Bleak House Novel by Charles Dickens

234 views 3 pages ~ 786 words Print

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Bleak House is a novel by Charles Dickens. Originally published as a serial in 1852, the book consists of many characters and sub-plots. The story is told in parts by the heroine Esther Summerson and partly by an omniscient narrator.

Esther Summerson

Esther Summerson’s Bleak House is a novel by British author Jeanette Winterson. Set in a fictional town in the 19th century, the novel is a well-written, moving story of a woman who finds happiness despite her terrible circumstances. It is an affecting read that will leave readers wanting more.

The novel starts with Esther’s birthday, which is one of the melancholic days of the year. Her sad, bleak godmother tries to convince Esther of her predictions - she goes to church three times on Sundays, prays in the mornings, and attends lectures on improving herself. She has her doubts, but she must accept the grim godmother’s words.

Esther’s life is made even more difficult when she contracts smallpox. Although the disease is never explicitly mentioned, the scarring on her face only adds to her feelings of unworthiness. Richard, on the other hand, accepts Esther’s arguments without rancor. But he finds it difficult to settle down to his job.

John Jarndyce

The title character of John Jarndyce’s Bleak House is a familiar one. He is a wealthy, philanthropic man, and he takes in orphans as wards. In spite of a lawsuit, Jarndyce tries to live in harmony with the world around him.

Jarndyce’s pet names for Esther focus on her agelessness and the fact that she is past her sexual prime. Esther is only twenty, so calling her an “old woman” would be a misnomer in Dickensian England. Nonetheless, Esther’s pet names highlight the way she feels in social settings.

The story is set in 1890, when the Jarndyce family is suffering from financial trouble. After a series of setbacks, their estate has been nearly depleted, and Richard has a breakdown in the courtroom. He is subsequently diagnosed with late-stage tuberculosis. In the meantime, Esther marries her former lover Woodcourt and raises a family on the Jarndyce estate.

Lady Dedlock

Lady Dedlock has a long and troubled past. She keeps the world at arm’s length out of fear. She has come to believe that her husband cannot forgive her for her immoral acts. However, this is only true in her mind. The truth is much more complicated.

While her parents died before Esther was born, she is raised by Lady Dedlock and her spartan sister Miss Barbary, who is also her aunt. When Miss Barbary dies, Chancery lawyer Conversation Kenge is appointed to look after her future. Then, he instructs John Jarndyce, who becomes Esther’s guardian and brings her to Bleak House. In addition to Esther, Lady Dedlock’s sister Miss Barbary takes care of the younger Esther while she is ill. When Esther gets smallpox, Lady Dedlock waits for her to recover before telling her.

In the meantime, Lady Dedlock pays Jo to visit her dead lover’s grave. Tulkinghorn, however, believes that her secret will put Sir Leicester Dedlock at risk. Therefore, she enlists the help of the maid, who despises her.

Tulkinghorn

Bleak House is a classic example of Victorian literature, with bleak characters and dark themes. The depressing atmosphere is made worse by a murder. It is a murder mystery set in the Victorian age, with the narrator as the main character. The murder is not the central plot, but the mystery of the identity of the killer. It is Dickens’ first detective novel, and may have been the inspiration for the character Inspector Bucket.

Tulkinghorn is not a noble man; he’s willing to deal with corrupt clients. He’s also a great manipulator, and is adept at persuading people to do what he wants. Lady Dedlock admires the façade of Mr. Tulkinghorn, but she eventually kills him.

Woodcourt

The protagonist of Woodcourt, bleak house, Esther, is a young woman who is deeply in love with Mr. Woodcourt. She has been in love with him for almost a decade, but their relationship is strained by their differences. However, despite her many problems, Esther is determined to make her relationship work. As she learns more about Mr. Woodcourt, she realizes that he is the man she truly loves.

In his quest to help the woman, Mr. Woodcourt learns that the woman was hit by her husband, a bricklayer. The woman had a child that had recently died and had a home in Saint Albans. When Woodcourt hears this, he is moved to take action. He then chases after the boy, thinking that he’s stealing a car.

September 20, 2022
Category:

Literature

Subcategory:

Books

Subject area:

Bleak House

Number of pages

3

Number of words

786

Downloads:

63

Writer #

Rate:

5

Expertise Bleak House
Verified writer

Tony is a caring and amazing writer who will help you with anything related to English literature. As a foreign exchange student, I received the best kind of help. Thank you so much for being there for me!

Hire Writer

Use this essay example as a template for assignments, a source of information, and to borrow arguments and ideas for your paper. Remember, it is publicly available to other students and search engines, so direct copying may result in plagiarism.

Eliminate the stress of research and writing!

Hire one of our experts to create a completely original paper even in 3 hours!

Hire a Pro