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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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A question about Bleak House and Esther's illness
In Bleak House, Esther gets some sort of illness from her maid Caddy (who got it from Jo, I think). It's never explained what the illness is, but it's apparently so severe that it permanently disfigures her face to such an extent that at least three people who were sort of in love with her almost recoil in horror at seeing it.
Dickens also uses the word "scarred" multiple times in reference to her face does this mean literal scars or just sort of a "metaphorical" scarring?
What kind of illness can produce such drastic and permanent effects?
-Chris
Dickens also uses the word "scarred" multiple times in reference to her face does this mean literal scars or just sort of a "metaphorical" scarring?
What kind of illness can produce such drastic and permanent effects?
-Chris
Top answer
[nq:1]In Bleak House, Esther gets some sort of illness from her maid Caddy (who got it from Jo, I think). literal scars or just sort of a "metaphorical" scarring? [/nq] Smallpox.
- [nq:1]In Bleak House, Esther gets some sort of illness from her maid Caddy (who got it from Jo, I think).
- literal scars or just sort of a "metaphorical" scarring?
- [/nq] Smallpox.
- Turns up in lots of Victorian novels, and yes, I believe it can produce very noticeable scarring.
- I think Dickens probably never bothered to name it because everybody would have known what he meant - and because he is speaking in Esther's voice and there was a reluctance actually to name the illness, as has happened in more recent years with cancer.
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3 Answers
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[nq:1]In Bleak House, Esther gets some sort of illness from her maid Caddy (who got it from Jo, I think). ... literal scars or just sort of a "metaphorical" scarring? What kind of illness can produce such drastic and permanent effects?[/nq]
Smallpox.
Turns up in lots of Victorian novels, and yes, I believe it can produce very noticeable scarring. I think Dickens probably never bothered to
Smallpox.
Turns up in lots of Victorian novels, and yes, I believe it can produce very noticeable scarring. I think Dickens probably never bothered to
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[nq:1]In Bleak House, Esther gets some sort of illness from her maid Caddy (who got it from Jo, I think). ... literal scars or just sort of a "metaphorical" scarring? What kind of illness can produce such drastic and permanent effects?[/nq]
Smallpox. Try Googling on "smallpox scars" or indeed on Bleak House + Esther + illness. People who survived smallpox were often permanently disfigured.
Smallpox. Try Googling on "smallpox scars" or indeed on Bleak House + Esther + illness. People who survived smallpox were often permanently disfigured.
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On 19 Feb 2004 12:10:35 GMT, (Email Removed) (K. Edgcombe) posted the following:
[nq:1]Smallpox.[/nq]
Ah-hah. I knew that it would turn out to be something simple that I should have known.
Thanks.
-Chris
[nq:1]Smallpox.[/nq]
Ah-hah. I knew that it would turn out to be something simple that I should have known.
Thanks.
-Chris
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