The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

From our opening chapter:

Now Trevelyan was, in truth, mad on the subject of his wife's alleged infidelity. He had abandoned everything that he valued in the world, and had made himself wretched in every affair of life, because he could not submit to acknowledge to himself the possibility of error on his own part. For that, in truth, was the condition of his mind. He had never hitherto believed that she had been false to her vow, and had sinned against him irredeemably; but he had thought that in her regard for another man she had slighted him; and, so thinking, he had subjected her to a severity of rebuke which no high-spirited woman could have borne...

...He came to believe everything; and, though he prayed fervently that his wife might not be led astray, that she might be saved at any rate from utter vice, yet he almost came to hope that it might be otherwise;—not, indeed, with the hope of the sane man, who desires that which he tells himself to be for his advantage; but with the hope of the insane man, who loves to feed his grievance, even though the grief should be his death.

What is happening to Trevelyan, and what effect is Bozzle and his reports having on him?

On a happier note, we see a positive development for Hugh and Nora, and even Dorothy appears to have a possible prospect before her.

Why wouldn't Nora at least admit her feelings to Hugh, and then have a discussion of their possible future together?

What do you think of how Miss Stanbury Sr treats Mr. Gibson? What do you think of Miss Stanbury Sr after this section?

What do you think of our novel so far, as we approach the half-way mark?

Trollope has painted an excellent portrait of someone slowly going mad, and offering us a glimpse into his mind.

I wonder what's going on in Priscilla's mind that makes her want to move herself and her mother into a run-down shack. I understand her wanting to move out of the Clock House, but couldn't she have gotten a nicer cottage? She seems like someone who enjoys punishing herself and I can't understand why.

Lori is right, it's an excellent portrait by Trollope, who is quite explicit about the fact that Louis - in this area of his life at least - is now effectively insane. He's cut himself off from everyone who might contradict him and will only listen to Bozzle, whose jaundiced views merely confirm his suspicions. He almost wants Emily to be proved unfaithful so that everyone will see he was right. His standing in the world's eyes has become everything to him, yet he doesn't appreciate how other people regard his behaviour with horror.

And when (in chap 45) he resolves on revenge he seems even madder. Ironically, although he labels Col. Osborne as Iago and therefore casts himself as the noble Othello, he doesn't pause to reflect that actually Othello's wife was innocent.

Nora is having a happier time, thank goodness, but is not very realistic in her dreams - "she pretended to herself a long romance in which the heroine lived happily on the simple knowledge that she had been beloved." That's a lovely image but not much to live on in the long run.

As for Priscilla and the run-down house, I feel she's not punishing herself so much as showing her determination to be independent. She is someone who seems to enjoy making do with little and when she tells Hugh that she will make it nice, I'm inclined to believe her.

Louis’ insane jealousy and singular reliance on Bozzle must surely have condemned his marriage. If he has not already crossed the Rubicon, any sympathy and hope of reconciliation would surely disappear if he succeeded in taking his son from Emily and placing him with some unknown woman recommended by the dubious Bozzle. Louis must be insane to even contemplate such an act on behalf of his son. He is even turning his back on a trusted family solicitor and will be soon consorting only with the seedy side of London’s legal establishment.

Unfortunately, Osborne knows exactly what he is doing by not visiting Emily yet still turning up at the house. He still harbours designs on Emily, as Trollope hints at the end of Osborne’s visit.

It seems odd that Nora won’t express in words her love for Hugh even though her body language must have told him exactly how she felt. Keeping it a secret with Emily might become important later on in the novel.

Mr. Gibson has some right to feel aggrieved with the way he has been chastised by Miss Stanbury. His pride has been doubly wounded both by Dorothy’s rejection and Miss Stanbury’s rebuke. However, he was after the money first and Dorothy second, so any sympathy has to be tempered by his avarice. I think Miss Stanbury’s actions just reinforce further her narrow minded view of the world that she is surrounded by fools.

So far for me the lighter moments in the novel have been heavily overshadowed by the sadness and frustration created by the actions of Louis and reactions of Emily. In my mind both Osborne and Bozzle are the real villains so far, with Emily and Louis both victims of a society which revels in scandalous gossip.

Half-way through the novel, I agree with others in finding Louis and Emily's troubles increasingly dark and depressing. This marriage is not going to end well, but it will end somehow.

However I am becoming more interested in Dorothy and her love life (something she never expected to have). Despite her growing friendship with Brooke, which makes it clear they would be well-matched, I was really afraid she might end up accepting Mr Gibson because she was too kind and submissive to refuse him. Thank goodness she avoided that fate!

Mr. Gibson is a shallow man who saw her as an easy conquest, but now looks very likely to be snapped up by one of the French sisters. The description of Arabella and Camilla as a pair of pigs at the same trough seemed uncharacteristically brutal of Trollope; he's usually more sympathetic towards his female characters, even the ones out to catch a husband. After all, it's a pretty grim prospect for them when Mr Gibson is the best man on offer - although Camilla did seem to be flirting with Brooke, so I hope he can resist her...

Trev wrote: "So far for me the lighter moments in the novel have been heavily overshadowed by the sadness and frustration created by the actions of Louis and reactions of Emily. In my mind both Osborne and Bozzle are the real villains so far, with Emily and Louis both victims of a society which revels in scandalous gossip."

I completely agree, and this becomes even more apparent as we read further.

Good point about Miss Stanbury as well-I suspect she hates to be wrong about anything, and when she couldn't convince her niece to go along with her scheme, she found a way to blame Mr Gibson for its failure.

Emma wrote: " I was really afraid she might end up accepting Mr Gibson because she was too kind and submissive to refuse him. Thank goodness she avoided that fate! "

That worried me a bit as well, although with Mr Gibson being rather dull and Dorothy clearly meant to be a minor heroine, I felt somewhat assured that there would be something better for her!

Good point too about the Miss Frenches, we see more of Trollope's view of their situation in the next section.

Frances wrote: "Emma wrote: " I was really afraid she might end up accepting Mr Gibson because she was too kind and submissive to refuse him. Thank goodness she avoided that fate! "

That worried me a bit as well,..."

Dorothy has done something that other characters have not. She has listened to and acted on the advice of her sister, someone close to her who has her best interests and happiness as the main priorities. Her own resilience has also helped her to make the correct decision in rejecting Mr Gibson.

Good point, Trev, and I liked how Trollope had her thinking on the physical side of the marital relationship and realizing that she didn't want Mr Gibson anywhere in close proximity to herself.

Chapter XLII.
She would take him, she thought,—if she could. But then there came upon her, unconsciously, without work of thought, by instinct rather than by intelligence, a feeling of the closeness of a wife to her husband. Looking at it in general she could not deny that it would be very proper that she should become Mrs. Gibson. But when there came upon her a remembrance that she would be called upon for demonstration of her love,—that he would embrace her, and hold her to his heart, and kiss her,—she revolted and shuddered. She believed that she did not want to marry any man, and that such a state of things would not be good for her.

I find it interesting how Aunt Stanbury, even though she is unmarried, Old School, crabby and sharp-tongued, does see the problem accurately: Mr. Gibson didn't even really try to get Dorothy to like him:

"Upon my word, I don't know what else you can do,—unless you send the Dean and Chapter to talk her over. She's a pig-headed, foolish young woman;—but I can't help that. The truth is, you didn't make enough of her at first, Mr. Gibson. You thought the plum would tumble into your mouth."......
"It's true,—quite true. You always treated her as though she were something beneath you." Mr. Gibson stood speechless, with his mouth open. "So you did. I saw it all. And now she's had spirit enough to resent it. I don't wonder at it; I don't, indeed. It's no good your standing there any longer. The thing is done."

Such intolerable ill-usage Mr. Gibson had never suffered in his life. Had he been untrue, or very nearly untrue, to those dear girls at Heavitree for this? "I never treated her as anything beneath me," he said at last.

"Yes, you did. Do you think that I don't understand? Haven't I eyes in my head, and ears? I'm not deaf yet, nor blind. But there's an end of it. If any young woman ever meant anything, she means it. The truth is, she don't like you."

What is Billy-Dous?

Bozzle says this word a few times. Earlier it could have been something with correspondence ; here in Chapter 38 it sounds more like a rendez-vous, actual an actual not just emotional affair?:

Bozzle was very careful, and full of "evidence." The letter therefore was sent on to Colonel Osborne. "If there's billy-dous going between 'em we shall nobble 'em," said Bozzle. Trevelyan tore his hair in despair, but believed that there would be billy-dous.

Ch 26:

There ain't nothing wrong about the post-office. If I was to say what was inside of that billydou,—why, then I should be proving what I didn't know; and when it came to standing up in court, I shouldn't be able to hold my own. But as for the letter, the lady wrote it, and the Colonel,—he received it."

Bonnie wrote: "What is Billy-Dous?

Bozzle says this word a few times. Earlier it could have been something with correspondence ; here in Chapter 38 it sounds more like a rendez-vous, actual an actual not just e..."

A phonetic reading of "billet-doux" I suppose.

Oo!

noun: billet-doux; plural noun: billets-doux
a love letter.

"she was a constant recipient of billets-doux from the boys of the neighbouring school"

Origin
late 17th century: French, literally ‘sweet note’.

Phew! I am finally catching up.
I was fascinated by the American sisters and Trollope’s comments on ladies from the states. I was glad that Trollope gave Mr. Glascock the company of the Spalding sisters, and found their dilemma at only knowing his initials very charming.

It seemed rather strange to me that they wouldn't know his name after all the time they spent together.