# The History of a Self-Tormentor explained — Little Dorrit

> Chapter companion for Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se/chapters/xxi-the-history-of-a-self-tormentor
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/little_dorrit_se/chapters