Dense Fog // Raygan Boster

     The presence of fog is everywhere in Bleak House. It is used to describe almost every setting that is presented to us. For example, "Fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among green acts and meadows; fog down the river, where it rolls defiled among the tiers of shipping and the waterside pollutions of a great (and dirty) city... Fog in the eyes and throats of ancient Greenwich pensioners, wheezing by the fireside of their wards;" (13). Saying the fog is in the eyes and throats of pensioners real shows how thick, dense, and widespread this fog is. The idea of having fog literally in your throat is a rather uncomfortable feeling. This isn't the only place where fog is mentioned either. There are multiple other places throughout the first eleven chapters where fog is used to set the scene. It presents the idea that you cannot get away from it, no matter where you go. It really sets up a dark and gloomy environment leading up to the gloomy events that are about to happen in the following chapters. 

    A parallel to the fog is how unclear the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case is. We do not know any details or even a general idea about who or what this case is about. The narrator says "No man alive knows what it means," which is perplexing. Overall, when referring to this lawsuit, the only thing we retain is that it is confusing to almost everyone, including the reader. Not only does the confusion of fog apply here, but also the overall gloomy feel of it as well. The narrator says that "no man's nature has been made better" by the happenings of this case. The gloominess extends further into the chapters when we see how Esther is treated and sent away after her godmother, who really is her aunt, passes away unexpectedly. According to the text, this lawsuit has been going on for a long time. This reinforces the fact that no matter what you cannot escape this. 

    Going into the idea of confusion further, when Esther arrives at the house to begin with, it gets lost behind the trees. This is a subtle but effective form of foreshadowing, for we see later that this house is not normal and understanding it is increasingly difficult. First, the layout and decoration of the house is not normal, referring to when Esther describes it as confusing, maze like, with many rooms and mismatched furniture. As the story goes on, the happenings in this house become less than typical, introducing Mr. Skimpole and Mr. Boythorn. 

I commented on Abigale Bell and the one entitled The Chaotic "Secret Garden"