Unit Six: Charles Dickens, Bleak House (1853)

Question 1

Who was Bleak House written by and when?

Answer 1

Bleak House is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode serial between 12 March 1852 and 12 September 1853.

Question 2

Esther Summerson

Answer 2

The narrator and protagonist. Esther, an orphan, becomes the housekeeper at Bleak House when she, Ada, and Richard are taken in by Mr. Jarndyce. Everyone loves Esther, who is selfless and nurturing, and she becomes the confidante of several young women. Although she eventually does find her mother, circumstances prevent them from developing a relationship. At first a hesitant, insecure narrator, Esther’s confidence in her storytelling grows, and she controls the narrative skillfully.

Question 3

Mr. John Jarndyce

Answer 3

Esther’s guardian and master of Bleak House. Mr. Jarndyce becomes the guardian of the orphans Ada and Richard and takes Esther in as a companion for Ada. Generous but uncomfortable with others’ gratitude, Mr. Jarndyce provides a warm, happy home for the three young people. When Esther is an adult, he proposes marriage, but he eventually rescinds his offer when he realizes she’s in love with someone else. Mr. Jarndyce has sworn off any involvement whatsoever with the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit.

Question 4

Ada Clare

Answer 4

A ward of Jarndyce. Kind, sweet, and naïve, Ada becomes Esther’s closest confidante and greatest source of happiness. She falls in love with Richard, and although they eventually marry and have a baby, she never finds full happiness with him because of his obsession with the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit.

Question 5

Richard Carstone

Answer 5

A ward of Jarndyce. Affable but lazy, Richard can’t decide on a career and seems to have no passion for a particular field. Eventually, he becomes obsessed with Jarndyce and Jarndyce and ultimately sacrifices his life for the lawsuit. He pursues the suit for Ada’s sake but never succeeds in providing a real home for her.

Question 6

Lady Dedlock

Answer 6

Mistress of Chesney Wold, married to Sir Leicester, and Esther’s mother. Lady Dedlock, revered and wealthy, has kept the secret of her illegitimate child throughout her life, believing the child died at birth. She reveals her true identity to Esther but is wary of pursuing a relationship because she believes Sir Leicester’s reputation will suffer. When the truth threatens to come out, she runs away, certain that Sir Leicester will hate her. She dies outside of a cemetery.

Question 7

Sir Leicester Dedlock

Answer 7

Master of Chesney Wold. Sir Leicester is a strong, respected man who ultimately withers and weakens because of Lady Dedlock’s disappearance. Fully willing to forgive her, Sir Leicester does his best to find her, but he is too late.

Question 8

Mr. Tulkinghorn

Answer 8

A lawyer involved in the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit. Mr. Tulkinghorn shares Lady Dedlock’s secret and threatens to reveal it. He is eventually murdered by Lady Dedlock’s former maid, Mademoiselle Hortense.

Question 9

Inspector Bucket

Answer 9

A detective hired by Tulkinghorn to investigate Lady Dedlock’s past. Bucket eventually winds up investigating Tulkinghorn’s murder and arrests Mademoiselle Hortense for the crime. His wife helps him with his detective work.

Question 10

Mr. Lawrence Boythorn

Answer 10

Mr. Jarndyce’s friend who is given to hyperbole. Mr. Boythorn feuds with Sir Leicester about trespassing. He was once in love with Lady Dedlock’s sister, Miss Barbary, who left him when she decided to secretly look after Lady Dedlock’s illegitimate child, Esther.

Question 11

Miss Flite

Answer 11

An insane elderly woman who lives above Krook’s shop.

Question 12

Mr. William Guppy

Answer 12

A clerk at Kenge and Carboy. Mr. Guppy proposes to Esther, but she refuses him. He investigates her parentage with the hope of changing her mind and reveals to Lady Dedlock that Esther is her daughter.

Question 13

Captain Hawdon (Nemo)

Answer 13

Krook’s dead lodger. Hawdon is Lady Dedlock’s former lover and Esther’s father.

Question 14

Guster

Answer 14

The Snagsbys’ maid, given to having fits.

Question 15

Mademoiselle Hortense

Answer 15

Lady Dedlock’s French maid. Mademoiselle Hortense is jealous of Lady Dedlock’s attention to young Rosa. She kills Tulkinghorn and frames Lady Dedlock.

Question 16

Mrs. Jellyby

Answer 16

A blustery woman who is obsessed with her “mission,” Borrioboola-Gha in Africa. She neglects her family entirely.

Question 17

Mr. Jellyby

Answer 17

The defeated husband of Mrs. Jellyby.

Question 18

Caroline (Caddy) Jellyby

Answer 18

Mrs. Jellyby’s put-upon daughter and a friend of Esther’s.

Question 19

Jenny

Answer 19

The wife of an abusive brickmaker.

Question 20

Jo

Answer 20

A street urchin who helps Lady Dedlock find Captain Hawdon’s grave.

Question 21

Mr. Tony Jobling (Mr. Weevle)

Answer 21

A friend of Mr. Guppy’s, who takes Captain Hawdon’s old room.

Question 22

Mr. Krook

Answer 22

Owner of the rag-and-bottle shop. Mr. Krook collects documents even though he can’t read. He dies by spontaneous combustion.

Question 23

Mr. George Rouncewell

Answer 23

Mrs. Rouncewell’s wayward son and a soldier. He runs a shooting gallery.

Question 24

Harold Skimpole

Answer 24

A friend of Mr. Jarndyce, who calls himself a “child” and claims to have no idea about time or money. Mr. Skimpole borrows money liberally with no thought of repaying it. He eventually betrays Mr. Jarndyce by telling Inspector Bucket that Jo is in the stable at Bleak House.

Question 25

Grandfather Smallweed

Answer 25

A shrill old man who can barely sit upright in his chair. Grandfather Smallweed threatens and wheedles other people to get his own way. He lends George money.

Question 26

Mr. Snagsby

Answer 26

A law-stationer. Mr. Snagsby gets inadvertently caught up in everyone else’s secrets, although he pays Jo not to tell anyone a secret of his own. He sneaks around to avoid his wife’s prying eyes.

Question 27

Mrs. Snagsby

Answer 27

Mr. Snagsby’s suspicious wife, given to drawing inaccurate conclusions from her eavesdropping and spying.

Question 28

Mr. Vholes

Answer 28

The sneaky, immoral lawyer determined to get as much money as possible out of Richard’s involvement with the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit.

Question 29

Allan Woodcourt

Answer 29

A doctor and friend of Mr. Jarndyce. Mr. Woodcourt marries Esther, and they live together in the new Bleak House.

Question 30

Mrs. Woodcourt

Answer 30

Allan Woodcourt’s mother, who stays at Bleak House to observe Esther’s steadfast commitment to Mr. Jarndyce.

Question 31

Theme: The Search for Love

Answer 31

Almost every character in Bleak House is searching for love, a search that proves to be equally rewarding and difficult. Esther quietly searches for love, even though she seems too busy taking care of others to think much about her own romantic situation. She refrains from focusing on her romantic feelings in her narrative, often revealing her feelings only through her stammering evasions of the subject. When she first meets Mr. Woodcourt, she barely mentions him or describes him, which is in stark contrast to the thorough treatment she gives everyone else who crosses her path. Only when her search for love is over, culminating in her marrying Mr. Woodcourt, does she devote explicit attention to it. Other characters carry on their searches more openly. Caddy Jellyby gleefully marries Prince Turveydrop, for example, and Rosa and Watt Rouncewell intend to marry.

The search for love is not successful for everyone, and it even ends with heartbreak for some. Mr. Guppy tries and fails to become engaged to Esther, making two ridiculous proposals that Esther roundly rejects. Esther accepts Mr. Jarndyce’s proposal, but he calls off his search for love when he acknowledges that the love between them is not the kind of love that will make Esther truly happy. Ada, although she finds true love with Richard, is eventually heartbroken when Richard dies. Sometimes the search for love is literal, and these searches never end well. For example, Lady Dedlock engages in a literal search for love when she tries to find out where her former lover is, and Sir Leicester endeavors to find Lady Dedlock when she disappears from Chesney Wold. Whether pleasing or tragic, the search for love always proves to be a force that changes characters dramatically.

Question 32

Theme: Law vs Justice

Answer 32

In Bleak House, Dickens critiques the British Chancery court, particularly through the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, which drags on for generations without resolution. The Chancery court, tasked with inheritance disputes, is portrayed as an archaic, corrupt system that benefits predatory lawyers rather than seeking justice. Dickens illustrates how lawyers exploit their clients’ hopes, prolonging cases to accumulate fees, as seen with Mr. Vholes, who manipulates Richard for personal gain. The legal system is parodied through Krook’s chaotic shop, symbolizing the confusion within Chancery. Dickens contrasts this with Mr. Bucket, an efficient but self-serving detective in the criminal justice system. Although Mr. Bucket solves cases quickly, he acts for financial reward, highlighting the need for reform in both Chancery and criminal law to ensure accountability and true justice.

Question 33

Theme: Social Mobility, Class, and Lineage

Answer 33

In Bleak House, Dickens portrays the breakdown of the strict class system of previous centuries, reflecting the social mobility brought about by the Industrial Revolution. While the upper classes, represented by the aristocratic Dedlock family, cling to their inherited wealth and status, the lower and middle classes find new opportunities to rise through work and industry. Dickens satirizes the upper class, portraying them as outdated and irrelevant, while suggesting that social mobility leads to a fairer society. The marriage of Sir Leicester Dedlock, an aristocrat, to Lady Dedlock, a woman of lower birth, symbolizes the shift in class dynamics. However, the tragic collapse of the Dedlock line, due to Lady Dedlock’s secret past, illustrates Dickens’ view that the old elite must give way to new societal developments.

Though Dickens supports social mobility, he acknowledges that lineage still matters, even to the middle class, as seen in the Woodcourt family. Ultimately, Dickens doesn’t call for the complete eradication of class distinctions but argues for a society where wealth can be earned through industry and effort, not just inheritance, allowing more people to build a future for themselves regardless of their birth.

Question 34

Symbol: Fog

Answer 34

In Bleak House, fog symbolizes confusion, illusion, and the inability to see clearly. It is introduced at the novel’s start, enveloping London and even seeping into the court of Chancery, which deals with complex property and inheritance cases, including Jarndyce and Jarndyce. The fog reflects the confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the court, where cases like Jarndyce and Jarndyce have become tangled and incomprehensible over generations. The fog also foreshadows the entanglement of Esther, Richard, and Ada in the Chancery case, particularly how Richard’s life becomes consumed by it. Similarly, Esther’s identity and past are shrouded in mystery, further reflecting the symbolic presence of fog.

Question 35

Motif: Secrets

Answer 35

Secrets are everywhere in Bleak House. The most dramatic secret belongs to Lady Dedlock, who must hide her past transgressions to save her and her family’s reputations. Her secret takes on a life of its own, eventually roaring into her life and leading to her death. Esther has secrets, despite her generally reliable narration. For example, she doesn’t tell us right away about her feelings for Mr. Woodcourt or his feelings for her, although she drops some vague hints. Mr. Jarndyce has secrets as well. He had always planned to make Esther his wife, although he never revealed those plans to her until he wrote a letter to her. Later, he secretly arranges her reunion with Woodcourt. Some characters are not so good at keeping their secrets. For example, Ada and Richard try to hide that they’re falling in love, but they are not really successful. They are better at hiding the fact that they got secretly married. Mr. Tulkinghorn and Inspector Bucket make their livings from other people’s secrets. Tulkinghorn makes it his mission to find out what Lady Dedlock is hiding, and Bucket is charged with the task of investigating her. The success they have in uncovering the truth suggests that no matter how determined one is to keep a secret, that secret isn’t safe from anyone obsessed with exposing it.