Post Role Play Interview

Name: Josh Porter

How did this role play help to better understand the context of Bleak House?

This role play allowed form many opportunities to expose the context of Bleak house through quotes, action of scenes, and the use of illustrations. The students could use the maps  and combine that knowledge with the scenes recreated to come into contact with the Victorian Streets.

How involved were the members of your group during the planning processes of this activity?

All of my group members were fully involved with the creation of this role play and I could not have been more happy with their performance.

Why do you think this activity was able to help the class come to contact with the Victorians?

This activity was a good way for the class to notice what the Victorians looked like and how they acted in the presence of other Victorians. 

What would you change about his role play experience and why?

I would have allowed a team to actually win the game for a sense of completion and split the group into smaller groups.

What did the role play experience alter about your previous beliefs about the context of Bleak House?

This role play altered my thoughts about Victorian prostitution as I thought it would have been more of a private manner rather than an open park.

Overall were you happy with the way the role play worked out? Explain? 

I was happy with the role play and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the class interact in a fun manner towards the context of the book.

Name: Dawn Kelly

How did this role play help to better understand the context of Bleak House? 

This role play helped to better understand the context of Bleak House by fully understanding the characters, the setting, and how those settings, in particular the streets, affect the interactions among the characters. The streets are important in many scenes in Bleak House.

How involved were the members of your group during the planning processes of this activity?

All group members were involved in this process. Each member made important contributions and took leadership of different components of the game.

Why do you think this activity was able to help the class come to contact with the Victorians? 

This activity was able to help the class come into contact with the Victorians because it was interactive and was constructed so that all members of the class had to be engaged and participate. It was a fun, creative way to understand the Victorians like the characters from Bleak House and allow them to have better insight into what the streets of London were like.

What would you change about his role play experience and why?

  If I could make any changes I would incorporate the streets even more into each category of the game so the class could know more about the streets through each part of the game.

What did the role play experience alter about your previous beliefs about the context of Bleak House? 

The role play altered my thoughts about how influential the streets were to the culture of the Victorian Era. I could see more clearly how the streets were an impact on the people of England.

Overall were you happy with the way the role play worked out? Explain? 

  Yes, because I think it was a creative way for the class to be involved and learn about our topic. The variety of categories kept the game fun, interesting, and informative.

Name: Michael Uhl

How did this role play help to better understand the context of Bleak House?

This play helped me to feel more at home with the characters. While having to improvise what the character would do or say in the scene. 

How involved were the members of your group during the planning processes of this activity?

My group members were very active and cooperative in the making to the board game. We all worked together very well and I feel that we put a great new spin on the way one could think of “The Streets” in Victorian England.

Why do you think this activity was able to help the class come to contact with the Victorians?

We were able to do so by making them familiar with certain locations. Also, putting funny situations that could have happened in Bleak House into the game.

What would you change about his role play experience and why?

I feel that we did everything relatively well. We could have prepared a little bit better and made sure we were all on the same page.

What did the role play experience alter about your previous beliefs about the context of Bleak House?

It made me feel that Bleak House had some things about the street that could still be relevant toiday.

Overall were you happy with the way the role play worked out? Explain? 

I was more than happy with the role play. I feel we all worked together quite well and we worked efficiently and had some fun while doing it.

Name: Brittney Cato

How did this role play help to better understand the context of Bleak House?

It allowed me to evaluate each character and really understand their motives and personalities. By interpreting what certain characters would do or say in situations not found in the actual text.

How involved were the members of your group during the planning processes of this activity?

Every group member played a critical role in the planning the presentation and group activity. We took turns bouncing ideas off of one another until we came to our final project. Each person was enthusiastic and contributed great ideas and information to the project.

Why do you think this activity was able to help the class come to contact with the Victorians?

It asked the class to really consider and reflect on what they knew about the characters, and from that asked them to use their knowledge in role play and trivia.

What would you change about his role play experience and why?

I would have added more role play from our group to enhance the class’s experience of really understanding the characters out of the context of the novel. Also, I would have added more clues to our acting.

Overall were you happy with the way the role play worked out? Explain?

Yes, I was very happy with the outcome of our presentation and role play! Given our acting experience, I think our understanding of the text pulled us through and really allowed the class and our group as well to further enjoy and understand Bleak House.

Josh Porter 

“One Snippet at a Time”

The major issues involved with reading the installment as it would have actually been published rather than reading the brick-like beastly novel would include the physical size aspect, the introductory pictures vs. illustrations as they are read, and the relaxing advertisements throughout the book that help with readability.  After considering all of the similarities and differences between the two styles of reading it is my intention to choose which style best suit the reader.

            The obvious difference between reading by installment rather than by novel is sheer size alone. While reading the massive novel a reader needs paper weights or possibly a pair of vice grips to keep the beast open long enough to get through a paragraph. The size of the book thus distracts the reader slightly from the sheer duty of keeping it open and having to change pages. When reading from the slim installment the actual reading process went by smoother with little distractions between pages than reading the big novel. The reader doesn’t feel any overwhelming thoughts about reading the installment because it is manageable and could fit into any portion of the day. The Victorians were very busy throughout the days so sitting to read an installment would not be as time consuming as getting their noses stuck in a black hole of a novel that could entrap them for weeks on in.

            Another difference between reading the installment versus reading the novel lies on the part of the illustrations and where they are placed. In the installment the pictures are all in the front of the chapters which almost give the reader a preview of what is to come. The pictures don’t give it all away however allows the reader to envision the story as they read and allows for more imagination to occur. In the novel version the pictures are directly next to the text that explains them. This almost completely eliminates the opportunity for the reader to use their imagination of the vivid descriptions throughout the book because the picture is the focus of the pages. Thus it would be a better benefit to imaginations when reading the smaller installment with the picture preview rather than having the pictures in the installments as they occur in text.

            Another interesting difference between reading the installment deals with the invoking advertisements found throughout the pages. These advertisements do not take away from the read however they allow the reader to take brief breaks and find out what types of events are going on in the real world. The nonfiction within the pages of the fiction is a great relaxer for the reader as it helps the installment to be split and possibly thought about during the break. These advertisements can be thought of commercials and seem to be a great way to get products on display for the entire community of readers. Sometime when reading from a huge novel the reader can get lost without being provided with breaks and can cause them to lose track of important details and may be making them miss plot points that change the face of the story in question.

            Overall I truly enjoyed reading the installment form of the Bleak House serial because of the way it is presented to the reader. The installment is small in size, places a picture preview before the text, and even provides nonfiction advertisements for readers to notice as they read. If I could read it all over again I would read the whole novel in the Rare Books Room! 

Josh Porter 

Role Play Inspirations

In this excerpt from Household Words, Volume I page 253, the poem gives more insight into the life of an orphan during this time. It put into clearer context what Jo would be like during this Victorian period. This portion helped to write a scene for Jo. 

In this piece from Household Words Volume XIII, Gibbet Street talks of the thieves of London residing on this street. Surrounded by various luxurious places such as theaters and upscale shops. Gibbet Street is the one place that the bands of robbers call home. This helped tremendously to put the streets of London into context for the role play. Specifically for the presentation when we focused on crime and theft in the streets and Gibbet Street brought the Victorian street culture to life.

This piece from Household Words helped to put together our power point about the streets and put into context the effects of urbanization in the Industrial Revolution. 

All the Year Round Volume IX provided an excerpt about the Dress of Paris during the Victorian Era. The wealthy dressed elaborately, colorfully, and expensively. One would find people of all social classes occupying the street of London. For our role play we tried to exemplify what more wealthy women would be wearing by sporting clothing items just as long skirts, a blazer and sweater to represent jackets, and long boots. This enhanced the role play by showing what wealthy women might look like walking down the street.

Dawn Kelly  

Dickens Scene It!

Brittney Cato 

Victorian England Shaping Streets

All of the characters who are in Charles Dickens’ Bleak House have been greatly influenced by the Victorian Era. Many of the situations with the impoverished are accurately portrayed by Dickens. For example, when he describes the Jellyby household, it shows how lower class families had difficulty providing for their many children for one reason or another. Dickens makes the Jellyby household different with Mrs. Jellyby’s obsession with Africa, but it has much in common with any other overcrowded house.

Furthermore, the experience of growing up in a poverty stricken home also affects the children. For instance, Caddy does not have many friends other than Esther and Ada. One of the reasons is the fact that she is forced to do her mother’s bidding. It is symbolic of how class dictates how one lives. One is wealthy they have many people to attend to them, many friends. With poor people, few friends and family is all they have.

Last of all, we see Jo who considered to be a normal orphan. He goes from place, uneducated like many orphans and has nobody to look after him. Orphans in the Victorian era were often seen on the streets and did not have anyone to look after them other than themselves or any siblings. They would have their little dwellings such as a dock or some other place on the streets, which Dickens manifests in Tom All Alone’s. This is how the characters in the street in Bleak House have been shaped by Victorian England.  

Michael Uhl 

Works Cited (E Periodicals)

http://charlesdickenspage.com/illustrations_web/Bleak_House/Bleak_House_05.jpg

http://chascreek.blogs.com/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004Z1KSNY/victoriandict-21/

http://www.djo.org.uk/all-the-year-round/volume-xii/page-272.html

http://www.djo.org.uk/all-the-year-round/volume-xii/page-535.html

http://www.djo.org.uk/all-the-year-round/volume-viii/page-538.html

http://www.djo.org.uk/household-words/volume-vii/page-169.html

http://www.djo.org.uk/household-words/volume-xi/page-194.html

http://www.magnoliabox.com/art/371881/The_Crossing_Sweeper_1858

http://www.victorianlondon.org/districts/regentstreet.htm

http://www.victorianlondon.org/professions/crossingsweeps.htm

http://www.victorianlondon.org/professions/crossingsweeps.htm

http://www.victorianlondon.org/professions/shoeblacks.htm

http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications/thomson-25.htm

http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications3/catechism.htm

http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/rural/3.jpg

http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/wojtczak/pics/well.jpg

http://www.victorianweb.org/history/work/19.html

http://www.victorianweb.org/periodicals/punch/17.html

Crossing-sweepers

We have our Nightmen to clean the sewage and waste during the very early hours in the morning but, what about during the day? How will we deal with it at this time? This is what our crossing-sweepers are for, to clear paths to walk and move about so that people do not get caught up in the manure and waste that lies on the streets. These gentlemen are very important for the ladies in particular, so that their long dresses do not get soiled by what is on the ground.  They may be the only ones who can somehow appreciate the grotesqueness of the streets for it is how they earn their living.  Do not mistake them for the poor beggars of the streets; these men and boys work very hard for what they can earn. Rewarding them with a gratitude, large or small would be most appreciated by them. Help those who help you! 

Dawn Kelly 

Home Full of Hope

Many women wander the streets and are in need of help, so where do these women go? Several honorable women have started a home right here in London. Women who have problems with avoiding crime or have been in prison ought to come to this house. Although, the house does not question class, any female sufferer can come and seek refuge here.

It is not only a place of refuge but, they try and aid women in several ways. One goal is to have women find themselves, as well as trying to save women who may fall victim to a life of crime (Household Words Vol VII, 169). This house is growing in establishment and has done well with rehabilitating women. For instance, the police entrust this house with women who have applied for relief (Household Words Vol VII, 169). While there have been some failures with rehabilitating women, there have been many women who have been helped by this program. The city of London is better now that there is a place such as this.

Image from: http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/wojtczak/pics/well.jpg

Many of these homes were in Wellington Square shown above.

Michael Uhl 

Dickens Properly Represents Poor

With Charles Dickens’ serial installments of Bleak House it is not only a good story but, it has brought up the poor quite a lot. With these installments he accurately represents the living situation of the less fortunate. Dickens, first describes the Jellyby Household where many children reside and their needs are not attended to because their mother cares too bloody much for Africa. While many poor families do not care much for Africa in reality, many cannot sufficiently provide for their many children. “The poor mother sat with the baby in her lap on one of the two chairs that the room contained: there was a sick boy in the other. Five more children cowered round the grate” (Household Words Vol XI, 194). With so many children, any person would struggle to support a family that big. There are many children depending on their parents to have their needs met. The Jellyby Household represents how the children are treated in a poor family.

Furthermore, Dickens represents how a poor household is set up with the Brickmakers’ house as shown by the illustration. The household is very plain other than some little bits of furniture. It is similar to the Sullivan household which I have recently visited. “The Sullivans, though they were starving, had not yet sold their table and their chairs for food. They had clothes, too” (Household Words Vol XI, 194). Dickens does give mind to the poor and their actual living situation when writing Bleak House and shows it with his construction of families, such as the Jellybys and the Brickmaker’s family.

   Image from:

http://charlesdickenspage.com/illustrations_web/Bleak_House/Bleak_House_05.jpg

Michael Uhl 

Street lamps provide new sense of security for London pedestrians

With the rise of theft which occurs on our streets, these magnificent lamps are the perfect relief from the garotters who “[lurk] unseen in the gloom, of some archway or prowls under the shadow of a deadwall, ready to spring out as soon as his back is presented to him” (All The Year Round, 538). With lamps installed in Regents Park and Whitechapel, “half [of the garotter’s] occupation [is] gone” (All The Year Round, 538) due to the illumination of his cover. We hope to have more installed in the upcoming month along the railways and Pall Mall. While street lamps do provide enhanced safety, they do no guarantee it. If you must walk at night, do care to take the proper precautions! 

Brittney Cato 

London Nightmen

The streets are constantly filled with sewage, manure, waste, and filth. People walk through the streets daily somehow managing to stand the unbearable excrement coming from a variety of sources. So who makes it possible to continue to frequent the streets London without there being overflowing sewage and waste? Why, that would the London Nightmen. While many of London’s occupants and workers are asleep snug in their beds or confined to their living quarters, a group of brave souls come out when the clock strikes twelve in attempt to dispose of the ungodly substances consuming the streets. These men come out at this time and go through the streets trying to dispose of as much of the toxic waste as possible. Divided into different jobs, the ropeman lowers down a tub into a pit that’s smell is so horrendous, it would make any lady faint on the spot. The holeman then fills the tub with the waste and finally two tubmen carry the load to a cart, and that cart begins a journey to a place such as a city dust yard, a place just for the waste of London. This work is so dangerous, so deadly, that it has claimed the lives of many workers. Between disease and the fumes from decomposing the waste, death could occur at any time once exposed. So, my fellow readers, as you go about your daily activities throughout the streets of London, remember those who work through the hours of the early morning trying to make the streets cleaner and safer so that you might be spared from the horrors that come from the foul, filthy muck that lies at your feet and lingers in the air!

Dawn Kelly 

The Workers Expo

It’s already half way through the week, and with Friday’s deadline this city will not have the slightest idea of what the other professionals have completed. The Expo will be amidst the streets no later than the Saturday morning dead line with no ifs, ands, or buts, about it. This event is meant to be relaxing and invocative for all of the citizen of London to gain information from their neighbors about the tasks they each perform on everyday life.  The main problem has been identified yet not addresses and all of the planning was done regretfully by none other than Mr. Carefree himself. He has allowed for each entry to be done by writers who have not the slightest inclination as to what they are to write about and the entire city is in a scrambled omelet pot ready to scold if someone doesn’t step up and save the day.

Finally the meeting is initiated and Mrs. Coordinator has shown up to solve the utter chaos that has slowed production up in London by eighty five percent. She opens with an elaborate statement addressing all of the chaos that hath plagued the streets of London for two whole weeks. ”After the city came together and signed up for the expo roles everyone left and there was no cohesiveness in the plan invoked for putting this whole project together. We have the baker writing about the barber, the chemist writing about journalism, the curiosity shop owner writing about buggy repairs, the lawyer writing about the roles of the doctor, and the housekeeper writing about the duties of the judge!” Now does anyone have any ideas to fix this complete and total disaster from happening and the entire city failing miserably upon completion of this Expo? (all of the townsmen and women badger on and on about their different ideas. Nothing ever gets solidified as they all have so much work to do in their own field due to them neglecting the duties they are obligated to because of having to prepare for this expo). Mrs. Coordinator is terribly worried about the deadline for Saturday morning and hopes for the best as she is forced to conclude the meeting as it ends in a dispute about someone stealing another man’s brand new, name embroidered raincoat from Slippys so the men decide to head to the pub for a few too many alcoholic beverages while the women find a way to the home to feed the starving kids with scurvy…

Ideas from: All the Year Round Vol. 7 “Industrial Expositions” January 14, 1865

Josh Porter 

The Life of a Boardman: Deserving of our compassion?

20 inches in breadth and 32 inches in depth (Police Duty Catechism and Reports, 1903) are the measurements of the boards that sandwich these walking advertisers. To take such a job does not require extraordinary talent by any means, yet it does involve indifference to more respectable occupations. By taking the most mundane and easiest jobs our city has to offer, they find themselves teased “in every conceivable manner” (Thomas and Smith). From being shoved around and having mud splattered about their bodies to being publicly ridiculed, the boardman experiences it all. So, the question remains…do they deserve our empathy and should we take measures to ensure their safety? 

Brittney Cato 

Mistreatment in the streets!

 To survive in the streets of London one must find a means to do so or the future will not look bright. One way young boys are choosing to earn a living is by being a shoe-black boy. These boys roam the streets, waiting for those who might need to rid of the dullness of their shoes. However, they have been facing some serious problems in trying to earn their money.  The police have been harassing them at every opportunity possible. They treat the shoe-black boys only but one rank above a smuggler! They will not allow the independent shoe-black boys to stand in one spot at a time on the streets and if they are caught lingering, the police kick the boys’ deposit boxes in the street, among the carriages and waste. The shoe-blacks often lose their earnings and sometimes have their blacking spilt when these interactions with the authorities occur. The police do not understand why these boys do not join the Boot-Black Brigade, a legitimate alliance of shoe-blacks which the authorities approve of. It costs five shilling a year to pay for a shoe-blacking license to be official in this job and approved by the police.  Everyone should be free to choose if they want to work independently or not, especially in this area of expertise. Do not stand for this intolerable behavior by the authorities good people, the shoe-black boys only intend to shine your shoes for a small gratitude! If you see any of these incidents occurring on the streets, I encourage you to stand up for what is right and not allow these young children be treated in such a despicable manner! 

Dawn Kelly 

Cold Hurts Poverty Stricken Homes

Presently, out in the bitter cold many poor families are struggling to make ends meet. The winter cold is relentless and has lead sufferers to take extreme actions. On the last two days of the frost dock laborers and a handful of other sufferers raided bakers’ shops (Household Words Vol XI, 194). While some people have resorted to extreme actions others sit patiently for winter’s end. Poverty stricken children often will go throughout the day with their minds full of wonder with one question in their mind: ‘will I get to eat today’? Although upon receiving news that there will be nothing to eat for supper, the children dismiss it, as if eating so little were natural.

The woes continue for the poor families. The poor families are not only cold and hungry, but they also struggle with illness. For with little food to eat and such trying times, the smallest injury can become a folly much more severe. One reports, one of many children had fallen with an infant; this misstep usually causes discolored skin for a normal infant but, with this malnourished infant the afflicted area became swollen (Household Words Vol XI, 194). With many children and little to no means to support them, many families struggle with this position. Many people struggle when winter comes around, for many different reasons but, the poverty stricken families suffer from this the most.

Image From: http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/rural/3.jpg

Michael Uhl

Regent Street – New Shop to be added!

                The ever popular shopping district on Regents Street will be home to the renowned Ms. Sherry Plumesby’s Hosiery and Linens. Having made custom orders for London’s elite, the lace and chiffon expert is taking her talents to the elite masses. She will make an excellent addition to the most fashionable street there is! Her store will be conveniently placed next to Mr. Doiley’s Drapery and Mrs. Claire’s Jewels near the intersection of Picadilly and Regent St. The grand opening will take place Saturday at noon!

Brittney Cato 

40s Waterproof Overcoat

Having trouble with the windy, rainy, miserable trips to and from the horse drawn buggy? Tired of your blouses, trousers, parchments, socks, boots, gowns, books, and other belongings getting soaked in the consistent London Rain?

This silk meshed lavishing overcoat will cover all of your dreary days on Drury Lane. An overcoat that fits in with all styles for the current trend and is embroidered with the name and address of its new owner just in case it is lost or left behind at a local gathering or dinner party. Come on down to Slippys Raincoats to get sized up and on your way with no anxiety about getting wet for the rest of your definitively dry days!

Josh Porter

Illnesses Plague London

The citizens of London may be undergoing a bit of an issue regarding their own capacities to perform everyday duties of the labor they are assigned to. It seems that a plague of malnourishment has brought forth the scurvy which used to be of the sea workers to the land workers. Long bouts of sea exploration can namely be the cause for some of the sea workers but what has caused this depletion in the nourishment of the men. Scurvy can be cured however. The revolting flu virus has been noted to take the lives of citizens if not treated well.

Talks of the Irish potato famine have brought up compelling arguments for the citizens of London to store up potatoes which are very popular for most meals and provide a great deal of nourishment for many citizens of London. Overworking while on the land closer to the salted pork and other forms of nourishment is brought about by the gentlemen themselves the bloody fools because they are the determined souls who feel they need not have a bit of a snack while in the middle of work. The men are consistently over working along with waiting till they have arrived at the homestead to consume supper with their families. As for the flu virus the men cannot seem to work through it so it is best advised to stay at home and have the lady of the house whip up a remedy of the ever potent elixir from the curiosity shop found in the streets of the marketplace around the corner from the Court of Chancery.

Josh Porter 

Ideas from: All the Year Round Vol.7 “Workmen’s Diseases” October 29^th, 1864. p272-275

Critical Response Paper 2

For this reading, I read from Bleak House Volume IX, chapter twenty-six. The chapter was entitled, Sharpshooters. This small, delicate book is light blue with an array of illustrations on the front and cover. When I opened the book to its rough, textured, yellow pages, I immediately noticed that the chapter did not begin right away. There were several pages of advertisements for various goods and services that were being sold during the time of Charles Dickens and when these installments were being released for the public to read. One example of an advertisement was Rodger’s Improved Shirts. In the advertisement, the business was promoting and selling their shirts, saying they are the “highest degree of excellent at the lowest cost” (Bleak House Volume IX Page 5). I found this advertisement interesting because of my blog entry about fashion and that clothing was being promoted in a story like Bleak House.

Front Cover

This specific piece from the bundle only had one illustration and it was also in the front right before the chapter actually began. There was a small, thin piece of paper between the page with the illustration and the words so that the ink would not smear and ruin either the picture or the writing. After the chapter concluded, there was more to come. There were other advertisements and reviews of products that the people would have read after Dickens’ chapter of Bleak House. The back cover left the readers with a final advertisement to see and absorb.

Back Cover

            All of these findings are very important and matter greatly in the reading of Bleak House. The advertisements showed that reading, writing, and the production of literature in the Victorian period went beyond the simple publishing of a story. There was much more to it, such as the advertisements; they displayed an economical role in the releasing of the Bleak House installments to the public. The people could read their stories but, also look into doing some shopping as well. In today’s modern times, there are not advertisements in books for products in the market. When reading the story in the Oxford version, it looks just like any other long novel. The arrangement of pages follows the same format as most books published today starting with publication information, title page, table of contexts, etc. In the blue books however, that is not how they arranged and is not how the Victorians experienced reading Bleak House. Reading from the small, fragile book furthered the experience of reading this story in context. Looking at the same words, images, advertisements, and reading from the same pages as the Victorians did allowed me to better understand what it was like when the people received Bleak House in installments and did not have the story readily available to them at one time.

Although the actually font of the print in the chapter is simple, it has an older look to it. The Oxford version’s font of the printed text is a modern font from a computer. The difference in fonts helps to separate Dickens’ work from a modern version of his story in terms of the simple appearance of the words. Since the readers of the Victorian Era did not receive the entire story at one time, they were not overwhelmed by a three-hundred page novel. Instead, the small installments kept the readers intrigued and ready to find out what happens next. With a huge Oxford novel like Bleak House, the entire story is right there for readers and the elements of surprise and plots twists are not delayed but readily available. All of these findings and realizations show that the form in which Bleak House is read has a huge impact on the content of the actual story. The form is very important and as it can be seen, can alter the way people read Bleak House and what they gain from the experience. 

 - Dawn Kelly

Critical Response: The Anticipation!

             

           One thing I thought about a lot as I read Volume VI of Bleak House, was how exciting it must have been each time Dickens released a serial and how the thin booklets must have seemed like such little reading for such an anticipated story. This is something I didn’t thing about very much when reading the larger novel, because the whole story is readily available to me, from beginning and end, without any waiting involved. I see the serial as the equivalent to the anticipation I feel for the next episode of Scandal or Revenge to come on each week.

 The Family Portraits at Mr. Bayham Badger's

 Also, while reading the installment, I realized I enjoy the illustrations more in the original as opposed to the Oxford Classic edition. They seem to be more ingrained into the page and real. When looking at the illustrations in the original copies, I think the details stand out more than in the larger novel. This might be because I’m looking at the illustration in a format that I’m not used to looking at, but I do think there is something interesting and authentic about the illustrations in their original format. Such an example would be the illustration entitled “The Family Portraits at Mr. Bayham Badger’s.” Even in the online edition which has the photo copies of the original, there is a clear difference in the hue of the paper, and I think because of that, it creates the effect of being the original sketch on the page. I think the content of the serial was greatly influenced by the illustrations, as well as the anticipation the serial created, because it added to an already dramatic story. 

- Brittney Cato 

Critical Essay Reflection: Original Installments

During my time with the serial version of Bleak House I found the advertisements were rather interesting. It was strange to think that one piece of parchment in a magazine was a major way of advertisement back then. It seems very simple compared to all of the vast multimedia we have today. Also, I realized how much detail was put into these advertisements to sketch the product and giving the customer all of the information about the product, such as furniture and silverware.

Furthermore, I found it interesting that reviews of other literature were contained at the end of the installment. There would be a concise description of the character and the general plot of the story. It would try and get a general audience interested, it is similar movie previews for us today. The fact the more literature was advertised in shows that literature was very important to the Victorians.  

In addition, being able to see Charles Dickens’ Bleak House in installments seemed to make the reading much more manageable. Seeing Bleak House in smaller chunks could also make the Victorians more enthused about the reading. This allowed them to think about what has happened and wonder what will happen next. With this month wait, the suspense might have  built and people would be excited for the new edition; similar to how people today would be excited for the next episode of their favorite television show. On the other hand if people took their time with it and if they could not read it at a certain point, they would still have time to read the latest edition of Bleak House.

While reading the thirteenth installment of Bleak House I found it interesting how there was a little bit of everything, which was one of the great things about the format. There was a whole spectrum of characters that were included such as Richard and Vholes discussing Jarndyce versus Jarndyce matters to Mr. Tulkinghorn telling Lady Dedlock he knows her secret. It gives the reader an update on everything going on in the story in small segments. I feel this format helps the reader tackle the novel, it is easier to read the little segments and not know when the story will end. Another quick aspect of the serial is I enjoyed the illustrations being at the beginning of each installment. The illustrations allowed one some foresight into what the reading would be about I thought that was really interesting.

In conclusion, the way the serial was designed was very fascinating containing many things of interest. One of these fascinating aspects of the serial were the advertisements and how much detail was included. Furthermore, I found reviews describing other pieces of literature, showing how important literature was to Victorian culture. Last of all the format of the serial Bleak House did a great job of pulling people in for a variety of reasons. 

- Michael Uhl 

Sneak Peek: Library Display Case

Here is a look at the sketch of The Streets portion of the display case located in the Library's Rare Books Room! More to come soon!

Critical Response #1 - Michael Uhl

While I was reading in the Rare Books Room I found it astounding to be among all of that history. It was a privilege to hold some of Dickens’ original works and to be engrossed in the literature as much as the Victorians were. I have to admit I feel the books have been kept in amazing shape for how old they must be. The print has not faded that much and although I did not think of testing this, the spines of the books seemed very study and well maintained for their age. The pages were yellowed, and the covers of the books were made of different material than they are made of today. Again I felt so privileged to be surrounded and immersed in that environment of the Rare Books Room.

Furthermore, with reading the material I found it quite interesting how the serial was organized. It was well designed that it had, everything from stories to articles to poems in there. Dickens was brilliant for being able to connect all of these and put them into one publication, but the difference was with his serials compared to a newspaper, there was a general flow from one topic to another; newspapers generally are cut up into concrete sections. For instance, two pieces I very much enjoyed reading about were mainly in the publication of Household Words on June 8^th, 1850. The topics were about prisons and orphans, the prison piece mainly discussed how prisons were not rehabilitating the prisoners at all rather they were mainly making them worse. There were dark cells in which the prisoners were nearly starved to death on only bread and water, and it went on to talk of the poor treatment and corruption of these prisons.(Household Words Vol I, 250).  Generally after thinking about that we do not think of orphans, but I feel Dickens saw that though the orphans and criminals were not the same, they occupied some of the same places. It goes from an article that has to do with something quite depressing, and it goes into a poem that is beautiful but rather sad at the same time. It addresses two orphans in the freezing cold and wishing to be in a better place, the elder tells the younger we will not have to suffer much longer for we will be with our parents soon. Unfortunately they, die but in the larger picture they are essentially put out of their misery, not belonging in society and not having any parents. They rejoice in the fact they go to their parents in heaven, and finally have a home(Household Words Vol I, 253). It was interesting to see the general flow Dickens established in his serial and it was comforting to see fiction and nonfiction side by side. He made them seem as if they were not that different, the two realities of fiction which greatly benefited the Victorian Era. The Victorian Era greatly benefited from Dickens and his many array of topics in this publication having something for everyone.

In conclusion, I found it fascinating how the works of Dickens were so well maintained in our small but great institution. The privilege to handle these resources is an incredible honor and I hope I get to handle these resources at a later date as well. The most fascinating aspect of this experience was the flow Dickens demonstrated between fiction and nonfiction showing that though we separate them in life, the realities are not that different.

Critical Response #1 - Brittney Cato

One of the things I found extremely interesting, is the Victorian worldview of itself as well as others. In Charles Dickens’s Bleak House, he describes the Court of Chancery as “not a large world…it is a very little speck…it is a world wrapped up in too much jeweller’s cotton and fine wool, and cannot hear the rushing of the larger worlds, and cannot see them as they circle round the sun. It is a deadened world, and its growth is sometimes unhealthy for want of air” (17). In this quotes, Dickens explains how this Court of Chancery and the people within it and around it see it as they only thing. While he doesn’t condemn it, it seems as if he explains how it is detrimental to this tiny world’s environment. Keeping this description in mind, I found certain articles in Household Words to be especially interesting. I read three articles in particular, and each of them revealed the sense of blindness and ignorance to the outside world as described in Bleak House.

In an article entitled “Going to Africa,” the speaker touches on the distance others place between themselves and other worlds. The speaker explains how “everyone applauds [his voyage to Africa] but no one…will go” (Household Words, Vol. XIX, 316). This way of acknowledging but not experiencing is the type of growth that Dickens deems unhealthy for the Court of Chancery, and the same type of distance that echoes the Pardiggle and Jellyby idea of philanthropy.

After reading the first article, I was interested in reading more, and found two more articles entitled” On the West African Coast” and “Japan.” In “Japan,” the speaker articulates to the reader how “there is a general air of resemblance between social life in Japan and social life in the Western Kingdoms,” (237) but at the same time, contradicts the statement through its description of the differences between the two societies. It picks apart the Japanese traditions and dismisses it as an equal before it can ever acknowledge it as one. I found the same dismissal of “larger worlds” (Bleak House 17)  in “On the West African Coast.” The speaker describes his slave who is from the west African coast, and attempts to justify that “he really has no idea of either cleanliness or decency as we understand those virtues in England” (Household Words, Vol XIX, 510). Considering what I’ve learned so far about sanitation in England, as well as the way in which the speaker speaks about his African slave, I found this article to take on the voice of the Pardiggle and Jellyby mothers. Without making any assumption or jumps in regards to how Dickens felt about other worlds, I couldn’t help but see the connection of the critiques of the Court of Chancery and philanthropy and how they applied to some of the articles in Household Words.