Bleak House

The narrators: Esther Summerson is one narrator, and the other is a nameless, third-person narrator. Why is the story told in this way? What differences are there between the two narrators?

Did you find Esther Summerson’s narration to be a particularly female narrative voice? Why or why not?

Lady Dedlock outwardly acts bored with life, but inside she’s hiding a secret that could lead to her ruin. Why does she so desperately want to hide her secret? Why would it lead to her ruin?

What kind of character is Inspector Bucket? Who else in the novel engages in detection?

Harold Skimpole always refers to himself as a child, someone so simple and naïve that he doesn’t understand business affairs. How do his actions undermine his claims?

Discuss the nature of romance among the different characters in Bleak House. Consider John Jarndyce and Esther; Mr Woodcourt and Esther; Ada and Richard; and any other couples that stand out to you.

The eccentric Miss Flite sets free her birds at the end of the novel. How are the birds important or symbolic to the story? What is Miss Flite’s role throughout the novel?

Describe the role of servants in the story. Consider Charley, Rosa, Gumby, Madam Hortense.

Consider Mr. Boythorn’s unhappy life. Is Esther to blame?

Tulkinghorn is scheming and manipulative, but the Dedlock family is intricately associated with him. Why? Why is he relentless in his pursuit of the truth?

The meaning of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has been lost; the suit has dragged on for years. What do we really know about J&J? Why doesn’t Dickens’ include dramatic courtroom scenes?

What role does the legend of the Ghost Walk play in the novel?

What role does disease and “contagion” play in the story? (Consider Jo, Esther, Richard, etc.) How might it relate the rest of the novel on a symbolic level, considering Dickens’ social commentary?

What are the different kinds of “reading” in the novel? Why is literacy important? Consider Krook writing with his finger on the wall, Esther teaching her maid Charley, etc.

What is the relationship between poverty and morality in the novel? That is, who is poor, who is moral, and how do the characters in those categories overlap?

Dickens almost titled the novel “Tom All Alone’s.” What is the significance of “Tom All Alone’s” in this novel?

What is the difference between acceptance and abuse of charity in the novel? Which characters are charitable or not?

How would Lady Dedlock’s situation be different today? In what ways does her struggles parallel those faced by contemporary women? How does the era in which the novel is written during influence the story?

In Dickens’ England, we witness the emergence of the middle class and a loosening of strict class divisions. How is this represented in Bleak House?

Which aspects of his society is Dickens criticizing? Does he propose any solutions?

Lawyers and law appear throughout Bleak House. What do you think was Dickens’ view of the legal system at this time?

The novel opens with description of the fog and mire that surrounds the High Court of Chancery and much of London. What kind of London and what kind of England is depicted in the setting?

The atmosphere of Bleak House is in stark contrast to the gloominess of the other settings in the novel. Why? How does Bleak House deserve its ironic name?

How do the other settings of the novel (Chesney Wold, the Jellyby home, etc.) add to the atmosphere of the novel?

Dickens plays with many contrasts in the novel: the two narrators, “In Chancery” versus “In Fashion”; London versus Chesney Wold; the philanthropic approaches of Jarndyce and Mrs Jellyby; Bleak House and Tom-All-Alone’s. Why does Dickens show so many contrasts in the novel?

Throughout Bleak House, mothers and motherhood is a common motif. How does the role of fathers and fatherhood factor in to the novel as well?

Although Bleak House presents a bleak outlook in many ways, Dickens also creates humorous characters and situations. How do the comic and serious elements complement each other? Is the novel tragic or comic?

What justice does the detective/police in the novel represent compared to the justice as offered by the Court of Chancery and the lawyers?

What is the role of Chancery or law in the novel? Especially consider the relationship between Chancery and “chance” or fate.

How does the novel play with language?

Bleak House was initially published as a serial, with many installments ending with a cliffhanger. How might this have affected initially reader’s thoughts on the novel’s theme or feelings about the characters?