By the time you have read over half of Bleak House, you barely know the man that Esther seems to be interested in. Her decision to withhold information tells us something about her character. During the parts of Bleak House from Esther’s narration, we, as readers, get the feeling that she is very aware that she is telling us a story and picks what she wants to tell us. As a result, sometimes information that we think might be important to us, she leaves out. This choice of hers tells us a lot about what she thinks is important at various times in her life. This cannot be seen more than by the way she introduces us to Dr. Allan Woodcut.
The first time Esther introduces the reader to Woodcut it is as an afterthought. She states, “I have omitted to mention in its place, that there was some one else at the family dinner party... It was a gentleman” (214). At this point she doesn’t even bother to tell us his name merely describing him as “a gentleman of a dark complexion - a young surgeon” (214). Because she doesn’t tell us his name, it is clear that she doesn’t seem to think that we will be very interested in him. She at least deems the happenings between Richard and Ada more interesting and more important than her own romantic interests. This shows us that Esther’s character is more concerned with other people than with herself. She is outwardly focused, tracing the development of other characters more than her own. Her thoughts about the doctor are only important to give us some information to consult later in the book. However, Esther deliberately doesn’t tell us much about him, keeping our focus on Ada and Richard’s relationship. I believe that it is because this early in the novel Esther isn’t looking for a relationship. She is still establishing her position in the house, her relationship with the people she lives with, and her position within society. Pursuing a man, or being pursued by one would only upset the security she has recently found.
Later in the book though, we find out more about Esther’s thoughts about Woodcut. When she is at Mr. Boythorn’s house recovering from her illness, Esther tells us that she considered loving Woodcut. She had kept the flowers that he had given her earlier in the novel. What is interesting is that the flowers are one of the first things she tells the reader about after she sees how her looks have changed. She wants to connect the memories she has of Woodcut, dried and put away like the flowers, with her new outward appearance. I’m sure she had other thoughts, but she only foregrounds the ones which pertain to Woodcut. This tells me that her feelings towards Woodcut were more serious than she led us to believe. Instead of informing the reader about how she perceived herself would compare to Ada’s perception of her, or anyone else who hadn’t seen her yet, she focuses on a man we barely know anything about. At this point in her life, when she has a lot of free time and has to deal with the way she looks, Woodcut becomes important. Before, when she could focus on other things, she pushed him towards the back. However, because of this scene, it is obvious that he has always been in the back of her mind. It also becomes clear that she worries about what he thinks of her. It is after a drastic change to her appearance that she brings him up, suggesting that she connects her looks with his perception of her.
I've been thinking a lot over the last couple of days about why Esther seems so reluctant to share her own feelings--especially her desires--with the reader. She feels strongly for the emotional state of the people she loves, like Ada and Richard, but she seems to value her own feelings differently.
ReplyDeleteI think she feels compelled to put a positive spin on her life, because her aunt taught her that she doesn't deserve happiness. She reveals things about Woodcourt, like the flowers, that suggest strong feelings, but she doesn't discuss these incidents as if they're romantic. After several passages where she adopts the same removed tone, you can't help but suspect that these denials are actually evidence of strong feelings.
I like the analysis of Esther through her portrayal of Woodcourt--interesting spin on character analysis! I found it interesting how you pointed out her transformation (physically and emotionally) and how she viewed herself. In the beginning of the novel, we know that she was never truly loved or shown affection. This could easily explain why she would have issues recognizing and expressing her feelings to others. As the readers, we are only given what the author wants to share: in Esther’s case, she is closed off and careful about what she shares. We also realize her lack of awareness overall anyways at the end of the novel when Jarndyce gives her away to Woodcourt. She was willing to deny her feelings for him to marry Jarndyce. I understand why she would go along with the wedding, but even after she is given to Allen, she still struggles expressing herself.
ReplyDeleteI think Esther's hidden feelings mirrors the reserve we notice in Jarndyce himself. Is this self-containment of desires one of the qualities that attract them to one another? Perhaps they understand each other on a level that cannot, or need not, be expressed in the ways readers expect them to be. Perhaps these qualities are also what makes their relationship feel slightly off-kilter to readers too: since they haven't expressed themselves effectively (to us), we are left with questions and loose strings. I think many of us have discussed that this reserve is not necessarily a Good trait to have in common with someone, let alone a potential lover.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, Esther and Woodcourt end up having shared interests. In both cases, the interest makes itself known visibly, so neither of them really needs to discuss it. What I refer to is the interest in healing others. Both Woodcourt and Esther end up "wearing" this interest on their skin essentially. Esther's exposure to smallpox stems out of her humanitarian interests, and her kindness toward Jo. As a result, she is visibly scarred, and nobody really talks about it.
Similarly, Allan Woodcourt finds himself nursing the East-Indians to health after the ship wreck. He chooses to stay and do this, taking a deep interest and ethic to his work. When he returns to London finally, his skin is described as sunburned. Though he probably will heal more easily than Esther, he, like her, is physically marked by his interest in healing. Again, very little is said about his burns. Maybe these parallels show that they have a lot in common, even if they never talk about it.