Little Dorrit · Chapter
The History of a Self-Tormentor explained
Miss Wade narrates her own life story, detailing a childhood marked by perceived persecution and patronizing treatment from peers and adults.
What happens
Miss Wade narrates her own life story, detailing a childhood marked by perceived persecution and patronizing treatment from peers and adults. She describes a toxic friendship with a girl named Charlotte, who she believes deliberately torments her with false affection, and a later engagement to a younger man whose family's condescension and her own pride lead to misery. She concludes by noting that Henry Gowan was the first person who truly understood her.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Social Mobility
Miss Wade's struggle with her orphan status and her role as a governess highlights the tension between personal identity and social position.
Secrecy and Revelation
The chapter is a revelation of Miss Wade's hidden history and the secret motivations behind her bitter demeanor.
Characters to notice
- Miss Wade
Narrates her own history, revealing her deep-seated resentment and self-tormenting nature.
- Henry Gowan
Appears at the end of the chapter as the first person who understood Miss Wade's situation.
Key passages
“I have the misfortune of not being a fool. From a very early age I have detected what those about me thought they hid from me.”
Miss Wade considers her sharp perception a curse, as it has always allowed her to see through others' deceptions.
This opening line establishes Miss Wade's self-perception as a victim of her own intelligence.
“I loved that stupid mite in a passionate way that she could no more deserve than I can remember without feeling ashamed of, though I was but a child.”
She recalls a childhood friend whom she loved intensely, despite knowing the friend was unworthy of such devotion.
Highlights Miss Wade's pattern of intense, unrequited emotional attachment.
“He was the first person I had ever seen in my life who understood me.”
Henry Gowan is the only person who has ever truly comprehended Miss Wade's character and struggles.
This final line connects Miss Wade's story to the broader narrative and to Gowan's role.