Happily Ever After // Abigale Bell

What an ending! I love to compare the end of a story to the beginning and see the growth or progression that has taken place. In Bleak House there is a striking difference between the first and last pages. 

At the beginning of the story the reader is drowned in the muck and mire of the city. It is winter and cold. There is "fog everywhere. Fog up the river, where it flows among the green aits 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" (Dickens, 17). Overall, the reader has a sense of gloom and death from the city. 

In contrast, when Esther speaks at the end of the story, it is summer. She speaks of the beauty in her life. Here, the reader has a feeling of warmth and satisfaction. 

"'The moon is shining so brightly, Allen, and the night is so delicious, that I have been sitting here thinking...my dearest little pets are very pretty, and that my darling is very beautiful, and that my husband is very handsome, and that my guardian had the brightest and most benevolent face that ever was seen...'" (881). 

Esther looks back on her life and sees all the beauty she has gained from it. Perhaps this is Dickens' final critique of the London he knew. The Jarndyce and Jarndyce case has fizzled to an end though not in the interest of anyone in the family. The lawyers have dispersed to continue about their lives as if nothing has changed. Sir Leicester has fallen into a dismal life at Chesney Wold and Chesney Wold has fallen into neglect. Yet Esther, who chose to be disinterested in the case and the secrecy and deception of Chancery, has found happiness. She has gained a family and a home at the new Bleak House that seems completely contradictory to her surroundings. She has lost her own beauty, but gained the beauty of those around her. To me, this is the fantasy with which Dickens concludes his story in an attempt to show the reader what life could be like for a London reformed. With Esther's happy ending, Dickens asks this question of Londoners, "wouldn't you like a happy ending too?" 


Commented on Raygan's and Elijah's posts. 

Comments

  1. Emma LandryNovember 15, 2021 at 6:52 PM

    This is a great post, Abigale! With all of the wildness of the final events of the story, I had not considered this stark contrast in imagery. The mood is definitely lifted at the end of the story. Even in light of the tragic deaths of Lady Dedlock and Richard, Esther gets a joyful ending. It is beautiful to see her happy after the heaviness of the misery she has experienced. I also love your take on how Dickens is specifically posing a question to Londoners themselves. This fits since London is often depicted as a dreary place.
    -Emma Landry

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  2. Taylor ViceNovember 15, 2021 at 7:53 PM

    I too noticed how the scenery definitely contrasted from the scenery at the beginning of the novel. In the beginning everything was gloomy and no one seemed to be happy. However, at the end the scenery reflected the emotions felt from Esther and the other characters who received a happy ending. In the works of both Dickens and the other authors we have read, imagery is very important in foreshadowing events that occur throughout the story. // Taylor Vice

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  3. Emily ThullesenNovember 15, 2021 at 10:21 PM

    Your post is great! I definitely agree about the scenery change. Dickens does a phenomenal job of conveying the mood through setting and imagery, and the change from the beginning of the novel to the end dramatically shows the turn of events. I especially love how in the ending of the novel, Dickens sets a mood of hopefulness for the future.
    - Emily Thullesen

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