Structural Importance of Character Development Through the Use of Suspense and Expansion of Esther Summerson
Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House is divided into twenty eventful installments that are compelling and rich in detail. Each installment is crafted through his working notes which correspond to each book that was released when it was sold serially. The tenth installment chapters 30 through 32, marks the end of the first half of the story in which many events begin to unfold. Secrets and connections are being emphasized heavily in this section. Dickens’ working notes prove that his use of planning and time is one that is well crafted in a sense that he knew how to create a suspenseful ending to the first arc. Many characters are present in this installment, but one proves to always steal the spotlight: Esther Summerson. Being the main character, and the only first-person narrator, Esther plays a pivotal role in propelling the plot’s eventful cliffhanger. Dickens highlights Esther’s narrative and character development in the tenth installment and his working notes display the significant planning he made to make sure her voice and plotline continue after this first half’s ending.
Dickens uses the ensemble of characters to push Esther’s character forward without making Esther be the center of the problems. The tenth installment starts with Caddy’s wedding then transitions to Esther’s meeting with Jo for the first time. After Esther’s narrative, the last chapter of this installment switches back to the omniscient third-person narrator who follows the story of Weevle and Mr. Guppy who discovers the mysterious death of Krook. In the first chapter, chapter 30, Dickens does a fantastic job of using his ensemble of characters to help push Esther’s character development forward for the next half of the book. Many secrets and connections begin to build during this installment which makes sense considering this marks the halfway point of the story. The first character that Dickens used is Mrs. Woodcourt, the mother of Allan Woodcourt. Dickens uses Mrs. Woodcourt to give hints on the future of Esther’s love and marriage in the future. Looking at his working notes, Mrs. Woodcourt’s name is the first of many on the list meaning she did play a role and was not a minor character for the sake of time and space. When we inspect it further, Dickens does a great job of using Mrs. Woodcourt to help build Esther as a person who we notice does take part in love and marriage. For example, in the scene between Esther and Mrs. Woodcourt, we get the dialogue:
“It is, my dear, a great thing,” Mrs Woodcourt would reply. “it has its disadvantages; my son’s choice of a wife, for instance, is limited by it, but the matrimonial choice of the Royal family is limited in much the same manner,” (470).
Dickens added Mrs. Woodcourt into this part of the novel to help juxtapose the possible romantic route of Allan and Esther. Esther comes from a poor background and Mrs. Woodcourt emphasizing that her son should marry someone with a high status says a lot of what Esther is not. It is also interesting that Dickens writes Mrs. Woodcourt in because there is a wedding that occurs in this chapter. This introduction of the character could just be a possible foreshadowing of the marriage between Esther and Allan by the end of the novel.
Another interesting note from Dickens’ writing notes is his phrase of “Dawn of Esther’s,” which he adds on the left-hand side of the sheet. Again, this highlights Dickens’s intentions in developing Esther’s narrative. This was difficult to understand the actual meaning considering the phrase is not part of any dialogue or scene in this installment. By close reading it, I have found a possible reason why Dickens phrased it this way and why he added it into the story. First, Dickens uses the possessive form of Esther meaning something of Esther or something about Esther will begin to unfold in this installment. I have found two instances where he could have possibly meant by this; both instances I found are present in chapter 31. The first one being the scene with Jo and Esther’s meeting for the first time. The dialogue/scene that sparked the most interest to me to connect to Dickens’ note is Jo’s line of:
“She looks to me the t’other one. It ain’t the bonnet, nor yet it ain’t the gownd, but she looks to me the t’other one,’” (490).
To give more context, Jo sees Esther for the first time and mistaken her to be Lady Dedlock, the woman with the bonnet he met before. By adding this line said by Jo, Dickens could be setting up Esther’s narrative to coincide with Lady Dedlock’s reveal to be her mother in the next installment. This could be the “dawn” Dickens was referring to because it gives rise to Esther’s life and her real parents.
The other instance where I saw Dickens’ possibly reference to Esther’s dawn is the sequence with Charley’s illness, another note that Dickens made alongside “Dawn of Esther’s.” While Esther is taking care of Charley, we get a line where we can notice the sickness can cause severe alterations of the skin. Esther says:
“I was very sorrowful to think that Charley’s pretty looks would change and be disfigured…” (500).
This line could have possibly been a foreshadow of the dangers of this illness to which Esther becomes the next one to contract it. Dickens shows that the illness can cause someone’s pretty looks to become altered and ugly, this sets up a great change in Esther’s character as it is later revealed that her looks were altered because of this illness. This was the dawn of Esther’s downfall from her looks. Considering this is the tenth installment, Dickens does a fantastic job of leaving Esther’s narrative on a cliffhanger to allow this space of provoking suspense to our main character. When the chapter ends, we get the line of Esther saying:
“I believe it, my dear Charley. And now come and sit beside me for a little while, and touch me with your hand. For I cannot see you, Charley; I am blind,” (504).
It is also evident that Dickens intentionally did this because this is the halfway mark to the story; it allows readers to wonder about Esther’s whereabouts in time for the second arc to start. This is a great ending and set up Dickens created because it allows room for Esther’s character to develop further. Since this is the last instance of Esther’s narrative in this installment, readers will be left with many questions and concerns on what will happen next to our dear narrator in the next half of the novel.
In Dickens’ working notes on the tenth installment, there is a complete sentence that caught my eye. The reason this intrigued me was that it was a complete thought compared to the short phrases and words that he adds on the page. It’s not a character’s name, it’s not a place or event, it’s an actual sentence that conveys a deep meaning to his entire novel. The sentence on his notes said, “Esther’s love must be kept in view, to make the coming trial the great and the victory the more meritorious.” What he is conveying is that Esther’s love must be apparent but subtle so that the journey to the end will be rewarding and victorious for readers, Esther, and Dickens. This note could refer to many of Esther’s love but particularly it could be a foreshadowing of the love between Esther and Allan or Esther and Jarndyce, more heavily on the former though. With a more complete idea and thought about Esther’s love it could mean that Dickens wanted to signify this important event/theme. Since this appears in the tenth installment (halfway through the novel) which allows readers to recollect their opinions and thoughts on Esther’s narrative. Again, Dickens is focusing on Esther’s character development, a common theme that this installment seems to have. It exemplifies his intentions of making Esther a dynamic character compared to the rest of the cast. Most of the cast have had their struggles and love affairs but not Esther. So, by setting this development in the halfway mark of the novel, it’ll allow for depth and space to be added to her character.
I stand by my argument that Dickens’ does an amazing job of planning his tenth installment to set up Esther’s character. He does wonders with his notes and novel to ensure that Esther becomes a character of significance and depth. The careful planning of his working notes gives more deep thoughts on how to set up this suspenseful and engaging ending to the first half of the novel. It also speaks that Dickens’s intent on Esther was due to careful inspection of how to keep things hidden while making things apparent. It proves his careful craft in making sure other characters will help drive this character development further without taking the spotlight of his focus who happens to be Esther. Esther’s development through the story is marked by this installment and, incredibly, Dickens planned these careful steps to ensure her development is successful and meaningful to the novel.