Little Dorrit · Chapter
Mistress Affery Makes a Conditional Promise, Respecting Her Dreams explained
Arthur Clennam, haunted by the revelation that Blandois is a dangerous criminal, resolves to break through his mother's secrecy by appealing to Affery Flintwinch.
What happens
Arthur Clennam, haunted by the revelation that Blandois is a dangerous criminal, resolves to break through his mother's secrecy by appealing to Affery Flintwinch. He visits the Clennam house, where Mr. Flintwinch's suspicious demeanor raises further doubts. During a visit from Flora Finching, Arthur orchestrates a tour of the house with Affery as guide, hoping for a private moment to question her, but Jeremiah Flintwinch shadows them, thwarting his plan.
Themes in this chapter
Secrecy and Revelation
Arthur's desperate attempt to uncover the truth about Blandois and his mother's dealings is thwarted by the family's entrenched secrecy.
Imprisonment and Confinement
Arthur feels trapped by his mother's obstinacy and the oppressive household, likening his mental state to a chained criminal.
Family Dynamics and Obligation
Arthur's sense of duty to protect his mother and father's memory clashes with her refusal to cooperate, highlighting strained family bonds.
Characters to notice
- Arthur Clennam
Determined to uncover the truth about Blandois and his mother's secrets, he devises a plan to speak privately with Affery.
- Affery Flintwinch
Reluctantly leads the house tour under her husband's coercion, avoiding Arthur's attempts to speak with her.
- Mr. Flintwinch
Smokes on the steps, shadows the tour, and displays a grim, suspicious demeanor that deepens Arthur's unease.
- Mrs. Clennam
Refuses to keep Blandois's past secret, asserting her independence and frustrating Arthur's efforts.
- Flora Casby
Obligingly suggests the house tour, misinterpreting Arthur's motive as romantic interest.
- Signor Cavalletto
His disclosure about Blandois's criminal past is the catalyst for Arthur's actions in this chapter.
Key passages
“As though a criminal should be chained in a stationary boat on a deep clear river, condemned, whatever countless leagues of water flowed past him, always to see the body of the fellow-creature he had drowned lying at the bottom, immovable, and unchangeable...”
Arthur feels mentally trapped, unable to escape the haunting image of Blandois's criminal past, like a murderer forced to stare at his victim's corpse.
This simile illustrates Arthur's psychological torment and the inescapable nature of his suspicions.
“It was like the oppression of a dream to believe that shame and exposure were impending over her and his father’s memory, and to be shut out, as by a brazen wall, from the possibility of coming to their aid.”
Arthur feels helpless, as if in a nightmare, knowing disgrace threatens his mother and father's reputation but being unable to intervene.
Highlights the theme of imprisonment and the frustration of being barred from action.
“If she had been possessed of the old fabled influence, and had turned those who looked upon her into stone, she could not have rendered him more completely powerless...”
Arthur's mother's unyielding demeanor leaves him as powerless as if she had the mythical ability to petrify people.
Emphasizes Mrs. Clennam's formidable will and Arthur's resulting paralysis.