Little Dorrit · Chapter
XV: Mrs. Flintwinch Has Another Dream explained
In this chapter, Affery Flintwinch experiences another dreamlike episode while eavesdropping on a tense conversation between her husband Jeremiah and Mrs.
What happens
In this chapter, Affery Flintwinch experiences another dreamlike episode while eavesdropping on a tense conversation between her husband Jeremiah and Mrs. Clennam. The discussion revolves around Mrs. Clennam's relationship with Little Dorrit, with Jeremiah pressing for more information about her living situation and Mrs. Clennam insisting on keeping it a secret. The power dynamics between the two are laid bare, revealing Jeremiah's refusal to be subsumed by Mrs. Clennam's will. Affery, caught between fear and curiosity, ultimately retreats to the kitchen, feigning sleep when discovered.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Revelation
The chapter revolves around the secret of Little Dorrit's residence, with Mrs. Clennam insisting on keeping it hidden and Jeremiah probing for disclosure.
Imprisonment and Confinement
Mrs. Clennam's physical confinement to her room mirrors her psychological entrapment, while Affery's fear keeps her bound to her domestic role.
Family Dynamics and Obligation
The power struggle between Mrs. Clennam and Jeremiah Flintwinch highlights the complex obligations and tensions within the household.
Characters to notice
- Affery Flintwinch
Affery dreams of eavesdropping on a conversation between her husband and Mrs. Clennam, cowering in fear and curiosity.
- Mr. Flintwinch
Jeremiah Flintwinch engages in a tense exchange with Mrs. Clennam, asserting his independence and pressing her about Little Dorrit's secret.
- Mrs. Clennam
Mrs. Clennam defends her right to keep Little Dorrit's secret, showing her stern and unyielding nature.
- Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit is discussed as a regular visitor to Mrs. Clennam's room, though her living situation remains a point of contention.
Key passages
“I can't consent, and I won't consent, and I never did consent, and I never will consent to be lost in you. Swallow up everybody else, and welcome. The peculiarity of my temper is, ma'am, that I won't be swallowed up alive.”
Jeremiah asserts his refusal to be dominated by Mrs. Clennam, declaring that while she may control others, he will not be consumed by her will.
This reveals the core of Jeremiah's resistance and the balance of power in their relationship.
“Let Little Dorrit keep her secret from me, and do you keep it from me also. Let her come and go, unobserved and unquestioned. Let me suffer, and let me have what alleviation belongs to my condition.”
Mrs. Clennam insists that Little Dorrit's secret remain hidden, as knowing it would only add to her suffering in her confined state.
This highlights Mrs. Clennam's desire for control over what she knows, even at the cost of ignorance.