The Angel in the House

The mothers in Bleak House aren’t very good role models. It’s kind of surprising how obvious Dickens’s theme of family structure is. Not only is this book about class, but it is about the home and family unit as well. He makes it clear that women are the center of the family structure. The obvious example is Mrs. Jellyby; she is so obsessed with Africa that her home is in shambles. Without her guidance her home is in ruins. Another example is Esther; she is so organized that she keeps the house in peace. Esther knows that her duty as house keeper comes first, and because of this she is able to maintain a proper household.  The next idea to point out is the amount of orphans in this book. I believe that it is show three levels of the family unit. First there is the functional unit; this would be considered the residence of bleak house itself. Despite the fact that they really are not all related it is still a fully functional household where everything is taken care of. The next step would then be the Jellyby household; everyone had a roof over their heads, but they still are not in the best situation ever. Then finally there is Jo who has no family whatsoever. I believe that the biggest statement being made here is that having a mother is always better than having no mother at all.

                Could this also be a statement saying that Victorian women should know their place? Disregarding Jo, it is easy to see that Dickens does not fully appreciate women such as Mrs. Jellyby, having their own business outside of the home. To quote an article that I read about this subject Joan Manheimer argues in her essay called “Murderous Mothers” that “The woman in the house was caught in a dialectical dance with the demons at the door” (531). I personally believe that Charles Dickens is making an argument that women can have a right to stand up for themselves and think for themselves, but no matter how much they like it or not the home cannot function without them. Esther goes about and does as she pleases but she is still always there to manage the house affairs and to support her loved ones whenever she needs to, and the same goes for Caddy. She helps maintain the family business, but she still knows her place as a wife and mother and is there for her family when need be. Dickens’ is making it quite obvious that women really do need to be the angel in the house.