Bleak House: “Jo’s Will”

Chapter 47: “Jo’s Will”

Summary: Allan Woodcourt finds Jo a place to stay. First he visits Mrs. Flite, who takes them to Mr. George, who is happy to take Jo in. Jo reveals that Mr. Bucket had been the one to take him and chase him out of town. Woodcourt then takes Jo to see Mr. Jarndyce to explain what had happened. Jo feels terrible for getting Esther sick, so asks Mr. Snagsby to write a “big” apology letter. Then…

Reaction: Oh, Charles Dickens! How could you! I can’t believe Jo dies! Okay, I actually can believe it. He was a tragic character to begin with, and Dickens worked hard to make us love him and feel sorry for him so that his death will leave an impact. Besides making me tear up when I already had a stuffy nose (not fun), in a nap room in front of all the children, I might add (who were at least mostly asleep)–I loved seeing all these characters come together for Jo. All characters I love and none I can’t stand. It was a good chapter.

Prediction: Maybe Jo brought these characters together for a reason. Mr. George and Jarndyce and Snagsby. I know something good will happen–or at least something interesting–because of it.

Why This Book Is a Classic: Classic tragedy. A homeless boy captures your heart and then rips it out. I’m pretty sure Dickens was a master of this kind of tragedy.

Our Lesson: Be kind to homeless boys but don’t get attached.

Bleak House: “Stop Him!”

Chapter 46: “Stop Him!”

Summary: Mr. Woodcourt is walking around Tom All-Alone’s and sees a familiar woman, and then a very familiar boy races by. After a chase he catches the boy, Jo, of course, and he and the woman interrogate him about what happened at Bleak House. Apparently he didn’t run–someone grabbed him and told him never to come back into the city.

Reaction: Oh, Jo! Yay! I knew just from the title that this would be a good one. Anything with an exclamation point is bound to be great–take Panic! at the Disco, for example.

Prediction: I predict we will see more Jo next chapter…oh wait, I peeked 🙂 I have a feeling that mysterious person who took Jo was Mr. Tulkinghorn. Most of the mysteries in this book aren’t really that hard to figure out, but it’s not technically a mystery story, even if it is called one.

Why This Book Is a Classic: I’m not sure. Things in this chapter–slums, poor children, poor, beaten wives–they’re all still around today. I guess I’ll go with brick makers or whatever the jerk husband is–that’s not a job that’s around anymore.

Our Lesson: Don’t marry a brick maker (or whatever it was called)–apparently they are notorious wife-beaters.

Bleak House: “Nurse and Patient”

Chapter 31: “Nurse and Patient”

Summary: In this chapter, Charley and Esther visit the poor women, Jenny and Liz, who are caring for Jo who’s gotten very sick. Jo is hallucinating and thinks Esther is the lady (Lady Dedlock) who made him take her around. Since Jo has nowhere else to go, Esther and Charley take him back with them. They get him somewhere to stay for the night but by morning he’s run off. Before they’ve even had time to look, Charley gets sick. Esther takes care of her and then gets sick herself. At the end of the chapter Esther has gone blind.

Reaction: Yay! More Jo! And more separate pieces are being laced together. It was actually a very exciting chapter, and I loved the cliffhanger ending–“I’m blind!” On a side note, I’ve found that my most productive and enjoyable reading is when I’m at work (sitting in a nap room–not when I’m supposed to be teaching/actively watching the children). I think it’s because when I’m at home I have 50 other things I still want to get to–or to get to bed, but at work I’m in a quiet dark room and can just sit and enjoy what I’m reading. That’s probably why my writing time (my only writing time pretty much) is during my lunch hour.

Prediction: I know Jo will be okay, and Esther, of course. Her loved ones will care for her, and this blindness will end up being a way to further the plot–maybe it will even get her back in contact with Lady Dedlock.

Why This Book Is a Classic: Classic illness. No one really knows anything about sickness, but stupid Skimpole (who apparently used to be a doctor–I hate him even more for now being such a loser) actually gives them the best advice. They have to let the fevers run their course instead of just popping a Z-Pak. Anymore something like a bad fever is not the most realistic plot device.

Our Lesson: Don’t take strange sick boys into your home. You will regret it. (Though, due to some foreshadowing and general suspicions, I think, in this case is will lead to some great things–life changing ones, at least. Plus Jo wouldn’t have lived otherwise…) So, amended: Take strange sick boys into your home at your own risk. It might be life changing, or it might just end your life.

Bleak House: “Mr. Snagsby Sees It All”

Chapter 25: “Mr. Snagsby Sees It All”

Summary: Ever since helping Det. Bucket, Snagsby has been on edge about all these mysteries going on. He knows he is part of an important secret, even if he doesn’t know what that secret is, and he’s worried it’s going to blow up on him. His wife notices his uneasiness and is suspicious. With the help of Mr. Chaband, she tracks down Jo, who she believes is Snagsby’s secret son, and has Chaband do a sort of a church service in her home. Jo falls asleep, Snagsby sweats buckets, and Mrs. Snagsby goes into a fit. She’s not so out of it that she misses her husband paying off Jo and telling him never to mention that mysterious woman to anyone.

Reaction: I really liked this chapter. It was very funny and interesting. I like that Snagsby. He’s a spineless man, but he’s a good man. It’s funny how his wife is portrayed–the narrator says that he loves her and worries about her when he’s gone for too long, but I think he’s more worried about what she’ll do to him, even if he won’t admit it to himself. And Jo–any chapter with Jo is a winner to me. When he fell asleep during the sermon I laughed out loud–even though I was sitting in my preschool’s nap room full of sleeping children.

Prediction: Obviously this secret will explode, and Snagsby and Jo are still right in the middle of it. Mrs. Snagsby is getting herself there too with all her nosiness. By the way, exploding secrets reminded me that I still haven’t seen any spontaneous combustion that was promised. I’ve already started a list in my head of characters I’d like to see burst into flames–Mrs. Snagsby and Chaband being two, though Skimpole tops them both.

Why This Book Is a Classic: A woman is so overcome with emotion that she goes into a fit. Classic literature is all about swooning women.

Our Lesson: If you’re going to try to keep a secret from your spouse, don’t go mentioning it to someone in the house. Nosy spouses have ears everywhere–Mr. Snagsby should have known that.