My Lady Dedlock // Emma Dalgety

 "My Lady Dedlock" has such a fascinating ring to it. For reasons I do not understand, the poetic nature in which Dickens describes her just adds to the mystery surrounding her. When she was first introduced as the perfect lady in the previous reading (with that nice suspenseful tidbit about the family curse), I failed to see how she was related to the plot at large. Now, however, I find myself wondering how she ISN'T related to the plot at large. If someone were to perform the sociological experiment of "six degrees of separation", in which one studies how people are connected to their various acquaintances, literally every single character would connect in some fashion to Lady Dedlock. 

Her networking has really developed to downright maddening levels. She is now related to the "accidental" death of the lodger through some wild desire to investigate it. She separately goes to Mr. Tulkinghorn and then to Jo - in scandalous secrecy, nonetheless! Even stranger is the effect she has on Esther, who cannot stop thinking about her once she meets her. (I have some predictions, but I just want to wait and see. No spoilers!!!) No matter what I feel that Dickens' plot twist may be in this area, I feel as if I am still going to miss how Lady Dedlock connects to the death of Nemo in Mr. Krook's shop. Dickens even seems to taunt his audience, as he says,

         What connexion can there have been between many people in the innumerable histories of this world, who, from opposite sides of great gulfs, have nevertheless, been very curiously       brought together! (197)

 The plot has thickened so much it's competing with the fog. 

I commented on Elijah Mahn and Abigale Bell's posts.

 

Comments

  1. The Mahn-sterNovember 2, 2021 at 12:05 AM

    Yes, at this point I would not be surprised if Lady Dedlock somehow IS the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case in physical form. She seems related to everything, like a spider in the center of a tangled web. On a side note, I wonder what the man literally named Mr. Krook has to with Nemo's death. Or if that name is just a red herring. It's hard to tell, with all the wind blowing around... And everyone's "connexions."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Mahn-sterNovember 2, 2021 at 12:10 AM

      PS: Your comment on my post was great! You brought up even more ridiculous, and hilarious, names! :)

      Delete
  2. Song WhittingtonNovember 2, 2021 at 12:15 AM

    The name rolls off the tongue quiet elegantly, no? "My Lady Dedlock," easy to say and very evident in the plot. I agree that she must play a bigger role in this whole story. Then again, it could be Dickens pulling at the strings with bigger things waiting in the wings. Also, the fog is a meme at this point, I swear.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Justin JNovember 2, 2021 at 9:32 AM

    It definitely makes sense for a woman so connected to be directly related to the case. The web of Jarndyce has grown so wide and intricately spread out that no one can escape its grasp

    ReplyDelete

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