UM Honors Blog 2021-2022

 In chapter 60, there is a dinner scene in which Richard is given a very interesting description. Dickens writes that “There is a ruin of youth which is not like age; and into sluice a ruin Richard’s youth and youthful beauty had all fallen away. He ate little and seemed indifferent what is was; showed himself to be much more impatient than he used to be; and was quick, even with Ada. I thought, at first, that his old light-hearted manner was all gone; but it shone out of him sometimes… His laugh had not quite left him either; but it was like the echo of a joyful sound, and that is always sorrowful. Yet he was glad as ever, in his old affections way…” (Dickens, p 722) I like how Dickens describes the loss of Richard’s youth. I think it could be similar to a loss of innocence in the sense of children because I feel like sometimes children grow up too fast because of either circumstances or unrestricted access to certain things (i.e. the internet). I also like Dickens’ description of...

 The end of the work speaks volumes to the mood change within the book. The book opened with a very gloomy mood that the author used diction to portray. Here at the end at the closing paragraph we see a reoccurring diction about beauty. In the last paragraph it says," And don't you know you are prettier than you ever were?" I did not know that; I am not certain that I know it now. But I know that 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 has the brightest and most benevolent face that ever was seen; and that they can very well do without much beauty in me- even supposing-" (Dickens, 770). This ending is all about the beauty that is around the character. This is very paradoxical to the beginning of the book in which it talked about the ugliness surrounding this character. The character within the last paragraph points out the beauty in those al around her and prior to the p...

             Throughout literature, authors utilize endings to leave their readers with a final message or emotion they want them to feel. How Dickens ends Bleak House is very reflective of his writing style and shows the amount of care he put into his works. He final few chapters summarize many of both the major and minor characters’ lives after the contents of the story, leaving few to no loose ends. This brings a nice resolution to the story, since many readers have been thoroughly confused at one point or another over the many characters and plotlines throughout the story.             The final few chapters also bring closure for Esther as a narrator, since it describes how she has been writing to “an unknown friend” (chapter 67 pg. 767 line 13) and ends with her first-person point of view. I thought that ending the book mid-sentence with Esther saying “… without much beauty in me- even supp...

Lady Dedlock was by no means a villain in Bleak House , but she was given perhaps the most tragic death in the story. All throughout the novel, I personally was rooting for Lady Dedlock. Her individual testimony is heartbreaking in itself, in that she carried the shame of her past and was forced to hide it from everyone. I mourned with her over the loss of her identity. Lady Dedlock gave the impression that she was an arrogant, confident, and well-off individual. However, deep down she was truly vulnerable and scarred, burdened by the thoughts of failure and rejection, specifically what would happen if the fact that she bore an illegitimate daughter was revealed.  When Lady Dedlock is found dead, she is found in a graveyard specifically purposed for people who were not well known, unidentified, or dishonorable in some way. Ironically, she dies in the same cemetery as her former lover, sparking the idea that she died as her true self, her secret identity laid open for all to see. He...

      The entire case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce came to nothing. It was a net-zero case that exhausted all that it had to give. All it brought was sadness, suffering, death, and worst of all... Fog. (I couldn't resist.) The effects of the case caused the deaths of several people, the self-destruction of Richard, and allowed people like Mr. Tulkinghorn and Mr. Skimpole to thrive as parasites. It also caused untold confusion for no reason whatsoever in the end, and left Richard II fatherless. Why Ada named her child after his father, I will never understand. Does she want him to follow in his father's footsteps?      The case also was completely pointless, because it was about the wrong will. When that proper will is discovered, the previous will is no longer valid, and therefore everything in the case prior is irrelevant. At the end of it all, the case is finally resolved. No one really gains anything from the case, except for the friends they made ...

      Esther is originally engaged to Mr. Jarndyce. Mr. Woodcourt confesses his love but Esther honors her word to Jarndyce despite what her heart wants, which Woodcourt respects. After some time, Jarndyce sees how much Esther truly cares for Woodcourt and he lets her go from the engagement. She then marries Woodcourt and they are loved by everyone they meet after their hard work. Esther states that this makes up for her looks and their lack of money.       I think that this love triangle is one of the hardest to get over. All three involved are so kindhearted and pure. Each one gives up their own happiness for the other. You can see how much each person loves another or at least respects each other. Woodcourt and Jarndyce both have a mutual respect for each other, and Esther loves Woodcourt but cares for Jarndyce and wants to keep her word, even though she knows she would rather marry Woodcourt. Both men love Esther more than they care for themse...

From the beginning, I have loved Esther's character. Her detailed observations and intentional choice of details she shares with us have kept me engaged throughout the story. She is loyal and dutiful to Mr.Jarndyce and Ada throughout the story. Though she extends her overflowing compassion onto many characters. Her failed attempt with Mr.Bucket to save Lady Deadlock was heart-wrenching even though Esther chooses not to dwell on her own grief in her own narration. So close to having all the years lost with her mother only to be the one to find her dead. Only recently, even knowing it was possible to have such a reunion. Then soon after choosing to stay faithful to Mr. Jarndyce's proposal regardless of her feelings for Mr.Woodcourt. This loyalty is rewarded when Mr. Jarndyce realizes Esther was willing to be loyal over pursuing her own feelings, and Jarndyce allows her to marry Woodcourt. Jarndyce even went through the trouble of fixing up a house to be Esther's own Bleak Hou...