Grief Over Lady Dedlock /// Emma Landry

    It seemed inevitable that Lady Dedlock would meet a tragic end. Leading up to the awful discovery of her demise, the interminable journey through the dark, cold, and snow foreshadowed nothing but despair. After Lady Dedlock had already been missing for many hours, hopes of a positive outcome were slim. The crew at Chesney Wold attempt to comfort Sir Leicester, entertaining his desperate assertions of her impending return. His obsession with having her rooms prepared for her is the most heartbreaking thing of all, especially as Mrs. Rouncewell's concerns are remembered over and over again. "The day comes like a phantom. Cold, colourless, and vague, it sends a warning streak before it of a deathlike hue, as if it cried out, 'Look what I am bringing you, who watch there! Who will tell them?" (LVIII.29-32). Everyone is clearly anticipating the discovery of a deceased Lady Dedlock. After so long without a trace, it is logical that her survival is unlikely, especially in light of the frigid conditions. The echo of "who will tell him?" is especially poignant because it echoes the readers' thoughts. We share this sense of foreboding with the kindly housekeeper.

    I was quite shocked by the twist of Lady Dedlock and Jenny switching clothes. It is frustrating for both Inspector Bucket and for the audience to realize that such a simple switch prevented Lady Dedlock's safe recovery. It is terribly ironic that Lady Dedlock chooses the burial place of Captain Hawdon as her own resting ground because of the unexpected and undiscovered reaction of her husband to learning of her past. Expecting Sir Leicester to cast her out and hate her forever for ruining his reputation, she does not even stay around to see his love put to the test. Instead, she runs to the only one whom she believes has ever loved her (though he is below ground). She is sadly unaware that Sir Leicester's admiration for her runs so deep that he still accepts her wholeheartedly. Her worth is undiminished in his eyes. However, she never has the chance to learn of the fullness of his devotion because of her own self-hate, shame, and worry. This miscommunication that breeds fatal consequences feels awfully Shakespearean. If only each party knew the full picture instead of making assumptions, such heart-wrenching circumstances could be prevented.

    Esther is in a very concerning place once she discovers her mother's fate. Dickens uses blunt diction at the end of Chapter 59 when she finds Lady Dedlock's body. "And it was my mother, cold and dead," Esther says in lines 48-49. This particular language emphasizes how jarring the sight is for her. Then, Chapter 60 quickly switches to Esther neatly wrapping up this narrative thread, saying that she will not harp on her sorrow and merely mentioning that she has been consoled during her time of illness that has followed. However, she does not explore her grief any further in the final pages, making me wonder whether she simply suppressed it and did not process it. Such a complex situation as Esther's requires time to work through, and there is nothing selfish about doing so (despite what she says). Although she does not experience grief like Sir Dedlock's, it is feasible that she mourns that she will never get the chance to know and spend time with her mother. This is still a valid type of grief, but she invalidates her feelings by suppressing them and refusing to discuss them further. There may not be much to say on the situation because she never knew her mother well, but what she does feel is still important. Since her story ends on such a happy note with her union to Allan Woodcourt, hopefully her unresolved grief for her mother does not cast a shadow on her relationship with her husband down the line. 

 

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