily on the man for income. It is interesting to see characters like Lucy and Esther; both of them have their future taken care of by men. Esther receives the loyalty and committed love and financial aid from Jarndyce, even after she is wed to Allen Woodcourt, the doctor. She obviously has her life set, no matter if she did lose one of them. Lucy, although similarly well off, lives out her last days alone. This is quite interesting, seeing that Bronte set up her future as mysterious, alone, and content. Most people of the time would probably argue that she wouldn’t be happy or be able to live a fulfilled life, but she does through her career and memory of the love she had. We see Esther as the perfect “happily-ever-after” woman, one that many women would have probably looked up to and was jealous of.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Chapter Summary: Hatred and Civility
In Christopher Lane’s Hatred and Civility: The Antisocial Life in Victorian England, he tackles the issue of complex behaviors within the Victorian time period. He goes far into a deep psychoanalytical reading of the time period, especially with the literature. Studying Charles Dickens, he focuses on the issues that Dickens himself seemed to push as front-running social problems. In Lane’s chapter Dickensian Malefactors, we get a closer look on the different types of characters that helped show these social problems through their action.
Under his first heading of The Villain vs. The Recluse, we are given examples of the antiheroism aspect that Dickens pushed in many of his novels. Lane claims that he uses the antihero because it “compels us to view suffering as a form of anguish for which there may be no meaningful answer or solution”(60). In other words, Dickens wanted the public to see this suffering as something that couldn’t be fixed so easily. This idea is expanded when we are shown that these villains of his novels are used to show the social satires of the time. His characters had no redeemable qualities, unexplained hatred, and inability in sharing the world with others. There are many characters throughout Dickens novels that have these qualities, all to different degrees. These characters, the truly heartless ones, usually weren’t simply punished, but brutally murdered. This is an explanation to Dickens’s interest in the general publics interest of executions, where they would cheer at a death. The next section, The Family of Man, discusses Dickens’s satire of the North American’s obsession with money and indifference to poverty (64). He compares that to London, with its extremely dirty conditions. The lack of public safety standards is very apparent within the novels of Dickens, whether it’s a description of a disgust scene on the street or the rich turning the other way when confronted with it. His critique of the wealthy shows in many ways, but specifically the health of others and the entire city being affected was in the spotlight for him. Due to the harsh conditions, this led to an increase of those sketchy characters, living lives of crime and hate. One of his characters believed that his unjustly ways were provoked: “Bother against brother, child against parent, friends treading on the faces of friends, this is the social company by whom my way has been attended.”(70). The Victorian Age, although romanticized, actually seemed to have been a cruel, harsh, and deadly world. In another section, titled Dickens and Disaffection, Dickens compares two “evil” characters. Carton of Chuzzlewit and Drummle of Great Expectations, both are seen as bad eggs. Although Dickens sees both of these characters as past the point of redemption, Lane see that you can still separate the two, even with the similarities. He states “Carton’s misery opens a saving path to sympathy that Drummle’s torment disables, even voids (79). The chapter concludes with Dickens resounding bitter satire of the society that he lived in and loathed. He even shows this hatred of society through his characters realizing that society had made them turn into something other than “good’. Lane creates a strong case on Dickens ill feelings towards society and how it is represented throughout his novels through characters and their actions to descriptions of the conditions they lived in.
Under his first heading of The Villain vs. The Recluse, we are given examples of the antiheroism aspect that Dickens pushed in many of his novels. Lane claims that he uses the antihero because it “compels us to view suffering as a form of anguish for which there may be no meaningful answer or solution”(60). In other words, Dickens wanted the public to see this suffering as something that couldn’t be fixed so easily. This idea is expanded when we are shown that these villains of his novels are used to show the social satires of the time. His characters had no redeemable qualities, unexplained hatred, and inability in sharing the world with others. There are many characters throughout Dickens novels that have these qualities, all to different degrees. These characters, the truly heartless ones, usually weren’t simply punished, but brutally murdered. This is an explanation to Dickens’s interest in the general publics interest of executions, where they would cheer at a death. The next section, The Family of Man, discusses Dickens’s satire of the North American’s obsession with money and indifference to poverty (64). He compares that to London, with its extremely dirty conditions. The lack of public safety standards is very apparent within the novels of Dickens, whether it’s a description of a disgust scene on the street or the rich turning the other way when confronted with it. His critique of the wealthy shows in many ways, but specifically the health of others and the entire city being affected was in the spotlight for him. Due to the harsh conditions, this led to an increase of those sketchy characters, living lives of crime and hate. One of his characters believed that his unjustly ways were provoked: “Bother against brother, child against parent, friends treading on the faces of friends, this is the social company by whom my way has been attended.”(70). The Victorian Age, although romanticized, actually seemed to have been a cruel, harsh, and deadly world. In another section, titled Dickens and Disaffection, Dickens compares two “evil” characters. Carton of Chuzzlewit and Drummle of Great Expectations, both are seen as bad eggs. Although Dickens sees both of these characters as past the point of redemption, Lane see that you can still separate the two, even with the similarities. He states “Carton’s misery opens a saving path to sympathy that Drummle’s torment disables, even voids (79). The chapter concludes with Dickens resounding bitter satire of the society that he lived in and loathed. He even shows this hatred of society through his characters realizing that society had made them turn into something other than “good’. Lane creates a strong case on Dickens ill feelings towards society and how it is represented throughout his novels through characters and their actions to descriptions of the conditions they lived in.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Choices...
It seems that Dickens has a commentary on decisions made out of irrational and hasty choices. Like the Chaos Theory, perhaps Dickens couldn’t even guess where these decisions would take the characters. When comparing a few characters, we see their demise begin with this decision. Even if they don’t see it, we can see how their characters are truly suffering due to the previous decisions or actions they made.
Starting with Lady Dedlock, this one seems pretty easy to determine. With her decision to get rid of Esther as a child and move on from Captain Hawdon, we see many things be effected by it. Esther had to live with her mean Aunt, who neglectfully raised her in bitterness. Because she had to take care of Esther, she denied her love with Boythorn. This bitterness led to an untimely and young death for her. Captain Hawdon’s love was also denied in this instance. He led a life in a downward destructive spiral without her love. Once her secret is out, she flees without knowing that her husband had forgiven her. Out of an irrational decision, she leaves and ends up dying in the cold at Captain Howdon’s grave. By first having the love affair with Howdon, Lady Dedlock set forth all of these other issues that lead to more pain and suffering by others.
The other two characters concerned with decisions would be Mrs. Flite and Richard. Both of these characters become consumed by the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce in some way. Mrs. Flite has been the “crazy lady” of the on-going case. Although she has seen first-hand how it consumes the lives of wishful partakers, she still goes to the courts and listens in each day. This decision of devoting herself to see the case through hasn’t proven fatal on her part, but she missed completely out on her life with her obsession of the case. Her madness is seen at her first meeting with the girls outside the court room: “I expect a judgment. Shortly. On the Day of Judgement.” (88). The girls are a little frightened due to her eccentric and forward attitude, seeing what the case could do to a person.
Richard decided to depend on the case at an early age and also got wrapped up in it like all of the others. Even when he is pushed by Jarndyce and others to pursue a career, his mind always turns back to the case to rely on. We see his demise also fueled by other slackers like Skimpole and Mr. Vholes, pushing him in the direction of vices and addictions. Richard gets carried away with stressing about the case and lives in a state of bitterness and hatred, one that Ada can't even pull him out of. Even Skimpole, as carefree and loving as he his, doesn’t want to go somewhere where there is no pleasure, like Richard’s (713). Skimpole knows the miserable state that hs is in and doesn’t feel the need to add to Richard’s predicament. Richard, dying at a young age, succumbs to the untimely death like the previously mentioned women ended with. I think Dickens is showing us readers how stress and negative feelings can physically affect us. Through stress, hate, and dishonesty, we can expect a shorter lifetime from one who dwells in that kind of world of feelings.
Starting with Lady Dedlock, this one seems pretty easy to determine. With her decision to get rid of Esther as a child and move on from Captain Hawdon, we see many things be effected by it. Esther had to live with her mean Aunt, who neglectfully raised her in bitterness. Because she had to take care of Esther, she denied her love with Boythorn. This bitterness led to an untimely and young death for her. Captain Hawdon’s love was also denied in this instance. He led a life in a downward destructive spiral without her love. Once her secret is out, she flees without knowing that her husband had forgiven her. Out of an irrational decision, she leaves and ends up dying in the cold at Captain Howdon’s grave. By first having the love affair with Howdon, Lady Dedlock set forth all of these other issues that lead to more pain and suffering by others.
The other two characters concerned with decisions would be Mrs. Flite and Richard. Both of these characters become consumed by the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce in some way. Mrs. Flite has been the “crazy lady” of the on-going case. Although she has seen first-hand how it consumes the lives of wishful partakers, she still goes to the courts and listens in each day. This decision of devoting herself to see the case through hasn’t proven fatal on her part, but she missed completely out on her life with her obsession of the case. Her madness is seen at her first meeting with the girls outside the court room: “I expect a judgment. Shortly. On the Day of Judgement.” (88). The girls are a little frightened due to her eccentric and forward attitude, seeing what the case could do to a person.
Richard decided to depend on the case at an early age and also got wrapped up in it like all of the others. Even when he is pushed by Jarndyce and others to pursue a career, his mind always turns back to the case to rely on. We see his demise also fueled by other slackers like Skimpole and Mr. Vholes, pushing him in the direction of vices and addictions. Richard gets carried away with stressing about the case and lives in a state of bitterness and hatred, one that Ada can't even pull him out of. Even Skimpole, as carefree and loving as he his, doesn’t want to go somewhere where there is no pleasure, like Richard’s (713). Skimpole knows the miserable state that hs is in and doesn’t feel the need to add to Richard’s predicament. Richard, dying at a young age, succumbs to the untimely death like the previously mentioned women ended with. I think Dickens is showing us readers how stress and negative feelings can physically affect us. Through stress, hate, and dishonesty, we can expect a shorter lifetime from one who dwells in that kind of world of feelings.
John Jarndyce: A Good Father
I think that Dickens put so much detail and thought into every single character in this book, so I thought it would only be appropriate to analyze one, for his sake. I am going to look at John Jarndyce, one character that seemed so static throughout the novel. He is a very admirable man that we never have a negative feeling towards in the novel. Although we have been trained as readers to distrust the good guy in the beginning, Dickens stays true with Jarndyce to the end. Jarndyce is initially seen as a joyful, giving and rich man when Esther first meets him formally. As we can see this with how he treats and takes care of the kids, the way he interacts with Skimpole also shows the depth of his wanting to help others. When Skimpole is doing something childish, we see Jarndyce smiling at him, with that parental proud look of their child's silliness. Like I said in class, he comes across as the "Cool Uncle" that is there to have fun for a short time.
This in contrast to the very end of the novel with his love towards Esther shows his development as a character. When he breaks the news of her marrying Woodcourt, his affection has changed. As the children have matured, so has his love. With tears in his eyes, he kissed her softly and asked for her forgiveness for him proposing to her (737). This interaction is very different, in a fatherly way, but more mature than the beginning of the book. Instead of taking her for himself—guaranteeing happiness on both parts—he gives her to Woodcourt, knowing she'd be happier. This selfless act shows his matured love, sprouting out of his "money equals happiness" way of giving. He seemed giving at first, due to his way of donating money and such, but that wasn’t much of a sacrifice. For someone with that much wealth, it didn’t seem like a sacrifice to him because it truly wasn’t. He became selfless when he gave up the only thing he truly loved that he could never buy: Esther. Handing her over to Woodcourt in the end just showed his true character giving in a different way. As a bachelor, he has been doing just fine without the love specifically from a wife. He can continue on without that love, but enjoy the love of friendships from Ada, Esther, Allen, etc.
We can see this fatherly care again in the novel when Esther figures out Lady Dedlock is her mother. While she is in pain, believing she caused such misery to others with her birth, he speaks “tenderly and wisely” to her, kissing her goodnight at the door (541). He was willing to listen to her, stating she could “not be more ready to speak” than he was to hear from her (539). This is a different sort of characteristic we would find towards a man who was passionately in love with a girl. He comes off as more of a loving father than someone who wants to court Esther. Although it appears in different forms, we see this fatherly love develop and change throughout the novel.
This in contrast to the very end of the novel with his love towards Esther shows his development as a character. When he breaks the news of her marrying Woodcourt, his affection has changed. As the children have matured, so has his love. With tears in his eyes, he kissed her softly and asked for her forgiveness for him proposing to her (737). This interaction is very different, in a fatherly way, but more mature than the beginning of the book. Instead of taking her for himself—guaranteeing happiness on both parts—he gives her to Woodcourt, knowing she'd be happier. This selfless act shows his matured love, sprouting out of his "money equals happiness" way of giving. He seemed giving at first, due to his way of donating money and such, but that wasn’t much of a sacrifice. For someone with that much wealth, it didn’t seem like a sacrifice to him because it truly wasn’t. He became selfless when he gave up the only thing he truly loved that he could never buy: Esther. Handing her over to Woodcourt in the end just showed his true character giving in a different way. As a bachelor, he has been doing just fine without the love specifically from a wife. He can continue on without that love, but enjoy the love of friendships from Ada, Esther, Allen, etc.
We can see this fatherly care again in the novel when Esther figures out Lady Dedlock is her mother. While she is in pain, believing she caused such misery to others with her birth, he speaks “tenderly and wisely” to her, kissing her goodnight at the door (541). He was willing to listen to her, stating she could “not be more ready to speak” than he was to hear from her (539). This is a different sort of characteristic we would find towards a man who was passionately in love with a girl. He comes off as more of a loving father than someone who wants to court Esther. Although it appears in different forms, we see this fatherly love develop and change throughout the novel.
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