Going through the motions // Ian Blair

    Ever feel like you just live the same week several times, over and over? Yeah, I have those seasons of life too. Us being students, we have our schedules dictated by the classes we take, commitments we focus toward, extra hobbies and gifts we pick up and/or cultivate, etc. The sense of being on auto-pilot or the same events occurring repeatedly in an intriguing feeling, and this feeling is generally found relatable by many in society. In Bleak House, this feeling is a major theme that describes the world Dickens is building. Routine and repetition are commonly seen with world-building elements such as the heavy fog constantly around the court, the man from Shropshire always yelling "My Lord!", the elderly woman consistently in attendance with her "documents," and more. The conflict at hand between Jarndyce and Jarndyce has drudged on for so long it has actually become routine to not even care about it anymore, which says a lot about the conflict itself. We see just how bad this drudging case has gotten late in book I:

"Innumerable children have been born into the cause; innumerable old people have died out of it. Scores of persons have deliriously found themselves made parties in Jarndyce and Jarndyce, without knowing how or why; whole families have inherited legendary hatreds with the suit. The little plaintiff or defendant, who was promised a new rocking horse when Jarndyce and Jarndyce should be settled, has grown up, possessed himself of a real horse, and trotted way into the other world." (Dickens, 8).

Well folks, that last line just had me cracking up. How in the world do you not just let the case drop when the original people involved have all become to old to care about the dispute anymore? I thought this was a legal lawsuit, not a literary season of keeping up with the Kardashians! On a more serious note, there comes a point in time when SOMETHING has to give right? This never-ending dance that stalemates has to experience a break in the cycle. In the same way, when we are experiencing seasons of apathy or lethargy, it is better for us to break that cycle by progressively doing more productive things than to simply wallow in a potentially toxic routine. My first introduction to Charles Dickens did not disappoint, and I look forward to seeing how the story unfolds later on.


I commented on Emma Dalgety's and Isabelle's posts.

Comments

  1. The Mahn-sterOctober 25, 2021 at 10:23 PM

    I completely understand the autopilot thing. The way Dickens writes tends to put me in autopilot due to its inherent redundancy. But when he is not being redundant, the narrative beneath it is very well made, with complex interwoven plots everywhere. If only it weren't so repetitive, then the reader could actually focus on the story rather than be frustrated at his bringing up fog for the umpteenth time.

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  2. Emma DOctober 25, 2021 at 10:27 PM

    I agree that Dickens does emphasize routine... one part of his incredibly-incisive commentary is that he is quick to critique when certain routines are detrimental. The court case is an obvious example, but the worst to me was Mrs. Pardiggle. She was so awful, and made her daily rounds gathering subscriptions for various causes that didn't matter or help at all, instead doing serious emotional harm to her family. It's almost as if Dickens is pointing out that some routines really do more harm than good, and that it may be a good idea to examine both the underlying reasons/ consequences of the habits.

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  3. Song WhittingtonOctober 25, 2021 at 11:00 PM

    I resonated with your opening paragraph. Honestly, I've been going through some of the motions as of late. Also, the comparison to the Kardashians? Top notch, 10/10 reference. It made me laugh, which is a nice release given my numbness from today. Nice post, Ian.

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