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The Egoist
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The Egoist: Week 2: Chapters 8-14
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1) Meredith shows us (and Clara!) several more examples of Willoughby’s egoism. Do you have a favorite which you’d like to share?
2) What hints do we have that Vernon and Clara are attracted to each other?
3) We have many examples of Willoughby’s egoism. In what ways is he also manipulative? How does this impact those around him?
4) Do we have any indications that anyone other than Clara is likely to rebel against the constraints required by Willoughby’s ego?
5) What benefits are ascribed to putting up with those constraints for members of the household?
I really enjoy the presence of Crossjay, he is full of enthusiasm and he instinctively relates to Clara and Vernon who he knows has his interests at heart, but he’s young and only too happy to take advantage of Willoughby’s leniency. Willoughby uses Crossjay to try to manipulate Vernon into staying with him, he has no real care for the boy and is only thinking of his own convenience.Willoughby’s egoism is so obvious to the reader - in fact, I sometimes felt Meredith was labouring the point with his philosophising when the actions and words of Willoughby himself are enough to make the point. Maybe Meredith didn’t trust the Victorian reader to see the irony for themselves!
We in the 21st century would see Willoughby as a narcissist (as Renee points out) and so he has his enablers - his mother and his sisters have learned to give in instantly to his will, and he only has to look at them for them to obey. Laetitia does it because she adores him and accepts he is always right, and Vernon avoids confrontation (and Willoughby does the same by walking away whenever Vernon makes an attempt to talk to him about anything he doesn’t want to hear). Willoughby talks about wanting his beloved group of friends around him, but what he really wants is his admiring circle of people who he can bend to his will.
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Renee wrote: "Clara instinctively reels away from becoming another one of these."I think it’s significant that both Constantia and Clara see through Willoughby fairly quickly - when he mistreats the elder Patterne for Constantia and when he starts to impose his will on Clara. They are both initially impressed by the outer show, but soon have that moment of revelation that breaks the spell, and then they realise they could not live contentedly with such a tyrant.
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"If he pleases me, he will be provided for. I have never abandoned a dependent."
Clara let her eyes rest on his and, without turning or dropping, shut them.
The effect was discomforting to him. He was very sensitive to the intentions of eyes and tones; which was one secret of his rigid grasp of the dwellers in his household. They were taught that they had to render agreement under sharp scrutiny. Studious eyes, devoid of warmth, devoid of the shyness of sex, that suddenly closed on their look, signified a want of comprehension of some kind, it might be hostility of understanding. Was it possible he did not possess her utterly? He frowned up.
Clara saw the lift of his brows, and thought, "My mind is my own, married or not." It was the point in dispute.
Renee wrote: "I will try hard not to overquote from this novel, but I just love the following from Chapter 8 which seems to sum up the coming battle of wills... "If he pleases me, he will be provided for. I h..."
Oh this was a great moment, Renee. A battle of wills for sure. And can’t you just imagine Willoughby watching for any looks or tone of voice that threatens his ‘rigid grasp’? It’s amazing that Meredith manages to keep this light, when such total inflexible domination could become very oppressive in other hands.
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My favorite example of his complete self-centeredness is in Chapter XIV, where he is proposing to Miss Dale by proxy for Vernon. He's actually trying to get her to think about marrying a man who has shown no interest in her simply to keep him on the estate for Willoughby's convenience. As if that isn't flattering enough to her, he's also suggesting that she should continue to put him first in her heart after marriage. Inside, he's lamenting that women have to marry at all, because once they're no longer "pure," their value declines sharply. SMH!! My heart goes out to our female ancestors and the world they had to live in. I know narcissistic men still exist, but at least they are not socially acceptable!
I think Clara shows her attraction to Vernon by consistently mixing his name up with Mr. Oxford, the man who "rescued" Constantia from Willoughby. Vernon's attraction is clearly revealed in the scene where he is sleeping under the tree and sees her above him, like a vision crowned with blossoms. Their ensuing conversation has him privately regretting that she is to be married to such a man as Willoughby.
I don't think Vernon will go along with Willoughby's marriage scheme for himself and Miss Dale. I'm hoping that she will also have enough self-respect to find the line she won't cross, but I have the sinking feeling that she will stand on her head in the town square without complaint if that is what Willoughby wants her to do, alas!
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We’ve talked about how modern this novel seems in its subject matter and treatment. But, like you, I find myself thinking of our female ancestors. It’s one thing to find oneself dealing with a manipulative narcissist, and an unpleasant, frustrating thing at that. But to have that mindset fostered by all the world... to couple it with absolute power... That is truly frightening!
I am reflecting on the use of eyes, closed, watching etc as a means of conveying Clara's responses to Willoughby. I am thinking of the discussion in feminist literature around the male gaze and its impact on how we see women depicted. An early 'turning of the tables' on the male gaze by adopting a 'female gaze'? I wonder. What a wealth of material is here for a feminist reading. I'm plodding slowly, but enjoying every morsel.
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I enjoyed the sentiment of Clara here:"... Clara knew of Miss Dale's romantic admiration of Sir Willoughby; she was curious to see Miss Dale and study the nature of a devotion that might be, within reason, imitable - for a man who could speak with such steely coldness of the poor lady he had fascinated!"
Not unrelated to the primary theme, Dr. Middleton makes a case for corporal punishment of children. That's a hot topic today, but what isn't debatable is the kind of adult that a child raised without consequences becomes. Willoughby's aunts make it clear that that was exactly the way he was raised.
Another great line: "To walk beside her was to share in the stateliness of her walking."
I naturally compare Meredith to Thomas Hardy. I know it's "horses for courses", but for me, the two traits I prefer so much in Hardy's works are his sense of suspense and dramatic timing, and his compulsion to make place feel so very important.
We are treated to another facet of Willoughby's immense ego - we learn that when women he admires or is fond of get married, he slams the door on any further relationship with them forever.
Brian wrote: Not unrelated to the primary theme, Dr. Middleton makes a case for corporal punishment of children. That's a hot topic today, but what isn't debatable is the kind of adult that a child raised without consequences becomes. Willoughby's aunts make it clear that that was exactly the way he was raised.I am so pleased that you drew to my attention that Willoughby was raised 'without consequences' for his behaviour. I was so appalled by the corporal punishment idea that I was ready to side with awful Willoughby! This section is interesting in that it coincides with the ideas of the day, while the behaviour of Clara and her thought processes are closer to modern ideas and literature.
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It's funny that, as someone mentioned, what Willoughby "really wants is his admiring circle of people who he can bend to his will,' Yet Vernon and Clara, two of the objects of his attempts, apparently unbeknownst to him, are not really those people; unlike Ms. Dale, they seem to be neither admiring nor bendable. Their acquiescence to Willoughby has a more practical basis.I do feel some empathy for Willoughby. He has been brought up by the women in his life to feel that his wants and well-being is of primacy to others. My wife was a second grade teacher in a gifted magnet school and often dealt with young 'gifted' 2nd grade boys who were treated that way by their families, especially their mothers and sisters. She called them "young princes." Of course, the fact he was raised that way, doesn't make Prince Willoughby's narcissism easier to take or make him a better "catch."
Willoughby is presented as a narcissist yet he is not what I would call evil. Of course, my view of him is likely colored by the fact I came to this book straight from reading Wuthering Heights. Willoughby is no Heathcliff. I can at least smile at some of Willoughby's comments, especially ones showing his cluelessness.
Another comment on Meredith's use of vocabulary. He uses words I am unsure of and also words I do know in combinations that are quite interesting. An example of the latter is this description of Vernon from Chapter12: "His persecuting geniality of countenance appealed to her ..." I often have to slow my reading down to figure out what Meredith is saying.
I'm at chapter 8, but I'm not sure how much farther I will go. Not sure if it's the audiobook reader, or if "too much conversation and not enough action" just doesn't match my current mood. I may just read the recaps instead ha.
ConnieD wrote: "I'm at chapter 8, but I'm not sure how much farther I will go. Not sure if it's the audiobook reader, or if "too much conversation and not enough action" just doesn't match my current mood...."While I am interested in the story, I do find myself often thinking that the plot doesn't sustain such a long novel. I'm wondering what events will come up to provide dramatic tension in the last 2/3 of the novel. However, if there is a culprit for the unneeded length, I think its too much commentary rather than too much conversation. I find myself being cheered when observing quotation marks in the upcoming pages.
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I definitely think the going gets easier in the next sections. Don’t throw in the towel yet. :)
Robin wrote: " I was so appalled by the corporal punishment idea that I was ready to side with awful Willoughby!."I felt exactly the same!
The idea that Dr Middleton puts forward that English boys make better men because they are taught early to take a beating without complaint really does not read well in the 21st century. Although it does seem to support the old English ideal of stoicism, which perhaps goes against Clara not wanting to settle for her lot in life and fight for something better?
I am struggling with this novel, I started it weeks ago and have not progressed far at all. I am not sure if it's because I had such high expectations as it is so long since I read a new Victorian novel and was bound to be disappointed, but I'm finding most of the characters flat and that there is a lot of repetition of the same thoughts. Also alongside the corporeal punishment, I am not liking the fighting over their ward's future. The boy seems vibrant but the only future the 'good' characters can imagine for him is for the navy, dying for his country as that is honourable and suits his temperament. I don't think they actually want the youth to die, but the debate over his future seems tiresome and even though there is a lot of discussion, there doesn't seem any depth to the decision of a young person's future.
I know that Victorian novels can take some time to build, so I am hoping that I will find more substance in the upcoming chapters.
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Chapter Summaries (Week 2)
Chapters 8-9
Clara spends time with young Crossjay, learns more about his situation, and has pressure put on her to take up his case with Willoughby. She considers Vernon’s qualities, and also begins to see how others give Willoughby his way. Clara addresses Crossjay’s future with Willoughby and learns still more about Willoughby’s expectations of those around him.
Chapters 10-11
Willoughby devises a scheme to keep Vernon at the Hall. He desires Vernon’s abilities, yet denigrates him at every opportunity. As Willoughby considers his options it becomes clear that he sees other people only in how they can be of use to him and further his comfort. Clara becomes increasingly aware of the cage into which she has committed herself in agreeing to a marriage with this arrogant egomaniac. (These chapters are cringe-worthy. They are such a spot-on depiction of a narcissist. Painful!)
Chapter 12
Clara and Crossjay meet Vernon on their walk. Clara asks Vernon about Constantia. She is disturbed by the idea that Miss Durham saved two people from an unhappy alliance, while making way for f
Chapter 13
Clara and Willoughby discuss his plan to marry Laetitia off to Vernon. Willoughby admits that he has not brought up the subject and wishes Clara to do so. He is flattered to believe that Clara is jealous of his relationship with Laetitia Dale, but Clara makes a point of denying jealousy to the point of proposing that she would understand completely if he were to give up their engagement so he could marry Laetitia. Clara very clearly advocates for Laetitia as the more suitable choice for his bride, and asks him to release her from their engagement. Willoughby, however, is only able to see his own opinion of both relationships and how he has determined they will stand for his benefit.
Chapter 14
The author speculates on the value of adoration to the egoist. “Possession without obligation to the object possessed approaches felicity. It is the rarest condition of ownership.” Willoughby has some qualms that a married Laetitia’s adoration might not be as perfect as if she remained a spinster, but he resigns himself to having her marry Vernon in order to keep them both near the Hall and at his disposal. He approaches Laetitia with his plan, while believing that Clara is doing the same with Vernon.