Parents and Children in the Mid-Victorian Novel by Madeleine Wood

Author:Madeleine Wood
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030454692
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Arrested Development

The traumatic structuring of Dombey is by no means linear or straightforward; as in Freud’s own case histories, the identification of a stable ‘origin’ is inherently problematic. In Freud’s history of Lucy R. (discussed in Chapter 2), the key traumatic scenes constantly referred back to an earlier moment. While in Dombey’s traumatic structure the two maternal losses are undoubtedly central, Paul’s christening is also a key moment, referring back to his birth, as well as looking forward with a gloomy premonition to his sentimental demise and subsequent interment: two very private moments, flanked neatly by their social performances. Although we are told that Paul ‘pined and wasted after the dismissal of his nurse’, the atmosphere of the christening is also retrospectively interpreted as a negative influence, the narrator speculating that ‘The chill of Paul’s christening had struck home, perhaps, to some sensitive part of his nature’ (Ch. 8, 91). Dickens juxtaposes the private (maternal) losses, with the public (paternal) ceremonies, reinforcing the tension between maternal and paternal culpability in Paul’s demise. In this christening scene, Dickens reminds us that the crisis set in motion by the opening scene was not only one of maternal loss, but also of intrusive paternal fantasy. Paul is born into death: his mother’s and his own. The christening is a freezing affair: the narrator notes, the ‘chief difference between the christening party and a party in a mourning coach, consisted in the colours of the carriage and horses’ (Ch. 5, 58): ‘It happened to be an iron-grey autumnal day, with a shrewd east wind blowing – a day in keeping with the proceedings’ (54). Paul is welcomed into a deathly world: ‘dusty urn[s]’ adorning the drawing room, as if ‘dug up from an ancient tomb’. Melancholy details abound; even the leaves fall ‘blighted’ as autumn passes into winter. The ‘chimney-glass’ bears witness to Dombey and his portrait and ‘seemed fraught with melancholy meditations’. With this image, Dickens subtly implies the function that Paul (as well as the christening) serves in Dombey’s narcissistic conception of self. Dickens constructs the scene with a moralising and sustained symbolism. In the church, Mr. Chick accidentally reads out ‘the reference to Mrs. Dombey’s tomb in full, before he could stop himself’ (Ch. 5, 59). Maternal loss, melancholia and premature death: all are invoked. Dombey’s emotional frigidity is extended to his surroundings, and, with a typical Dickensian flourish, affect permeates even the food:‘This,’ returned Mr. Dombey, ‘is some cold preparation of calf’s head, I think. I see cold fowls – hams – patties – salad – lobster. Miss Tox will do me the honour of taking some wine? Champagne to Miss Tox.’

There was toothache in everything. (Ch. 5, 60–61)

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