I wanted to talk more about the link between psychological illness and physical illness in Victorian times. We talked some about Mrs. Dedlock's long snowy walk to her death. We concluded that it was in fact the snow and could that killed her. We also concluded that because she was "mentally unstable" she stayed out in the cold and died. I went back to Ester's story of when her and Mr. Bucket were pursuing Lady Dedlock and found something interesting in the fragments of a letter they found written by Lady Dedlock. She says, "Cold, wet, and fatigue, are sufficient causes for my being found dead; but I shall die of others, though I suffer from these. It was right that all that had sustained me should give way at once, and that I should die of terror and my conscience" (Dickens, 698). It seems that Dickens is purposing a link between psychological illness and physical illness because she claims that she will "die of others" and lists her conscience as others. Dickens is suggesting that what she has done lies so heavily on her conscience that she can not live with it. Another good example of the Victorian link between psychological illness and physical illness is with Richard. In the beginning of the chapter he dies in Ester describes him as this, "Richard was extremely agitated, and was so weak and low, though his illness was still of the mind..."(Dickens, 741). It seems with the end of the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case Richards illness turns from mental to physical. Dickens leaves it up to the reader as to whether or not his mental illness was indeed part of his physical deterioration and lead to it as we discussed in class. It seems to me that the Victorians were not sure how to link the two illness together they just noticed a physical deterioration in people that were not mental stable. We know that the stress of being psychological unwell can lead to physical ailments like but without knowing how stress affected the body they were unable to figure out the link.

The Letter

The Letter
Mr. Jarndyce was out of line writing a letter of proposal to Ester. I know this sounds crazy but as her guardian he took advantage of their relationship by asking for her hand. First of all Ester is always talking about how grateful she is for every thing he has done for her and he never lets her repay him. See what she says when he mentions writing a letter to her, "Dear guardian, how could I object to your writing any thing for me to read?"(Dickens, 542). Ester still feels like Jarndyce is above her see how the word me is italicized as if she is surprised that someone of Jarndyce's stature would even write her a letter. It seems that she prepares herself to say yes even though she is not sure of it because of his status and to somehow repay him for everything he has done for her. See how she convinces herself to be happy with her decision, "When you are mistress of Bleak House, you are to be as cheerful as a bird"(Dickens, 545). The second reason she decided to except Jarndyce's proposal was because of her scars. She was afraid that part of the reason he proposed was because no other man would ever want her looking the way she did. She feels like Mr. Jarndyce is the only man that will love her and the only man she can truly trust in (which is another reason the letter is out of line). See what she thinks to herself after reading the letter, "That his generosity rose above my disfigurement, and my inheritance of shame. that the more I stood in need of such fidelity, the more firmly I might trust him to the last"(Dickens, 544). I know I have discredited a character that is very liked in the book and I think is only saving grace in his proposal is that there is no hint of him wanting a sexual relation ship, yet I do think it is selfish of him to ask her to give up her young life to finish out the end of his life and then she'll be left widowed and never having a chance for love. Ester does not see it this way at the time because of her disfigurement and her "shameful" that is why she brushes the flowers over Ada's lips and burns them because they symbolize a love she can never have and Ada has with Richard. Little does Ester know at the time that Mr. Woodcourt does love her and will not care about her scares.

In chapter six Ester criticizes Mrs. Jellyby's priorities.  Ester suggest that although Mrs. Jellyby's Africa project is noble, she should focus on her home before devoting herself to things outside the home. She says on page 113, "... it is right to begin with the obligations of home, sir; and that, perhaps while those are overlooked and neglected, no other duties can possibly be substituted for them?" Ester falls in line with the Victorian Idea that a woman's place is in the home and that should be her first and most important priority. I'm wondering if Dickens is suggesting there is a loss of this as there is more than one example of a woman who's family seems out of sorts because of her devotion to another cause. A good example is Mrs. Pardiggle, her boy's as Ester says were, "...such dissatisfied children"(Dickens, 143). Dickens suggest with these two characters that women should not be focused on things outside the home or their home and children will suffer. What does everyone else think of this idea. Do you think Dickens wanted women to stay home.