[...] The aim of the present paper is to show that the dual narrative does not undercut the idea of connectedness despite its divisive appearance. Some subtasks will pave the way for this conclusion. I will first give some examples of how major elements of the no vel are interlinked. Chancery will prove as the emblem of the corruption that has spread far beyond the doors of the law courts and touches upon all the social classes. Tom-all-Alone’s and the aristocracy, poor and rich, have secrete links, some created vo luntarily, some created less voluntarily. Second, I will characterise the two narrators separately, with Esther being analysed both in her narrating function and in her role as a character of Bleak House. The analysis of the effect of combining the two tellers will lead to a result different from that of a mere glance at the of surface of the structure. I will show how the narrators’ accounts are juxtaposed and thereby reinforce each other, and how their unification yields what Graham Storey calls a “third dimension”, an overlapping of two different view points causing a deeper perception of the Bleak House world (20). However, I will also show a negative interpretation of the relationship between the two narrators by following Patricia Ingham’s essay on deixis in Bleak House. Finally, all the relationships will hint at a system within which the holders of the ties are kept: “Dickens wanted […] the reader to perceive the world of Bleak House in terms of surface disconnection and isolation, and underlying unity […] Bleak House stands or falls as a portrayal as a system” (Hawthorn 63). My thesis is that Bleak House teaches the reader how to combine apparently loose and disconnected elements and look at them as a system. This task posed and carried out by the plot of the novel is simultaneously mirrored in its form. The double narration sends the reader on a quest to find Esther and the 3rd person narrator as two sides of one coin, independent in terms of their nature, but relating to a common situation.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Connectedness and the double narrative in Charles Dickens’s Bleak House – An apparent contradiction
2.1 Connectedness: Links between Chancery, the upper, middle and working classes and Tom-all-Alone’s
2.1.1 An account of the historical context: Dickens and the Victorian grievances
2.1.2 Local connectedness
2.1.3 Physical and lingual connectedness
2.1.4 Family ties and thematic connectedness
2.2 Apparent discontinuity: the double narrative
2.2.1 The third person narrator
2.2.2 Esther as a character and as a narrator
2.2.3 The superimposition of the two narratives
3 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper examines the apparent contradiction in Charles Dickens's Bleak House between the thematic emphasis on universal connectedness and the formal disruption caused by the novel's dual narrative structure. It aims to demonstrate that despite the divisive effect of utilizing two distinct narrators, the narrative structure ultimately reinforces the novel's systemic portrayal of society.
- The relationship between Chancery and various social classes.
- Victorian social grievances as depicted in the novel.
- The role and function of the anonymous third-person narrator.
- Esther Summerson's dual role as character and narrator.
- The effects of superimposing two distinct narrative perspectives.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.1 An account of the historical context: Dickens and the Victorian grievances
Dickens, like several other 19th century writers, tried to brand the grievances of his time. Excessive child labour, bad sanitary conditions in the slums and the negative side effects of the industrialisation became topics which were depicted and criticised in many novels of the time (Nünning 9). Dickens was particularly concerned with five issues, all of which have found their way into Bleak House (Storey 1): First, there is Chancery with its lawsuits going on for ages and with the costs exceeding the value of the originally contested object. The consequences of such complex cases are mirrored in the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce. Miss Flite, Gridley and Richard are only some of the victims which fall prey to a system which John Jarndyce describes as a “an infernal country-dance of costs and fees and nonsense and corruption” (88; ch. 8).
Second, Dickens raises his voice against “the establishment […] of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in England”, which denies the hard facts about reality and seeks to promote an obtrusive amount of religious learning (Storey 1 and 4). When Mrs Pardiggle vistits the brickmakers’ hovel, she reads eagerly from a religious book and does not notice that it is of little use to people whose most important need is a trifle like clean water (98-99; ch. 8). The fact that a baby is dying during her self-complacent speeches escapes her notice completely.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the core tension in Bleak House between disconnection and universal relationship, establishing the thesis that the dual narrative supports rather than undermines the novel’s systemic unity.
2 Connectedness and the double narrative in Charles Dickens’s Bleak House – An apparent contradiction: This section explores how links between social institutions, physical locations, and characters across different classes create a cohesive, albeit problematic, systemic structure.
3 Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that while the narrative structure initially suggests discontinuity, it ultimately mirrors the complex, interconnected reality of Victorian society depicted in the text.
Keywords
Charles Dickens, Bleak House, Connectedness, Double Narrative, Chancery, Victorian Social Grievances, Esther Summerson, Third-Person Narrator, Systemic Structure, Discontinuity, Social Reform, Literary Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core argument of this paper?
The paper argues that despite the "episodic and disconnected" impression created by the dual narrative, Bleak House actually illustrates a profound interconnectedness between all social classes and institutions.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The analysis focuses on Dickens's criticism of Victorian social grievances, the symbolic corruption of the Court of Chancery, and the interplay between individual experience and systemic reality.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to prove that the dual narrative structure does not undercut the novel's thematic commitment to unity, but rather provides a "double vision" that deepens the reader's understanding of the system.
What scientific methodology is utilized?
The paper employs a literary analysis approach, synthesizing secondary criticism from scholars like Jeremy Hawthorn, Graham Storey, and Patricia Ingham to evaluate narrative form and thematic content.
What does the main body discuss?
The main body examines local, physical, and thematic connections between characters and locations, followed by an analysis of the two narrators' distinct functions and the effect of their superimposition.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include connectedness, double narrative, Victorian social grievances, Chancery, systemic portrayal, and narrative objectivity versus subjectivity.
How does the author define the function of the third-person narrator?
The author identifies the third-person narrator as a source of objectivity and comprehensive vision who provides the "official" view of the novel's opaque and systemic corruption.
What does the analysis conclude about Esther's narrative?
The paper concludes that Esther's first-person narrative provides the "truth of individual experience," which complements the third-person narrator's wider systemic scope rather than merely being a subsidiary or redundant account.
- Quote paper
- Anne Thoma (Author), 2004, Connectedness and the double narrative in Charles Dickens's "Bleak House" - an apparent contradiction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/22008
