Dear Serial Readers,
I'd like to start with Dickens's extended trope of the epidemic, that "moral infection" that corrupts British society (both at home and overseas), from Bleeding Heart Yard and the Circumlocution Office to "Britons" in Rome (the black Thames and the yellow Tiber). This disease concerns financial speculation, the widespread practice of investing in a paper economy where value is removed from the objects (bills) that stand in for real worth. In the conversation between Arthur and Pancks, his "Eastern pipe" is a steady prop, a reminder of British international speculation and the traces of imperial investments threaded through the novel.
This is what I find so intriguing in many of Dickens' novels--he seems to caution his readers against ruthless, unchecked, self-serving financial speculation at the same time that he's clearly a proponent of literary speculation. By this kind of speculation, I mean the wonder of reading, the play of conjecturing about outcomes without knowing for certain. Even realism might be like financial speculation in a paper economy: after all, realist novels pose analogies between fictional and real worlds, one standing in for the other, but crucially different. Both Arthur and Amy are good speculators, characters who wonder at the world, who are curious about others, but are also risk-aversive.
In this installment, Fanny seems a dangerous speculator in her engagement to Sparkler: she seems to know he's a bad penny along with his Merdles connections, but she's determined to take "her own imperious self-willed step" into the marriage. Amy, however, does not adhere to speculations of this sort, since she tells her sister that poverty is better than marriage without love. This makes me think that Amy will either end up with Arthur or alone. Fanny also identifies Mrs. General as a kindred speculator, and seems to think she'll be the next Mrs. Dorrit. And here Fanny chooses her poison, Mrs. Merdle rather than Mrs G as mother-in-law, or the position of wife rather than daughter. Marriage is the kind of speculation women are usually able to pursue in Dickens' universe.
Further speculations on Serial Readers: we have five installments left of Dorrit, which will bring us to late July. Our next serial novel will be Wilkie Collins' THE MOONSTONE, first serialized in Dickens's magazine ALL THE YEAR ROUND in weekly installments in 1868. Once again, I'd like to speed up this slow reading schedule and suggest that we read each week the four weekly installments published by Dickens' magazine each month. This means we'd take eight weeks to read THE MOONSTONE instead of eight months. The reading each week will be longer than usual, probably closer to 70-80 pp rather than 40+pp. With some advance notice, I thought this might be manageable. Let me know what you think of this plan!
Serially speculating,
Susan
2 comments:
I think the Moonstone method sounds do-able!
I also liked this section--especially the way everyone in Italy knew Sparkler's appointment was foolish--but I found myself thinking that something might accidentally Get Done Well once he's in the Circumlocution Office. He's certainly a circumlocutor himself, but he's also perhaps just too foolish to be good at preventing Doing.
Of course the epidemic of speculation, one that even Pancks falls into, suggests a coming fall--how will that treat Amy? How will that treat Fanny? And poor Pancks? I'm speculating--and it seems not too dangerous! Less dangerous than marrying Sparkler OR placing my money in a setting where it will grow more than 20% *for certain*. Certainly Dickens seems to have a low opinion of Mr. Merdle--so, is his business acumen poor, or is he deceitful, or is he just going to be unlucky? More and more speculation.
I like that analysis of Amy and Arthur, Susan! It reminds me of Arthur's careful choice to get into business with inventor D. And also of Arthur's desire to free himself from monetary gain that comes at the expense of others.
I love the idea that Sparkler is a "bad penny." Does Dickens often name characters so ironically?
Mr. Merdle’s dinner, spawned by the imperative mood and present tense of Mrs. M, watched over by the reptilian eye of Chief Butler, where Decimus was glad to see all Members, etc., etc., etc., all for the sake of naming Sparkler a Lord? Now THERE’S a painful chapter.
I think Fanny will marry Sparkler. Will marry him for all the wrong reasons, perhaps. And I think Little Dorrit and Arthur will marry too. Recent clues? Arthur’s recurring anxiety about growing old, and Amy’s assessment of true love: "If you loved someone...you would lose yourself in devotion to him."
Post a Comment