Chapter 8 for me primarily (not really sure about anyone else) put in my mind more question about what is Esther's point when it comes to the Jarndyce v. Jarndyce case and family. Besides Esther being happy about her role as a sort of "housewife" kind of girl, (not saying that she is married, just pointing out that she enjoys the demands of keeping up a house and keeping track of Ada & Richard. Who by far seemly fall in love with each other in chapter 9. BTW(by the way) they are cousins (side note in case anyone missed that detail from previous chapters.)
But I digress, and return my focus back to Esther and her connection to Jarndyce and Jarndyce. Esther has a very unusual relation to Mr. Jarndyce as we discussed in class. This connection was more or less about how Esther feels for Mr. Jarndyce (she can relate to him and how he feels about expressing feelings in general.) Even though we discussed that Mr. Jarndyce is "mysterious and doesn't share information about his self, I feel that-that is a relation in which Esther knows well. This personality disorder might not just be a coincidence that both Esther and Mr. Jarndyce share.
This made me think further than Esther and Mr. Jarndyce having a professional relationship. From what I recall when reading, Esther had found out about a 'will' through Mr. Jarndyce and Mr. Jarndyce happens to be a very peculiar character. Who I believe would not tell just anyone any information. I am not saying that Esther and Mr. Jarndyce are in love or anything of a romantic nature. The fact that Mr. Jarndyce wants Esther to call him "Guardian" leaves a lot to be desired and I guess would be probably something that we should account for and pay attention to. We have to wait and see how their relationship either grows into something meaningful to the story or is just my personal thoughts.
*Also which is a side note we are introduced to another crazy mother character, Mrs. Pardiggle who cares not about her own children (just like another familiar crazy mother Mrs. Jellyby) who also enjoys charity and caring about charitable affairs rather than her own children.
Night Bloggers = ]
To touch upon what Katharina mentioned about John Jarndyce wanting Esther to call him "Guardian," is in large another aspect of him wanting to keep his distance. While it would have made more sense if either he or Esther would look to him as a father figure, both he and Esther are emotionally stunted in that respect. And Esther would more than gladly carry out the request just as she didn't thank Mr. Jarndyce like Ada and Richard did. She understands him in a way that none of the other characters so far have been able to.
ReplyDeleteIrene and Katharina raise an interesting question about the nature of Esther's and Jarndyce's relationship: what is it, exactly? Not quite a Father, yet "Guardian" seems too limited and legalistic to reflect what is obviously a deep connection (the weird personality disorder Katharina refers too -- difficulty with direct emotion). Keep following this story.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing to think about: what would Dickens say about Katharina using an Itouch to write/submit her post? What is his attitude toward progress, technology?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Dickens' opinion on progress is that progress should be made on the home front. That issues at home should be taken care of first and foremost before we worry about the problems of others. Already, two female/mother characters in the novel Mrs. Jellyby and Mrs. Pardiggle are so concerned with charity that their own families are falling apart. The Jellyby's live like the savages that their mother is attempting to aid. And the Pardiggle sons resent their mother for making them donate their allowances.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Pardiggle is also short-sighted about the troubles of others. When she took Ada and Esther on her rounds to read the Bible at the brickmaker's house. She is ignorant it seems about the woman with the black eye, the child, and another woman who had appeared to be beaten as well. And it is Esther and Ada who return later with Richard to give the women some provisions.
-What does reading from the Bible help? Mrs. Pardiggle is preaching, but she is not providing the necessary aid and the people resent her for it.
I believe that the reason for Jarndyce telling Esther to call him Guardian is because I believe that they are blood related, I believe Esther's mother had sex with a Jarndyce which makes Esther part of the family. In the readings so far there is nothing that is mentioned on why Esther is part of the Jarndyce v Jarndyce case. I feel that because she is a Jarndyce that is why John Jarndyce feels comfortable to talk to her and allow her to have all the keys to the doors in Bleak House.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Esther understand John when it comes to expressing her feelings (personality disorder) because it is in her blood. (I believe that her father is Tom Jarndyce.)
Follow up to the similarities and difference between Jellyby and Pardiggle:
Mrs. Pardiggle and Mrs. Jellyby are two complete different people although they love to help other. There difference are that Mrs. Jellyby is doing charity work out of her heart, she sincerely wants to help people. Mrs Pardiggle on the other hand is doing this because she wants people to know that she is helping out. In the chapter where Jellyby family was introduce, Mrs. Jellyby saw that Esther was not interested in helping Africa and continued about her business but when Mrs. Pardiggle appears in Chapters 8-10, she tells Esther and Ada to come along to see the work that she has done even though she already spoke about all the charity events that her and her kids are involved in. Mrs. Pardiggle character is tooo muuccchhhhhh.
the title of "guardian" somehow allows there to be a bond between Esther and john although a distant one it is still comforting as esther has little sparks of happiness or/ and joy when she is speaking with him. He gives a sense of reassurance that everything will be "ok" when he is there...i'm thinking... quite possibly... GUARDIAN ANGEL????
ReplyDeletepardiggle and jellyby really arent that different... if you read close enough they are proverbially the "two peas in a pod"