Introduction
Charles Dickens’s Bleak House tells a complex and drawn-out narrative that stitches itself together through its publication in monthly installments. The sixth installment of Bleak House stands out for many reasons within the narrative, but many of those can be summarized into one phrase: it acts as a real beginning. Up to this point, Dickens had been giving his readers the traditional introduction to characters and their dynamics, but the sixth installment is where the plot truly begins to reveal itself. Throughout this installment, the reader is given the first concrete starting points of Richard’s declining character, Esther and Mr. Woodcourt’s romance, Lady Dedlock and Esther’s connection, Hortense’s anger, Jo’s struggles, and Mr. Guppy’s investigations just to name a few. The sixth installment of Bleak House is significant within the entirety of the narrative because it acts as the true beginning to many of the plot lines that define and characterize the novel.
Summary of Installment
This installment was published in August of 1852. It consists of chapters 17-19, entitled Esther’s Narrative, Lady Dedlock, and Moving On, respectively. In the chapter “Esther’s Narrative,” the scene opens on a visit between the Bleak House residents (Ada, Esther, and Mr. Jarndyce) and Mr. and Mrs. Badger — Mr. Badger being the doctor who agreed to take Richard on as an apprentice. They all speculate about Richard’s true feelings on the medical profession and if he is fit for it. Later, when Richard talks on that same subject with Esther and Ada, the readers see that he himself knows he’s not suited to it and he decides to change to a career in law. Mr. Jarndyce allows it, but warns Richard to be careful not to make that kind of mistake again. Later, Mr. Allan Woodcourt and his mother visit Bleak House before his departure from the country. Mr. Woodcourt secretly leaves flowers for Esther after his mother has left.
In “Lady Dedlock,” the narrative begins with a time skip and the Bleak House residents, and Mr. Skimpole, traveling to visit Mr. Boythorn in Lincolnshire. During their visit, in the little church where all the neighbors gather, Esther and Lady Dedlock lock eyes for the first time. Esther’s left strangely distraught, but another week passes before they meet again, having both taken refuge from a rainstorm in the same lodge. After the storm, Lady Dedlock leaves Hortense behind to walk home in the rain.
In “Moving On,” Dickens takes his readers back to London during the summer, when the court is on vacation. This part of the narrative focuses on the Snagsby’s and Chadband’s dinner together that is interrupted by a policeman bringing Jo, who is under arrest, to Snagsby’s care since he refuses to “move on.” Jo laments his situation, Mr. Chadband tries to give him a sermon and fails, and the chapter ends with Jo looking up at the cross of St. Paul’s cathedral.
Beginnings within “Esther’s Narrative”
Richard’s Declining Character
Even the working notes for this installment begin with noting the introduction of Richard’s unreliability. The image provided is a modern representation of the working notes.
The first two questions that Dickens asks himself in regard to this installment center around introducing and developing Richard’s character. This ‘introduction of his unreliability’ plays a significant part to the rest of Richard’s life in Bleak House. This acts as the beginning to his many career changes, careless money habits, obsession with Jarndyce and Jarndyce, and eventual tragic death. In turn, his unreliable character affects not only his life, but Ada’s as well — he leaves behind a wife and child, all because of the series of events that stems directly from this chapter within the narrative.
Esther and Mr. Woodcourt’s Romance
Up to this point, Esther had no interest in romantic relationships, as evidenced by her refusal of Mr. Guppy’s proposal.
Yet this chapter is where Dickens chooses to introduce Esther’s budding romance with Mr. Woodcourt, as evidenced by the working notes for the sixth installment, as shown here. They don’t even have a conversation or anything of the sort — Mr. Woodcourt simply leaves behind a bouquet of flowers that have an unmistakable romantic intention. This is to set up Esther’s eventual happy ending. This setting up of Esther’s happy ending is noted elsewhere in the working notes, in the spread for the tenth installment regarding Esther’s illness. 
As far back as the sixth installment, Dickens was setting up the victory conditions for Esther in the narrative of Bleak House, and that in itself is significant to the narrative as a whole.
Beginnings within “Lady Dedlock”
Lady Dedlock and Esther
Dickens had planned the connection between Lady Dedlock and Esther since the first installment, as evidenced by the working notes for that installment.
However, the sixth installment is where they first have any sort of significant interaction. Dickens himself noted that this was the beginning of something major by simply underlining both their names three times in the working notes for this installment. This is important to note, given that throughout Dickens’s working notes he rarely underlines things more than twice.
Within the finished narrative, this initial meeting sets up the possibility of a connection between the two through Esther’s distress at seeing her and the similarities that are noticed between them by other characters. Lady Dedlock and Esther’s connection is one of the biggest mysteries of the first half of Bleak House, and it is their connection that leads Esther on the wild chase with Mr. Bucket after Lady Dedlock’s secret is revealed as well as Lady Dedlock to her demise.
The Characterization of Hortense
In this installment, the readers finally find out the name of the Frenchwoman who has been seen in the company of Lady Dedlock: Hortense. With Lady Dedlock leaving her behind at the lodge after the rainstorm, the readers get to see how Hortense reacts to having her pride injured. 
The significance of introducing her passionate and dangerous tendencies leads Dickens to leave the image of her walking home barefoot through rain-soaked grass as the final image of this chapter — as something the readers need to hold onto in their minds. Dickens introduces the beginning of her grudge against Lady Dedlock, which comes into play later with Hortense’s attempt to frame Lady Dedlock for the murder of Mr. Tulkinghorn.
Beginnings within “Moving On”
Jo’s Struggles
It is in this installment that Jo becomes a recurring character in Bleak House, due to his part in leading the disguised Lady Dedlock on a tour of the locations that concerned Nemo, her long lost love. Dickens includes Jo breaking down on Mr. Snagsby’s doorstep over his station in life, saying, “I’ve always been a moving and a moving on, ever since I was born. Where can I possibly move to, sir…” (308). 
This struggle with Jo not having a place in the world leads to his eventual connection with Esther and him infecting her with his illness, as well as his eventual death surrounded by kind strangers. This initial introduction of his struggle introduces the rest of his character arc within the narrative.
Mr. Guppy’s Investigation
In this installment, we see the interest that Mr. Guppy is taking in regards to Lady Dedlock as well as Esther’s parentage. Dickens noted that Mr. Guppy would be an important character to carry though this installment in the working notes. 
Dickens does not specify any further than “yes,” but Mr. Guppy is the one who questions Jo when the policeman drops him off at Snagsby’s. This is significant in that it is the beginning of Mr. Guppy’s investigation which reveals, at least to the reader, the connection between Lady Dedlock and Esther.
Conclusion
After the characters are introduced and the scene is set, the plot can take the starring role in the narrative — to many readers, that point where the plot takes precedent is the point in which they become invested in the narrative and what it has to say. Therefore, it can be argued that the sixth installment of Bleak House can be seen as the true beginning of the meaningful narratives within the novel since it introduces the main motivations or connections between characters in a way that isn’t evident upon first introducing them.