SparkNotes: Bleak House: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Esther Summerson Esther Summerson, the narrator and protagonist of Bleak House, is relentlessly modest and frequently disparages her own intelligence, but she proves to be a confident narrator who never misses the opportunity to relate others’ compliments of her. When we first meet Esther, she is a hesitant narrator who feels she won’t be able to properly relay the story because she isn’t “clever.” However, far from proceeding meekly, she launches into detailed storytelling, setting scenes and describing characters easily. She generally refrains from editorializing about her own behavior, but when she does something good—such as when she successfully cares for the Jellyby children before she even reaches Bleak House—she includes others’ praise of her in her narration. As her narrative gains breadth and depth, her confidence as a narrator grows. She deliberately withholds information or delays including it to give her story coherence and dramatic effect, often commenting on her storytelling by telling us that something isn’t important or that she’ll tell us more about it later on.

And even though she is for the most part a reliable narrator (a narrator we can trust to accurately tell the story), she is less reliable when relaying information about her romantic life. For example, she hints at her feelings for Mr. Woodcourt, but she never addresses them until much later in the novel. Esther nurtures everyone around her, and her first instinct is to be motherly, perhaps because she has never had a caring mother figure of her own. Mr. Jarndyce takes her in to be a companion to Ada, but Esther cares for Mr. Jarndyce and Richard just as much as she does for Ada. Many others, including young Caddy and Peepy Jellby, Charley, and Jo also receive Esther’s devotion. Ironically, Esther, for all her caring and tenderness, is the unwitting cause of great unhappiness. Because of Esther’s illegitimate birth, Lady Dedlock was forever estranged from her sister, Miss Barbary, and was forced to carry a painful secret. Because Miss Barbary chose to raise Esther secretly, she was forced to separate from Mr. Boythorn, who never recovered from his broken heart.

Because other unhappinesses, such as Sir Leicester’s tragic fate, radiate from these secrets, we could argue that Esther is indirectly responsible for these as well. Although no one could possibly say that these difficulties are Esther’s fault, her indirect connection to them gives her relentless nurturing greater depth: in a way, she nurtures as penance for others’ sins. Mr. Jarndyce John Jarndyce is a good-hearted man who, for all his kindness, has a difficult time expressing his emotions. Whenever he is agitated or suspects that unpleasant news is on the horizon, he complains that the wind is coming from the east rather than acknowledging the issue directly. As Esther, Ada, and Richard catch on to his use of the phrase, the east wind becomes a kind of shorthand for anything that is upsetting or unpleasant. Mr. Jarndyce is likewise unable to acknowledge gratitude, immediately telling Esther, Ada, and Richard after first meeting them that he’ll run away if they try to thank him. When Esther does thank him for taking her in, she does so timidly, and Mr. Jarndyce quickly changes the subject. All this is not to say that Mr. Jarndyce ignores or overlooks problems when they arise.

When he does need to gripe, he uses the “Growlery” at Bleak House for just this purpose. One exception to his generally suppressed feelings is his stance on the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit. On this, he holds forth willingly, making no attempt to hide his hatred of it or his firm decision to have nothing to do with it. Mr. Jarndyce is a trustworthy, devoted guardian to Esther, Ada, and Richard and has a large circle of friends, but in many ways he is lonely, repaid for his devotion by being left alone at Bleak House. Mr. Jarndyce wants only the best for Ada and Richard, but his initial support of the match weakens as Richard becomes obsessed with the Jarndyce and Jarndyce suit. The two marry secretly, however, and Ada moves out. Mr. Jarndyce proposes to Esther in a letter, revealing that he had always planned to make her the “mistress of Bleak House,” but he ultimately gives her up so that she can find greater romantic happiness with Mr. Woodcourt. At the end of the novel, the house he buys for Esther and Mr.

Woodcourt, which he names Bleak House, is a richer, livelier home than the original Bleak House. Even though Mr. Jarndyce is no longer alone at the end of the novel—widowed Ada and her child move back in—the house has lost some of the warmth it once had, especially with the sadness Ada brings with her. Lady Dedlock Lady Dedlock wears a cold, haughty mask because she has a secret to hide: a great passion that led to an illegitimate child and heartbreak. Until we discover this secret, Lady Dedlock seems to be little more than an unpleasant member of high society, bored with absolutely everything and unwilling to be bothered by anyone, including her husband, Sir Leicester. Lady Dedlock seems not to care about or have any interest in the world around her. When we discover her secret, however, we know all this to be false. Far from being disengaged from the world because of snobbery, Lady Dedlock keeps the world at arm’s length out of fear and pain: fear that her secret will be revealed and bring the whole Dedlock family tumbling down, and pain from events from her past.

Regal, stone-cold Lady Dedlock, watched and talked about by the public as though she is greater than life, has a very human, very messy past that throbs beneath her unshakeable exterior. When Lady Dedlock finds that her past is catching up with her, she begins acting in a way that seems shockingly inappropriate for a woman of the Dedlock name. For example, she disguises herself and asks Jo, a street urchin, to show her the burial ground of the dead lodger, who we eventually learn was her former lover. When Esther is sick, Lady Dedlock disguises herself again and tries to find out information about her by going to the brickmaker’s cottage. And when she fears her secret is about to come out, she leaves her jewels and money behind and flees, eventually dying on the street. Lady Dedlock, who seems at first to have no passion, ultimately shows herself to be so passionate that she will die to protect those she loves. Bleak House Characters | GradeSaver Lady Dedlock's French maid, who is dismissed and who thereafter resents her former employer. Mr.

Vholes An unscrupulous lawyer employed fruitlessly by Richard Carstone on the Jarndyce & Jarndyce suit. Mr. Skimpole An amusing but amoral sponger. He sometimes partakes of Mr. Jarndyce's hospitality. Mr. Jarndyce usually tolerates him, but Esther soon grows to abhor him. He introduces Mr. Vholes to Richard. Lady Dedlock The fashionable and stoic wife of Sir Leicester Dedlock. She is the mother of Esther, but did not raise her because she was told that Esther died soon after birth. She lives at Chesney Wold and a house in London. She was born Honoria Barbary. Sir Leicester Dedlock A baronet of a family 700 years old. His country seat is Chesney Wold. He personifies the old aristocracy of England, and is reactionary in his social views. He is enamored of his wife, and married her even though she was slightly below him in social position. Richard Carstone A ward in Chancery, and under the legal guardianship of John Jarndyce. A handsome, apt young man, who lacks direction and succumbs easily to the suggestions of others.

He loves his distant cousin, Ada Clare. Charley Neckett The daughter of the bailiff Coavinses (Neckett). She becomes a maid to Esther after her father's death. Her name is actually Charlotte. George Rouncewell (Mr. George) A former soldier, he runs a shooting gallery in London. He is the son of Mrs. Rouncewell. A principled military man, with more personal honor than business acumen. Mrs. Rouncewell The old housekeeper at Chesney Wold. Mr. Tangle A lawyer in the Jarndyce & Jarndyce matter. He appears in the Court of Chancery. Dr. Allan Woodcourt A charitable and level-headed, yet poor, young doctor. He loves Esther Summerson, and is a friend of John Jarndyce. Krook The owner of a rag and bottle shop in London, near the Court of Chancery. He is Nemo's and Miss Flite's landlord. Rosa A young village girl, elevated to the position of lady's maid to Lady Dedlock. She replaces Mademoiselle Hortense. Tom Jarndyce A character deceased before the novel begins.

John Jarndyce's great uncle (Krook calls them cousins, a Victorian term for relations of that degree), who killed himself in despair over the Jarndyce & Jarndyce case. Tom-All-Alone's was his property, or the property of the Jarndyce suit, and has gone to rack and ruin. Jenny The brickmaker's wife, from the town of St. Alban's. She has a drunken husband, and her baby dies. She befriends Jo. Neckett (Coavinses) Charley Neckett's father, the bailiff who came to Bleak House to collect Mr. Skimpole's debt. Mr. Kenge A lawyer in the firm of Kenge and Carboy's. He is assigned to Esther's case when she is made a ward of John Jarndyce. Mr. Snagsby The law stationery shopkeeper who employs Nemo. He also befriends Jo. Mrs. Snagsby Mr. Snagsby's suspicious and jealous wife. Jo A street orphan of no education, family, or support. He attempts to eke out a living as a crossing sweeper.

Various characters in the novel befriend him, but none manage to save him from an early death. He is Sir Leicester Dedlock's social and economic opposite. Mr. Rouncewell Son of Mrs. Rouncewell. An ironmaster. Father of Watt Rouncewell. Watt Rouncewell Mrs. Rouncewell's grandson. In love with the maid Rosa. Grandfather Smallweed A greedy man in a wheelchair, who buys Krook's shop after his death. The personification of capitalist opportunism in the novel. Grandmother Smallweed Smallweed's wife -- an infantile woman. Batholomew Smallweed The Smallweeds' granddaughter. Usually goes about with her grandfather to "shake him up". Phil Squod Mr. George's servant, and loyal friend. He is disfigured but usually very cheerful. Hon. Bob Stables A friend of the Dedlocks. An aristocratic, idle youth. Prince Turveydrop A young man who works as a dancing master in his father's studio. He is overworked and underappreciated. He marries Caddy Jellyby. Mr. Turveydrop The foppish, ridiculous, and neglectful father of Prince. He runs the dancing school. Mrs.

Woodcourt Allan Woodcourt's elderly mother. Mr. Guppy A clerk in Kenge and Carboy's. He is enamored of Esther Summerson, though he loses his affection for a while after her smallpox scarring. He has a higher opinion of himself than most of the characters in the novel do. Though hampered by a lower-class accent, he attempts to use flowery legal and social language and poetic constructions in his speech. He is instrumental in solving the mystery of Esther's parentage. Mrs. Guppy Guppy's strange, lower-middle-class mother. Mr. Gridley Called the "Man from Shropshire". The unending nature of the Jarndyce suit drives him at last to suicide. Mr. Boythorn A neighbor of Sir Leicester Dedlock. A friend of John Jarndyce. Mrs. Jellyby A hopeless do-gooder. Mother of a large, neglected family. Mr. Jellyby Mr. John Jarndyce in Bleak House NEXT Character Analysis John Jarndyce is a wealthy man who lives in Bleak House.

His main goal in life is to do good for others, which leads him to do a lot of charity work, to take the orphaned Richard, Ada, and Esther to live as his wards, and to ignore as much as possible the Jarndyce lawsuit. Giving and Receiving Jarndyce is the guy right in the middle of the novel's preoccupation with the issue of charity. He himself gives a lot of money away, of course, for various things: taking in Ada, Richard, and Esther; enabling Skimpole; setting up the Neckett children; buying Woodcourt a house; and giving a lot of handouts to the many random poor people in the novel. And on top of that, he's a generally helpful person, using his social status and whatever influence he has to help out Gridley, Mr. George, and others who need some kind of non-monetary assistance. So that's just his own activities. Next, Jarndyce is our link to Mrs. Jellyby and Mrs.

Pardiggle, the two women who represent terrible, horrible, just short of criminal ways to be philanthropic – either totally deserting the needs of home for the needs of those far away, or making charity into a stick to beat other people with. Not enough connections? Well, Jarndyce is also friends with the guy on the opposite end of the giving spectrum – Skimpole – whose life is just all about going around with his hand out. Many other minor characters have their own relationships with giving, of course, but Jarndyce is the hub of this theme as far as the major characters are concerned. Just making a list of his connections should bring up many of the questions that surround this character. He's clearly a good guy, right? Esther certainly worships him, and he's really insistent on not being thanked for his generosity. The reader is obviously meant to side with him in pretty much every situation. Why, then, is he unable to see through the heavy-duty horse hockey of Skimpole, allowing him and his family to live as parasites? Why does he keep enabling the work of the neglectful and idiotic Mrs. Jellyby and her African failures?

Shmoop will go out on a limb here and suggest one explanation: however good one person's intentions are, they will always necessarily be random and incomplete. In other words, no one person can do everything, or see the full picture. For every orphan someone like Jarndyce rescues, there will always be ten more who don't survive. Imagine that Esther had never stumbled on the Necketts – what would have happened to Charley, Tom, and Emma? Shmoop thinks Dickens might be making a larger point about the dangers of a state that doesn't provide any kind of social-support programs for its poorest and weakest citizens, like the welfare, social security, and unemployment insurance we have today. "Guardian" – Father or Husband? OK, now let's totally spin around 180 degrees and discuss another complex situation Jarndyce is caught smack in the middle of. That would be the whole is-he-Esther's-father-figure-or-her-would-be-boyfriend branch of ickiness that the novel kind of dances around and never really stops long enough to deal with. Shmoop will handle this thing one tiny gross piece at time, starting with actual plot points.

First of all, eww to the revelation that ever since she was a little girl, Jarndyce has had some desire to make Esther his wife. Second of all, double-yuck to the fact that the power dynamic between Esther and Jarndyce is crazily unbalanced – after all, she is totally financially and socially dependent on him and his good will – and not only that, she feels overwhelmingly indebted to him and is the kind of person who wants to express gratitude without thinking about her own feelings. Now, Shmoop is no expert, but these are not the makings of a healthy marriage. There are some clues that the novel is kind of creeped out by this situation too. How can we be sure? Well, we can't, but here are some things to think about. Esther refers to Jarndyce as her "Guardian." That's a pretty loaded word, with at least two different connotations: someone who's like a dad, offering protection from bad things, but also someone who a jailer or prison guard. Notice, though, that it doesn't suggest "hot-guy-I'm-totally-into" (unlike Woodcourt, who gets a lot of praise for his attractiveness).

On the other hand, Jarndyce's pet names for Esther – Dame Durden, Old Woman, Mother Hubbard – stress agelessness and refer to a woman who past her sexual prime. Dude, she's 20, so maybe "old woman" is a little off – even in Dickensian England, before Sex and the City and cougars. Maybe to make their would-be marriage seem a little less exploitative we're meant to focus more on the ways in which it would make a sort of social sense (he's good at protecting the little guy! she's good at housework!), and less on the romantic and sexual aspects of happily-ever-after. Bleak House Characters - eNotes.com Bleak House Characters link Link John Jarndyce John Jarndyce, the unmarried, aging owner of Bleak House and a party in the famous and protracted Chancery suit of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce. Generous to a fault, he makes two young cousins, Ada Clare and Richard Carstone, his wards in the hope that they will fall in love and fill his ancestral home with renewed life. He also takes into his home an orphan, Esther Summerson, as a companion to Ada.

He himself falls in love with Esther, but when he learns that she is in love with Allan Woodcourt, a young surgeon, he releases her from her promise to him and gives the couple a new Bleak House of their own. He is loyal to his old friend and is always scrupulously fair, even though he calls his library “The Growlery” and retreats there when the winds of adversity blow on him. Admirable in every way, the head of the Jarndyce family creates rather than preserves a family dignity. Esther Summerson Esther Summerson, the orphan whom John Jarndyce takes into his home and later into his heart. She is the natural daughter of Lady Dedlock and a gallant named Captain Hawdon (who dies and is buried under the name of Nemo). Though part of the story is told by Esther, her ingenuousness makes of her less of a heroine and more of a companion and comforter who goes under various motherly terms of endearment.

Although she respects and admires her benefactor, she truly loves the compassionate doctor, Allan Woodcourt, who woos her in spite of her disease-ravaged face, the result of a serious illness incurred while nursing Charley, her maid. Her immediate sympathies are aroused by any homeless beings and by those, like Caddy Jellyby, whose homes are friendless and loveless. She finally finds happiness with her husband and two daughters. Ada Clare Ada Clare, John Jarndyce’s cousin and ward. She secretly marries Richard Carstone, her cousin, to protect him from the grinding poverty that lawyers and the courts bring upon him. She manages to keep her loyalties and sympathies divided by remaining with her benefactor while extending her love to Carstone. Beautiful and tractable, she displays evenness of disposition and generous motives that make her a tearful heroine. Richard Carstone Richard Carstone, Ada’s cousin and husband. Anything suits this young man, who has already sold his soul to the case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce.

He tries medicine, the law, and the army, only to die of disappointment after the suit in Chancery has been settled and he learns that legal costs have eaten up the whole of his inheritance. John Jarndyce provides for Ada and her infant son. Lady Honoria Dedlock Lady Honoria Dedlock, secretly the mother of Esther Summerson by Captain Hawdon, a rake to whom she was once engaged. When Tulkinghorn, her husband’s legal adviser, threatens to inform her husband of her past, she flees from her home and dies, a victim of shame and exposure, at the gate of the cemetery where her lover has been buried under the name of Nemo. Her body is discovered by Esther Summerson. Sir Leicester Dedlock Sir Leicester Dedlock, an honorable gentleman of prejudice and pride of family, completely unaware of his wife’s guilty secret. Mr. Tulkinghorn Mr. Tulkinghorn, a conniving solicitor who threatens to expose the secret in Lady Dedlock’s past. He is murdered by Lady Dedlock’s French maid when he refuses to pay her blackmailing demands and threatens her with imprisonment.

Allan Woodcourt Allan Woodcourt, the surgeon who attends Captain Hawdon at the time of his death and who extends his help to Esther Summerson and Richard Carstone as well. He marries Esther after John Jarndyce releases her from her... (The entire section is 1566 words.) Get Free Access Start your free trial with eNotes for complete access to this resource and thousands more. 30,000+ Study Guides Save time with thousands of teacher-approved book and topic summaries. Get Homework Help Ask real teachers questions on any subject or search 300,000+ answers. On the Go Access SparkNotes: Bleak House: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Esther Summerson - 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.

Read an in-depth analysis of Esther Summerson. Mr. John Jarndyce - 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. Ada Clare - 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. Richard Carstone - 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. Lady Dedlock - 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. Read an in-depth analysis of Lady Dedlock. Sir Leicester Dedlock - 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. Mr. Tulkinghorn - 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. Mrs. Baytham Badger - A woman who talks incessantly about her former husbands. Mr. Badger - A doctor who agrees to take Richard on as an apprentice. Mr. Matthew Bagnet - A soldier who owns a musical instrument shop. Mr. Bagnet incurred debts to help George Rouncewell. Mrs. Bagnet - A woman who does all the talking for her husband. Inspector Bucket - 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. Mr. Lawrence Boythorn - 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. Mr. Chadband - A pompous preacher who takes any opportunity to orate. Mrs. Rachael Chadband - Esther’s former caretaker.

Volumnia Dedlock - Sir Leicester’s cousin. Miss Flite - An insane elderly woman who lives above Krook’s shop. Mr. Gridley - A man who gave up his life for the Jarndyce and Jarndyce suit. Mr. William Guppy - 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. Guster - The Snagsbys’ maid, given to having fits. Captain Hawdon (Nemo) - Krook’s dead lodger. Hawdon is Lady Dedlock’s former lover and Esther’s father. Mademoiselle Hortense - Lady Dedlock’s French maid. Mademoiselle Hortense is jealous of Lady Dedlock’s attention to young Rosa. She kills Tulkinghorn and frames Lady Dedlock. Mrs. Jellyby - A blustery woman who is obsessed with her “mission,” Borrioboola-Gha in Africa. She neglects her family entirely. Mr. Jellyby - The defeated husband of Mrs. Jellyby. Caroline (Caddy) Jellyby - Mrs.

Jellyby’s put-upon daughter and a friend of Esther’s. Jenny - The wife of an abusive brickmaker. Jo - A street urchin who helps Lady Dedlock find Captain Hawdon’s grave. Mr. Tony Jobling (Mr. Weevle) - A friend of Mr. Guppy’s, who takes Captain Hawdon’s old room. Mr. Krook - Owner of the rag-and-bottle shop. Mr. Krook collects documents even though he can’t read. He dies by spontaneous combustion. Liz - The wife of an abusive brickmaker. Charlotte (Charley) Neckett - The oldest of three orphaned siblings. Charley becomes Esther’s beloved maid. Mrs. Pardiggle - An obnoxious do-gooder who forces her sons to give their money to her charities. Rosa - Lady Dedlock’s protégée, who is in love with Watt Rouncewell. Mr. George Rouncewell - Mrs. Rouncewell’s wayward son and a soldier. He runs a shooting gallery. Mr. Rouncewell - An ironmaker who is George’s brother. Mrs. Rouncewell - The loyal housekeeper at Chesney Wold. Mr.

Watt Rouncewell - Mrs. Rouncewell’s grandson, who wants to marry Rosa. Harold Skimpole - 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. Bartholomew (Chick) Smallweed - Grandfather Smallweed’s grandson. Judy Smallweed - The granddaughter who accompanies her chair-bound grandfather everywhere. Grandfather Smallweed - 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. Grandmother Smallweed - The put-upon wife of Grandfather Smallweed. Mr. Snagsby - 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. Mrs. Snagsby - Mr.

Snagsby’s suspicious wife, given to drawing inaccurate conclusions from her eavesdropping and spying. Phil Squod - A crippled lodger at George’s Shooting Gallery. Mr. Turveydrop - A man proud of his deportment. Prince Turveydrop - The young dancing teacher who marries Caddy Jellyby. Mr. Vholes - The sneaky, immoral lawyer determined to get as much money as possible out of Richard’s involvement with the Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit. Allan Woodcourt - A doctor and friend of Mr. Jarndyce. Mr. Woodcourt marries Esther, and they live together in the new Bleak House. Mrs. Woodcourt - Allan Woodcourt’s mother, who stays at Bleak House to observe Esther’s steadfast commitment to Mr. Jarndyce. Bleak House Themes | GradeSaver Bleak House Themes Buy Study Guide Bad parenting and society Bleak House is filled with bad parents. Esther's aunt, Lady Dedlock , Mrs. Jellyby , the brickmaker, and Mr. Turveydrop , to take some examples, all abuse, neglect, or generally use their children for selfish reasons, thus quashing the happiness and development of those children.

This poor parenting, in turn, creates disillusioned and disenchanted children, thus perpetuating the original neglect or abuse. In this way, bad parenting undermines all of society. Indeed, to take the theme one remove farther, Dickens suggests that England is in a permanent state of bad parenting, with the parents -- the government, the courts -- neglecting, abusing, or generally using the children -- the people of England. Weather and society Throughout the novel, Dickens consistently identifies human moral or subjective states with the weather. This, like the other grotesque elements of his style, is done with a greatly exaggerated panache. Thus Dickens begins the novel in a deep "London particular" fog, signifying the foggy confusion of the Court of Chancery. Or, to take another example, Lady Dedlock is often shown in the rain, which signifies her deep and unending boredom and sorrow. The mud and the cold too often emphasize the evils of urban life, and their inescapability mirrors the corruption of the society at large. Naturally, Dickens' sunny days occur when things are chipper and cheery, such as when the young people first arrive at Bleak House.

Names in Dickens The most prevalent and widely-cited form of Dickens' grotesque style is his tendency to illustrate the nature and morality of his characters through their names. Because Bleak House has so many people, thus so many names, it is as good a collection of the variety of Dickens' art of naming as any of his books. Some of Dickens' characters' names simply announce the bearer's moral destitution -- Krook is an obvious example. Mr. Smallweed's name captures that characters particular mixture of physical frailty and moral pettiness; it also suggests that Dickens' would like he and his captilastic, opportunistic kind to be weeded from society. His "good" characters are also aptly named, as in " Ada Clare ," which conjures clarity and simplicity for the reader. Other names allude to occupation as well as character -- e.g. "Tulkinghorn" is close to talking-horn, and talk is the lawyer's trade. Or Dickens' names could represent a simple pun, such as Miss Flite and her birds, or a sad commentary, such as Jo 's name being similar to Job, suggesting the many trials that character will endure.

The common characteristic: Dickens invites us to interpret the significance of the names of all of his characters. This invitation becomes quite interesting when the correlation between name and character is less obvious than in the above examples. Esther Summerson 's name, for instance, is problematic. The reference to the Old Testament Esther implies that she is a strong character, but Summerson could be seen as ironic. She is no summer's son, she is an illegitimate daughter. Perhaps it is a reference to the idea that she was conceived in love, the product of a "summer's passion" between Hawden and the future Lady Dedlock. At any rate, Dickens invites this kind of speculation, asking us to see his name-puzzles as complex in some cases, simple in others, perhaps according to the relative complexity of the characters the names represent. In an interesting twist, Dickens' own characters sometimes display his panache for choosing dramatic and evocative names. For instance, Captain Hawden (whose proper name possibly alludes to his naval status by bringing up the term "hawser") uses the Latin word Nemo as his pseudonym, which means "nobody".

He is, to the plot, indeed somebody, but he refuses to own up to any part of society, especially his own name, because he has sunk so low. Other characters are given nicknames, such as Conversation Kenge, that capture an awareness on the community's part of the humor and power of an apt name. Like their author, these characters seem to relish the puzzle and joy of apt naming. Chancery in microcosm Just as Dickens captures the failures of the English state in the metaphor of bad parenting, so too he criticizes the endless mechanizations of Chancery through various metaphors of ill-run shops, homes or other systems. Miss Flite's pointless habit of keeping birds awaiting the "Day of Judgement" which never comes is an expression of her own endless waiting for her case to be settled. Krook's rag and bottle shop, with its piles of useless and decaying stuff, represents in turn the mounds of mouldy documents rotting in Chancery's hands, and the resulting decay of the "store" -- i.e. the wealth and property -- of England. Tom-all-alone's is another example of a property gone to rack and ruin because of Chancery.

England's orphan Continuing the metaphor of the English state as an absent parent, the most egregious form of parental abuse presented by Dickens is captured in Jo, an orphan. Though he is shown occasional kindness, the overwhelming theme of Jo's life is that he belongs nowhere. People are constantly telling him to "move on." The state, which must act for him in loco parentis, gives him two options -- to live on the streets or in the workhouse, that is to say, to choose between death by neglect and death by abuse. Jo's diseased death -- and the manner in which he spreads his disease throughout society -- caps his role as a living metaphor for the failure of the English social system. Jo, himself a victim of disease, spreads disease further, thus perpetuating the ill visited upon him. He is the bleakest soul in Bleak House, and Dickens' most trenchant social text. The repurcussions of young choice Dickens provides us with several characters who, through an early passionate sin or hasty decision, foment lasting misery for themselves and others.

Honoria lives a life of boredom and lies as Lady Dedlock, having created a delicate situation for her daughter as well as herself; Hawdon descends into opium abuse; Honoria's sister, who takes care of Esther instead of marrying Boythorn, is bitter and cold to Esther her entire life, and dies at a young age. A sub-set of these youthful, fateful decisions concern Chancery. Miss Flite, we are told, decided in youthful passion to follow her Chancery suit through to the end, and as a result has been consumed, dessicated and driven mad by the endless litigation of Chancery's process. Similarly, Richard chooses to depend upon the Jarndyce and Jarndyce suit, which drives him to a life of hatred and paranoia and to an early, tragic death. Systems bad, personal accountability good In Bleak House, Dickens offers a bitter and ironic critique of institutions. Chancery, the system of justice, is the most unjust system imaginable; Mrs. Jellyby's social activism, which she presents as humanitarian, gives rise to a most inhumane and neglected household. Indeed, institutions seem inevitably to succumb to the problems that they are supposed to address.

After all, justice depends upon injustice, and so it is in the best interest of Chancery, which makes money through righting "injustice," to increase injustice. Rather than depend upon systems or institutions to address society's ills, Dickens calls for individuals to right wrongs and relieve suffering through freely chosen charity. Humanism pervades the novel, with John Jarndyce going so far as to say in Chapter 13: "Trust in nothing but in Providence and your own efforts." Understanding toward sexual misbehavior Dickens, for his day, treats themes of sexuality with rather un-Victorian (or, at least, unlike our present-day ideas of Victorians) tolerance and understanding. He paints a largely sympathetic portrait of Lady Dedlock, who bore a child out of wedlock. In the 1850s, this would have been enough to make her a social pariah, but Dickens paints her detractors (Tulkinghorn, her sister), not herself, in unflattering light. He makes her suffer, it is true, but he does not condemn her for her sexual relationship with Captain Hawdon. He also paints Mr.

Snagsby , who is under suspicion of being Jo's father for most of the novel, as a sympathetic character. Dickens is rather harder on those who subject their natural desires to a principle. Miss Barbary, Honoria's sister who raises Esther and emotionally neglects her, without Honoria's knowledge, is shown to be a narrow and bitter person, who, rather than being praised for doing good by raising her illegitimate niece, died young and unhappy after giving up her love for Mr. Boythorn . Lady Dedlock Lady Dedlock Bookmark this page Manage My Reading List Despite the obvious importance of Esther Summerson, Lady Honoria Dedlock dominates Bleak House. She either initiates or becomes the object of nearly all of the most interesting or exciting actions in the story. Tulkinghorn's pursuit of her secret, her attempts to evade his snares, her boldness and courage in seeking out Captain Hawdon's burial place and in punishing herself by self-exile and what amounts to suicide — all this is considerably more interesting than anything that happens to Esther. Despite the obvious importance of Esther Summerson, Lady Honoria Dedlock dominates Bleak House.

She either initiates or becomes the object of nearly all of the most interesting or exciting actions in the story. Tulkinghorn's pursuit of her secret, her attempts to evade his snares, her boldness and courage in seeking out Captain Hawdon's burial place and in punishing herself by self-exile and what amounts to suicide — all this is considerably more interesting than anything that happens to Esther. The somewhat odd thing, experienced by some readers as a weakness in the novel, is that Lady Dedlock's domination of the book is not matched by her connection with the story's main theme. There is a connection but it is not a strong one. To press his biggest point (theme) home, Dickens should probably have made Lady Dedlock's misfortunes the direct result of some aspect of the Jarndyce and Jamdyce court case or, in any event, of some action or inaction of the Chancery court. Tulkinghorn is, of course, a Chancery court lawyer, but he isn't restricted to that court, and corrupt or self-seeking lawyers are as likely to be found in one place as in another.

It is a mere accident — the noticing of some papers that Tulkinghorn happens to spread on a table in the Dedlock house — that commences Lady Dedlock's downfall. That initiating situation represents no meanness or malevolence on the part of either Tulkinghorn or Chancery. Nor does Lady Dedlock suffer because Jarndyce and Jarndyce has been a fiasco; rich, secure, comfortable, she is in no way dependent on the outcome of that suit even though she does have some slight involvement in it. Lady Dedlock dominates the story but fails to dominate the theme. This is a clear example of artistic (or literary) disunity and is perhaps the only serious instance of it in Bleak House. Dickens also chooses not to give us an intimate portrait of the lady. We see little of her inner life; the concrete details of her memories, thoughts, feelings, moods, sensations are not presented. Such portraiture, barren of the concrete, of details, is called "externality" of characterization. Does it mean that Lady Dedlock remains, for us, unknown, unreal?

Bleak House Summary Bleak House Bleak House Bleak House was the ninth novel published by Charles Dickens, appearing in serialized form in twenty instalments between March 1852 and September 1853. Critics generally agree that this is one of the Dickens' most remarkable novels and his most complete. Bleak House contains a gallery of characters and a series of subplots unparalleled in the rest of his work. The story is told alternately in a narrator in first person, Esther Summerson, the heroine of the novel, and an omniscient narrator. The story is rooted in a legal case called Jarndyce v. Jarndyce involving a disputed inheritance, a challenged will, large sums of money and land around Marr manor in south Yorkshire. In one way or another the court case affects each of the characters in the novel. The Jarndyce case has been dragging on for generations and has been the ruin of almost everyone involved. Dickens had often used his writing to criticize aspects of Victorian society; in Bleak House, Dickens drew on his experiences as a law clerk to satirize the slow moving and inefficient legal system.

The plot of the story is set amid the uncompromising slowness and the Byzantine character of the law and the Court of Justice (Chancery). It has been argued that the novel helped bring about reforms in the legal system. John Jarndyce is the owner of an estate called Bleak House, which gives its name to the title. Intertwined with the main story line are many subplots involving Esther's life, as well as life on the neighboring estate owned by Sir Leicester Dedlock. There is also subplot involving an investigation into a murder, which seems to have mysterious ties to the court case. An Awkward Proposal Sir Leicester Dedlock and Lady Honoria Dedlock (his junior by more than twenty years) live in the country home of Chesney Wold, next to Bleak House. Unbeknownst to Sir Dedlock, Lady Dedlock had a love child with Captain Hawdon prior to her marriage. The child was Esther Summerson. But Lady Dedlock was deceived into believing that her daughter had died, and does not know of Esther. Esther was brought up by Miss Barbary, sister of Lady Dedlock in a very Spartan manner.

Esther does not know that Miss Barbary is actually her aunt, and believes that she is merely her godmother. When Miss Barbary dies, Mr. Jarndyce becomes her guardian and sends her off to study at Reading for 6 years, then brings her to live with him at Bleak House to act as governess to two children, Richard and Ada Clare Carston, who are cousins to each other Ada and Richard are the beneficiaries (at least according to one version of the disputed will) of the inheritance which is the subject of the litigation, which has led to bitter infighting between the different factions of the Jarndyce family. According to another version of the will, John Jarndyce is the beneficiary. Richard and Ada are in love with each other; their guardian John Jarndyce does not object, but notes that Richard suffers from an inconstant character and so insists that before he can become engaged to Ada, he must enter into a profession and stick to it. Richard, after a series of failed attempts (studying to become a doctor, a lawyer and finally a soldier), decides to use his knowledge in the legal field, to win the disputed inheritance.

In this he is opposed by John, who sees the curse in case family. Lady Dedlock is herself one of the possible beneficiaries under one of the many disputed variants of the will. When her husband's lawyer, Tulkinghorn, brings an affidavit dealing with the case to the house, Lady Dedlock faints when she sees the handwriting on the document, which causes Tulkinghorn to investigate the reason. Tulkinghorn decides to track down the copyist who copied the affidavit (in an age before photocopying machines, all copies of legal documents were made by hand). He discovers that the man's name is an unfortunate named Nemo, who recently died in a rented apartment. Nemo was an opium addict and the only person who seems to know anything about him is vagabond named Jo. Meanwhile Lady Dedlock is also trying to identify the scribe, and to that end, takes the identity of a French maid in their household, Mademoiselle Hortense. Thus disguised, Lady Dedlock convinces Jo to take her to Nemo's grave.

Tulkinghorn is convinced that Lady Dedlock's secret may pose a danger to the reputation of his client and so he begins to spy on Lady Dedlock, sometimes using the services of the real maid Hortense (not who appears to hate her mistress. The Ghosts Walk Esther and Lady Dedlock meet by chance at a Mass and then have a conversation at Chesney Wold. Initially the two do not realize their family connection, but Lady Dedlock soon understands that her abandoned daughter is not dead. Esther now falls ill, apparently from the smallpox, and the illness leaves her permanently disfigured, and is cared for by Charley, a poor girl that she had saved from poverty and from whom she had probably contracted the disease. In a revealing conversation, Lady Dedlock confesses to Esther that she is her mother, but warns her, however, to keep this secret. Esther survives the illness but has now lost her beauty. Meanwhile Richard meanwhile spends all his resources to bring to conclusion the case Jarndyce and Jarndyce, in favor of him and Ada.

He becomes obsessed with the case, and on the advice of his lawyer named Vholes, Richard has broken off his relationship with John Jarndyce, whom he now believes to be his opponent in the court case. Richard and Ada secretly marry and Richard spends all her money on legal expense. Ada also becomes pregnant. Esther herself has a secret passion for Dr. Woodcourt, son of a family friend of John, who is also interested in her. Woodcourt, a ship's surgeon on various boat crossings to India, had met Esther before she was disfigured by the disease. On his return from the East, Woodcourt realizes that his feelings for Esther have not changed, but while he was away Esther had accepted a marriage proposal from her guardian, John Jarndyce. Hortense and Tulkinghorn have now discovered Lady Dedlock's past. After a quiet but desperate confrontation with the lawyer, Lady Dedlock flees the house and leaves a letter to her husband, begging forgiveness. Tulkinghorn dismisses Hortense, who is no longer useful. Feeling abandoned by both Tulkington and Lady Dedlock, Hortense kills Tulkington and attempts to place the blame on Lady Dedlock.

Sir Leicester, upon learning of the death of his faithful lawyer and the flight of his wife, suffers a terrible blow that forces him to bed, but he tries to communicate to communicate with Lady Dedlock and tell her that he forgives her and is waiting for her to come back. John Jarndyce Releases Esther from her Engagement Police Inspector Bucket, who has been investigating Nemo's death realizes that it is connected to the mystery of the Jarndyce case. Sir Leicester enlists Inspector Bucket to find Lady Dedlock. Although he suspects Lady Dedlock, Bucket arrests George Rouncewell, the last person to have been seen with Tulkinghorn the night of the murder and one of many people who had unfinished business with the deceased. Bucket is accompanied by Esther in his search for Lady Dedlock: they find her in the cemetery where Nemo is buried. It is revealed that Nemo was in fact Captain Hawdon. Unfortunately, she is already dead. In the meantime, a last and final will is found which cancels all previous wills. It appears that the court case can now at last be concluded. The bulk of the inheritance will go to Richard and Ada.

John Jarndyce, meanwhile, frees Esther from the bond of engagement, understanding that she will be happier with Woodcourt. They all go to the final hearing: the litigation costs have consumed the entire amount of the inheritance and the court case can be concluded now that the estate is gone. Richard is hit very hard by the news and Dr. Woodcourt realizes that Richard is now in the last stages of tuberculosis. John goes to the bedside of Richard, despite being estranged for years. Richard asks for John's forgiveness and then passes away. Shortly after Richard's death, Ada gives birth to a son, whom she names Richard, after his father. Mother and son are welcomed by John into his home. Esther and Woodcourt marry and go to live in Yorkshire, in a new Bleak House that John Jarndyce has given them. The newlyweds eventually have two children. There are a number of other parallel stories and characters in the book. One of the most amusing involves the story of Caddy Jellyby and her mother, obsessed with philanthropy that makes her lose sight of the interests and needs of her own family while working for the good of the inhabitants of an African village called Borrioboola-Gha).

David Perdue's Charles Dickens Page - Bleak House Bleak House FAQ & Email In Bleak House Dickens introduced one of the first detectives in English Literature: Inspector Bucket. Hired by lawyer Tulkinghorn to inquire into Lady Dedlock's secret past, Bucket later investigates Tulkinghorn's murder. Dickens based Bucket on real life detective Charles F. Field , a member of London's new police force. Dickens wrote several stories featuring Field (sometimes under the name of Wield) in his weekly journal Household Words, including On Duty with Inspector Field (June 1851). Court of Chancery The Court of Chancery was founded during the reign of Richard II and in Dickens' time was a model of inefficiency. Properties tied up 'in Chancery' were not financially accessible to possible beneficiaries. The court was presided over by the Lord Chancellor, disputants in Chancery cases used solicitors to state their case to hired barristers who presented them in court. In Bleak House Richard Carstone hires Vholes as his solicitor in the Jarndyce and Jarndyce Chancery case. Dickens located John Jarndyce's Bleak House near the old Roman town of St.

Albans in Hertfordshire, about 20 miles north of London. Dame Durden One of the endearing names given to Esther Summerson when she takes over the household keys of Bleak House. The name comes from a traditional song and became a common term to refer to a housewife: Dame Durden kept five serving girls To carry the milking pail; She also kept five labouring men To use the spade and flail. 'Twas Moll and Bet, and Doll and Kate, and Dorothy Draggletail, And John and Dick, and Joe and Jack, and Humphrey with his flail. 'Twas John kiss'd Molly, , And Humphrey with his flail, And Kitty was a charming girl to carry the milking pail. Dame Durden in the morn so soon She did begin to call: To rouse her servants, maids and men, She then began to bawl. Twas Moll and Bet 'Twas on the morn of Valentine, The birds began to prate, Dame Durden's servants, maids and men, They all began to mate. Twas Moll and Bet Mr.

Snagsby - Law Stationer Before the advent of copy machines copies of law documents were made by hand. Mr. Snagsby employs law-writers like Nemo to maticulously copy law documents. His office also sells the tools of the law trade. On the eastern borders of Chancery Lane, that is to say, more particularly in Cook's Court, Cursitor Street, Mr. Snagsby, law-stationer, pursues his lawful calling. In the shade of Cook's Court, at most times a shady place, Mr.

Snagsby has dealt in all sorts of blank forms of legal process; in skins and rolls of parchment; in paper--foolscap, brief, draft, brown, white, whitey-brown, and blotting; in stamps; in office-quills, pens, ink, India-rubber, pounce, pins, pencils, sealing-wax, and wafers; in red tape and green ferret; in pocket-books, almanacs, diaries, and law lists; in string boxes, rulers, inkstands--glass and leaden--pen-knives, scissors, bodkins, and other small office-cutlery; in short, in articles too numerous to mention. Bleak House (2005) DVD Gillian Anderson, Anna Maxwell Martin, Denis Lawson Dickens sparked controversy in Bleak House when he has rag and bone dealer Krook die by spontaneous human combustion , a phenomenon where the human body catches fire as a result of heat generated by internal chemical action. Although scientists have denied the existence of this phenomenon, supposed cases of spontaneous human combustion are still reported today .

Dickens' life during the serialization of Bleak House Mar 1852 - Sep 1853 Son Edward Bulwer Lytton (Plorn) Dickens born Summer 1852 Dickens' amateur acting troupe performing Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Not so Bad as We Seem throughout England for the benefit of the Guild of Literature and Art. February 1853 Becomes involved in a controversy concerning spontaneous combustion, from which Krook dies in the novel. George Henry Lewes argued that the phenomenon was a scientific impossibility, Dickens maintained that it could happen. June 1853 Seriously ill with a recurrence of a childhood kidney complaint. Bedridden for six days, he then went to Boulogne, France to fully recover. August 1853 Celebrates finishing the novel with a banquet in Boulogne. In attendance were his publishers Bradbury and Evans , friends Mark Lemon , and Wilkie Collins . September 1853 The Death of Jo Jo, attended by his friend,Dr Allan Woodcourt, tries to recite a prayer as life slips away: 'It's turned very dark, sir.

Is there any light a-comin'?' 'It is coming fast, Jo.' Fast. The cart is shaken all to pieces, and the rugged road is very near its end. 'Jo, my poor fellow!' 'I hear you, sir, in the dark, but I'm a-gropinâ€™ â€“ a-gropin' â€“ let me catch hold of your hand.' 'Jo, can you say what I say?' 'I'll say anythink as you say, sir, for I knows it's good.' 'Our Father.' 'Our Father! â€“ yes, thatâ€™s very good, sir.' 'Which art in heaven.' 'Art in heaven â€“ is the light a-comin', sir?' 'It is close at hand. Hallowed be Thy name.' 'Hallowed be Thy â€“' The light is come upon the dark benighted way. Dead! Dead, your majesty. Dead, my lords and gentlemen. Dead, right reverends and wrong reverends of every order. Dead, men and women, born with heavenly compassion in your hearts. And dying thus around us every day. Tulkinghorn's Chambers Dickens modeled Mr.

Tulkinghorn's house on the house of his friend, and future biographer, John Forster. It is located at no. 58 Lincoln's Inn Fields (See number 7 on map at left). Bleak House - Published in monthly parts Mar 1852 - Sep 1853 | Illustrations | Locations Dickens' ninth novel, illustrated by Phiz , was intended to illustrate the evils caused by long, drawn-out suits in the Courts of Chancery. Dickens had observed the inner workings of the courts as a reporter in his youth and observes in Bleak House: The one great principle of the English law is to make business for itself. There is no other principle distinctly, certainly, and consistently maintained through all its narrow turnings. Viewed by this light it becomes a coherent scheme and not the monstrous maze the laity are apt to think it. Let them but once clearly perceive that its grand principle is to make business for itself at their expense, and surely they will cease to grumble. Bleak House is often considered Dickens' finest work although not his most popular.

Plot (contains spoilers) The case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, in the High Court of Chancery, has been going on for a long time. The current Jarndyce, John, owner of Bleak House, has little hope of gaining anything from it. On her aunt's death Esther Summerson is adopted by Jarndyce and becomes companions to his wards, Ada Clare and Richard Carstone. Carstone has hopes that the chancery case will make his fortune. As the story unfolds it is revealed that Esther is the illegitimate daughter of Captain Hawdon and Lady Dedlock. When the Dedlock's lawyer, Tulkinghorn learns of this, and tries to profit by the information, he is murdered by Lady Dedlock's former maid. Lady Dedlock flees and later dies at the gates of the cemetery where Hawdon lies buried. John Jarndyce has fallen in love with Esther and asked her to marry him. She consents out of respect for Jarndyce but during the engagement she falls in love with Allan Woodcourt. When Jarndyce learns of her feelings for Allan he releases her from the engagement and she marries Woodcourt.

The chancery case comes to a close with court costs eating up all of the estate. Carstone, who has married Ada, dies in despair. Characters: Lady Dedlock Lady Dedlock Authors: Dickens, Charles Description: Despite the obvious importance of Esther Summerson, Lady Honoria Dedlock dominates Bleak House. She either initiates or becomes the object of nearly all of the most interesting or exciting actions in the story. Tulkinghorn's pursuit of her secret, her attempts to evade his snares, her boldness and courage in seeking out Captain Hawdon's burial place and in punishing herself by self-exile and what amounts to suicide — all this is considerably more interesting than anything that happens to Esther. The somewhat odd thing, experienced by some readers as a weakness in the novel, is that Lady Dedlock's domination of the book is not matched by her connection with the story's main theme. There is a connection but it is not a strong one.

To press his biggest point (theme) home, Dickens should probably have made Lady Dedlock's misfortunes the direct result of some aspect of the Jarndyce and Jamdyce court case or, in any event, of some action or inaction of the Chancery court. Other characters from this book:

Question: John Jarndyce and Honoria, Lady Dedlock are major characters in which Dickens novel?
Answer: BLEAK HOUSE