Reading the Chunksters discussion

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Chapters 49-53
In which we find...
The truth of the codicil of Casaubon's will and what Sir James thinks of it.
Dorothea finds out and is very surprised by her husband's suspicions. She goes home to find if there is anything in the way of a written love note or instructions in her husband's drawers and finds nothing. Dorothea has to find a new Vicar to replace her husband and Lydgate recommends Farebrother.
Will knows nothing of the codicil. Brooke has a bad speech, and may sell the Pioneer which give Will the excuse to leave Middlemarch.
Mr. Farebrother gets the vicarage at Lowick and the female members of his family urge him to marry with Mary Garth in thier minds. Then Fred shows up and asks Mr. Farebrother to ask Mary what her mind is in marriage to Fred, and he does.
And Raffles has returned, we now know how Bulstrode has made his money, who he cheated and we learn a bit about Will's mother.



I really liked when Lydgate was recommending Farebrother to Dorothea, he told her the whole truth, not holding back on Farebrother's defects. It showed some respect to Dorothea that I don't think many other males have shown her thus far.

It just about broke my heart when Fred asked Mr. Farebrother to talk to Mary and I was so impressed with the way he handled it. Even in the end when he asked Mary that if she wouldn't have Fred at that moment did that mean she was open to others.

This Raffles thing is getting juicy.

Casaubon puts the final twist of the knife into DoDo in this chapter. He wanted to ensure that DoDo wouldn't be able to use the money he left her with Will. I think that Casaubon could have redeemed himself, and ultimately freed himself of the guilt of how he handled his marriage, if he wouldn't have put any restrictions on Dorothea's marrying after his death.

Sera wrote: "I think that Casaubon could have redeemed himself, and ultimately freed himself of the guilt of how he handled his marriage..."

Redeemed himself in our eyes yes, but do you think he felt guilt? I didn't see that. I missed his feeling guilt for sure, will you please expand?

Sure, Juliette. Here's one of the quotes:

It had occurred to him that he must not any longer defer his intention of matrimony, and he had reflected that in taking a wife, a man of good position should expect and carefully choose a blooming young lady – the younger the better, because more educable and submissive – of a rank equal to his own, of religious principles, virtuous disposition, and good understanding. On such a young lady he would make handsome settlements, and he would neglect no arrangement for her happiness: in return, he should receive family pleasures and leave behind him that copy of himself which seemed so urgently required of a man – to the sonneteers of the sixteenth century. Times had altered since then, and no sonneteer had insisted on Mr Casaubon’s leaving a copy of himself; moreover, he had not yet succeeded in issuing copies of his mythological key; but he had always intended to acquit himself by marriage, and the sense that he was fast leaving the years behind him, that the world was getting dimmer and that he felt lonely, was a reason to him for losing no more time in overtaking domestic delights before they too were left behind by the years.

Eliot, George (2006-08-03). Middlemarch . Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.

To me, the bolded text indicates a sense of loss/lost opportunity, which to me, is a sign of guilt - a subtle sign, but one that I view as a sign of it because it denotes a responsibility on the part of Casaubon that he has for his feelings of loneliness.

How do you view this language?

Yes, okay. I'm reading it as in he felt he should have spent more time with her as a husband as opposed to spending time with her as a scholar. I agree in that, but would omitting the codicil really have freed him from that guilt?

I must think on that some more.

Juliette wrote: "Yes, okay. I'm reading it as in he felt he should have spent more time with her as a husband as opposed to spending time with her as a scholar. I agree in that, but would omitting the codicil rea..."

I appreciate that - would it have been more fair to say "lessened" instead of "freed"? The codicil attempted to remove another way in which D would have been able to find happiness post-Casaubon, thereby making him a better husband if he didn't have it?

I think he thought he was acquitting himself by protecting Dodo from what he viewed (perhaps wrongly) as a possible threat to her in the form of Ladislaw. He was worried that Ladislaw wouldn't have honest feelings for her, but would instead seduce her into marriage just to get at the money. Now, we know that Ladislaw is better than this. We also know that Causabon was obviously a troubled man BEFORE his illness set in, and I think once he knew he was going to die his grasp on reality slid into the fantastical and became a bit dark.



Naturally, we look on his actions with distaste. So do the others, but notice WHY Sir James thinks it ill. He only thinks it was wrong of Causabon because it casts aspersions onto Dodo, and he thinks Ladislaw is beneath her any ways. He isnt actually mad about the prohibition itself. Frankly, he may feel the same way as Causabon, but he would have prevented it in a different manner. Her uncle hits it on the nose when he says regardless of whether they send Ladislaw away, people are going to talk now.

I honestly don't think that Causabon did it because of any sort of spite, I do think he felt that he hadnt treated Dodo with as much as appreciation as she was due. I think this was his final measure to protect a sweet, innocent, young girl full of virtue from a man that he viewed as worldly, possibly jealous, unvirtous and, for the lsat several years, a layabout with no purpose.

If this was a Wilkie Collins novel the fact that Ladislaw had spent so much time in papist countries would surely have worked against him. :D

The way I see it, Causabon was convinced that Dodo had feelings for Ladislaw (noting his inner turmoil in the dark when she requested he leave Ladislaw some money in his will, then later again when he was thinking about the codicil). Given Causabon's history with Ladislaw when it came to Causabon's literature he also felt that Ladislaw poisoned Dodo against his work.

So I don't think Causabon was protecting Dodo, I think he intended to punish her, I also think that as he was dying he was trying to extract from her the promise not to marry Ladislaw knowing that she would keep that promise if the codicil did not succeed. Which might not succeed in the end, Dodo's got money of her own, she's said as much when she when she talked to Lydgate. What's Causabon's money and land to her? I think he suspected she might not care about $$ when he was at the end and wanted that promise in addition to the codicil.

Of course we don't really know what the promise was that he wanted from Dodo, but I think it's a pretty good guess.

Sorry, here is the long quote that I derived my stance from

In marrying Dorothea Brooke I had to care for her well-being in case of my death. But well-being is not to be secured by ample, independent possession of property; on the contrary, occasions might arise in which such possession might expose her to the more danger. She is ready prey to any man who knows how to play adroitly either on her affectionate ardor or her Quixotic enthusiasm; and a man stands by with that very intention in his mind—a man with no other principle than transient caprice, and who has a personal animosity towards me—I am sure of it—an animosity which is fed by the consciousness of his ingratitude, and which he has constantly vented in ridicule of which I am as well assured as if I had heard it. Even if I live I shall not be without uneasiness as to what he may attempt through indirect influence. This man has gained Dorothea's ear: he has fascinated her attention; he has evidently tried to impress her mind with the notion that he has claims beyond anything I have done for him. If I die—and he is waiting here on the watch for that—he will persuade her to marry him. That would be calamity for her and success for him. She would not think it calamity: he would make her believe anything; she has a tendency to immoderate attachment which she inwardly reproaches me for not responding to, and already her mind is occupied with his fortunes. He thinks of an easy conquest and of entering into my nest. That I will hinder! Such a marriage would be fatal to Dorothea. Has he ever persisted in anything except from contradiction? In knowledge he has always tried to be showy at small cost. In religion he could be, as long as it suited him, the facile echo of Dorothea's vagaries. When was sciolism ever dissociated from laxity? I utterly distrust his morals, and it is my duty to hinder to the utmost the fulfilment of his designs."

Now I naturally think that a lot of his fears will ill-founded, but thats do to the omniscience that Eliot grants the reader. I don't think he suspected Dodo of wrong conduct, just that she is overly impassioned. And he was suspicious of Ladislaw, warranted or no. Was he jealous? Yes, I'd say so. But I'd also argue that towards the end he wasn't a very stable person, that his whole life had been plagued by feelings of inadequacy and those really stretched out of context there at the end. Was this utterance simply someone protesting to much? An attempt to justify his jealous in terms of honor? Probably all of the above to some extent.

I mean, I think he is kind of a brute and a monster any ways. I also think Dodo chose poorly.

Juliette wrote: "The way I see it, Causabon was convinced that Dodo had feelings for Ladislaw (noting his inner turmoil in the dark when she requested he leave Ladislaw some money in his will, then later again when..."

I agree that Casaubon intended to punish Dodo in the way that you had described.

Becky wrote: "But I'd also argue that towards the end he wasn't a very stable person..."

I would agree with that!

I do keep wondering if my ill feelings and judgement on him are because I am a female. Perhaps I persecute him more in my mind because he is a man. OR is it because he was a man I wanted to like and I tried to champion him over James for Dodo (in my head) and the fact that he failed to live up to any of mine or Dodo's expectations that I jugde him more harshly...

On a sidenote, and a happier one, I really like Mr Farebrother. I do hope that we see him happily married ever after in the end, since it won't work out with Mary. I absolutely adore his family scenes, I love that his Aunt steals sugar cubes for the kids. I really hope that she still nicks sugar even when she has money for it, it makes me smile.

Becky wrote: "I think he thought he was acquitting himself by protecting Dodo from what he viewed (perhaps wrongly) as a possible threat to her in the form of Ladislaw. He was worried that Ladislaw wouldn't have..."

That's a good point. I expect that jealousy had something to do with it, but also he did know Ladislaw during the time that Ladislaw was a lay-about doing nothing productive and being very bad husband material. He may well have suspected that Ladislaw's interest was, as you say, for Dorothea's money (and to satisfy his, Ladislaw's, desire to get back at Causabon for acting superior), and was genuinely trying to protect Dorothea from falling for a glib neer-do-well adventurer.

It's nice that you were able to find something in the codicil that might reflect positively on Causabon, since the overwhelming view of modern readers, I find, is repugnance and disgust at the provision. But that may reflect our belief in marriage as a product of love, not (as it was seen in the mid 1800s) as a provision for security and stability.

Becky wrote: "On a sidenote, and a happier one, I really like Mr Farebrother. I do hope that we see him happily married ever after in the end, since it won't work out with Mary. I absolutely adore his family sce..."

Farebrother is indeed one of the more delightful creations of Victorian literature.

I don't think Casaubon was trying to protect Dorothea from Ladislaw. He just didn't want Will to come into possession of his property, land etc as a result of marrying Dorothea. To me, it was as simple as that.

If Casaubon's invention was to punish Dorothea, it shows how little he knew her as I doubt she would be bothered about losing C's property for herself, however it would hurt her to think Will wouldn't inherit any of it, so perhaps this is the punishment? Do you think Dorothea has romantic feelings for Ladislaw at this stage? Was it a pang of jealousy she felt on encountering Will alone with Rosamund? Or just a sense of impropriety? I like to think this is the start of her realising she has feelings for him. I actually can understand Casaubon wanting to protect his assets but think the codicil unfair although I doubt Dorothea and Will will care if they do end up falling in love with one another. I cannot see them being bound by material possessions, but they would probably have to move away from Middlemarch as I expect people would talk and their getting together would, in the eyes of the locals, justify the codicil.

ps, Farebrother's aunt stealing more sugar on account of her nephew's good fortune, made me inwardly chuckle. Superb bit of comedy!

Glynis, picture it this way: Causabon thought that Ladislaw had feelings for Dodo. Eliot says as much frequently. The fact that Ladislaw continues to show up, and present himself as an impertinent pup, at the church, in Middlemarch, etc, is definitly improper. Now, if I thought some woman was in love with my husband, or was out to seduce him for whatever reason, and kept ensuring that she in the same place as him... I would be furious, and I'm not even the jealous type. Ladislaw obviously has feelings for Dodo, Causabon was not incorrect in assuming that. Now, even if my husband didn't have feelings for that person, and even though DoDo probably didnt while she was married, it woudln't matter. I'd put my foot down on my husband being in the same area with her. Causabon did the same. I dont think he ever meant it to reflect on Dodo's character, and I don't think he thought she was being improper. But Will was.

Again, Causabon is not my favorite character. But I do think he is getting an overly bad rap, especially since we do know that Ladislaw has feelings for Dodo, and was fairly pursuing her even while married.

You don't need to point it out to me Becky - I already got the gist of it thanks :) Plus I wouldn't need to control my husband to the point where he wouldn't be 'allowed' in the same room as an admirer - because I trust him and I am secure in our relationship. Casaubon is a control freak. He ironically imposed upon Dorothea the same punishment that was imposed upon Will's grandmother - namely that his grandmother acted independently and married a man of her choice. Casaubon clearly doesn't trust Will and thinks Dorothea is easily swayed/seduced and cannot think for herself and therefore doesn't trust her, so he desperately inflicts the same punishment on Dorothea. Even if she doesn't marry Will, the implication that she has feelings for him is there and there is a chance her name could be sullied if she continues to her friendship with Will. I hope they fall totally in love and run off somewhere nice!!!

Becky wrote: "The fact that Ladislaw continues to show up, and present himself as an impertinent pup, at the church, in Middlemarch, etc, is definitly improper. "

Would we, in today's day and age, consider him a stalker?

Everyman wrote: "Becky wrote: "The fact that Ladislaw continues to show up, and present himself as an impertinent pup, at the church, in Middlemarch, etc, is definitly improper. "

Would we, in today's day and age,..."

I don't think so, I'm still trying to wrap my head around Becky's view of Ladislaw. I don't see it as improper. While we know that Will is in love with Dodo, his thoughts are of just spending time with her because of how she makes him feel. He has no improper thoughts and indeed (view spoiler)[we find that he knows that after Casaubon's death he cannot marry Dodo because she has money, and he doesn't even know about the will, we find this out in the next week of reading (hide spoiler)]

I dont know. Moving just to be near someone doesn't seem stalkerish to you?


Maybe I am overly paranoid considering at one time I did have a restraining order on someone, and my husband almost did after his ex busted his car window out.


Ladislaw is overtly set up to be the "underdog" here. I just dont think that the Victorian reader would have been as disgusted with Causabon as the modern reader is. I think Eliot spent a lot of time explaining his actions.

Becky wrote: "I just dont think that the Victorian reader would have been as disgusted with Causabon as the modern reader is. I think Eliot spent a lot of time explaining his actions. "

I agree with that as to his marriage. They would, I think, have understood it and even thought Dorothea did quite well for herself, since who else would have found her a good candidate for marriage at that time? Way too concerned with thinking and not enough with being a compliant, appreciative, obedient wife.

But I think they would have been less enamored of his intellectual fraud, which I think they would have recognized as much as we do.

Becky wrote: "I dont know. Moving just to be near someone doesn't seem stalkerish to you?..."

Ladislaw didn't go there with the intention of moving there. He went to visit his benefactor (and admittedly hoped to see Dodo) and was offered a very lucrative opportunity from Mr. Brooke. Plus technically, he had no home but Middlemarch.

I'm sorry about your past, I think it's nearly impossible to read certain things without putting personal experience into it. While I don't see it how you do, I understand better now.

My apologies if I came across as rude in my last message in this thread.

Becky wrote: "Glynis, picture it this way: Causabon thought that Ladislaw had feelings for Dodo. Eliot says as much frequently. The fact that Ladislaw continues to show up, and present himself as an impertinent ..."

Thank you for saying this, I definitely agree. I would feel the same way. The problem is that he never explains any of this to Dorothea, but merely is secretive and manipulative, rather than inviting her into his confidence, as a man should with his wife, especially in matters like that. I think if she understood what his feelings were, she could have responded to him better, instead of inadvertently making the situation worse.

And yes, I think Ladislaw is acting rather like a stalker, although he obviously has no intention of hurting Dodo in any way. I think he admires her and is in love with her, but as far as trying to ruin her life by having her run away with him or anything, I doubt that's entered his mind. Even the best of us have made poor decisions when it comes to being around those we love at times.