The Way We Live Now--Final (Chapters LXXX--C) 80--100
Talk Group Reads - Literature
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1suaby
SPOILERS--IF YOU EVER INTEND TO READ THIS NOVEL, DON'T READ THIS POST.
As would be expected, Trollope wraps up his longest novel with neatly disposing of onw of his previous major themes: Self-deception. In the end many of his characters un-deceive themselves.
Maries realizes the true character of Felix (and all fortune hunting men) by becomming her "own mistress" at last. This move may or may not save her from her questionable marriage to an American fortune hunter, Hamilton Fisker. Hedda discovers both the worth of Paul Montegue despite his obviously weak character and the suprisingly high moral character of Mrs. Hurdle. Winifred Hurdle recognizes, at last, Paul's "tame, sleek,---over-civilized" nature totally incompatible to herself, something she was blind to from the beginning.
Of the two characters to whom Trollope gives the biggest egos (Georgiana Longstaffe and Augustus Melmotte), both un-deceive themselves through acts of desperation (very low marriage although to a "gentleman" (Georgiana) and the ultimate act of self-destruction (Melmotte). It is interesting that Trollope used the metaphor of "rising waters" that eventually overwhelm, to describe both Georginana and Melmotte's respective downfalls.
Some characters are never un-deceived. Sir Felix, financially destroyed and physically marred, takes a year off in Germany with a clergyman as 'keeper' with no indication of having learned anything from previous mistakes. Roger Carbury continues to deceive himself with his love for Hedda which takes a bizarre turn when he calls her his daughter, makes her his heiress and says her child will be his child. Evidently if he can't marry her, then he will be content to control her financially. He never really reconciles with the weak Paul. His hopeless love for Hedda finds correspondence in Winifred Hurdle's hopeless love for Paul. She vows to keep his portrait next to her heart and love him eternally even though she recognizes how exasperatingly weak he is!
Trollope's motif of parents and children work to the end in the four main families: Carburys, Nidderdales, Longstaffes and Melmottes. In each case parents push their respective children into repulsive situations for financial and/ or social gain. Each case fails. Hedda and Felix do not marry the partners Lady Carbury has pushed them toward, although Lady Carbury herself makes a propitious marriage to Mr. Bourne. Lord Nidderdale remains a pawn in his father's hands at the end of the novel, available for the next heiress who might be waiting in the wings. The Longstaffe girls get husbands (Sophia's favored, Georgiana's unfavored although he is a "gentleman"). Mr. Longstaffe and Lady Pomona, downsized tremendously due to current financial disasters, continue to regard the wealthy and morally high Mr. Breghert as nothing but a dirty Jew telling readers more about the Longstaffes than about Mr. Breghert. August Melmotte pushed Marie so far and no further eventually concluded that her marriage would not save him from financial ruin. In an odd twist, readers are left to wonder how much Marie is really her father's daughter in her sudden alliance with Fisker, her trip to America (with the jewels) and her awareness that American laws allow women more freedom over ownership of their property.
This novel showcased Trollope's wonderful ability to draw characters with depth (the ethical but single-minded Roger, the fortune hunting Lord Nidderdale who actually has a heart, the helpless Marie who eventually becomes her own mistress) and give readers a great Trollpian ending where true love (given to the weakest characters) triumphs and unrestrained greed (Melmotte, Longstaffe) falls into the pit dug by the greedy perpetrators themselves.
Oh yes, the Beargarden closed but the guys hoped to open it again, this time with a strict understanding that they would only be cheated by the manager to a set amount.
As would be expected, Trollope wraps up his longest novel with neatly disposing of onw of his previous major themes: Self-deception. In the end many of his characters un-deceive themselves.
Maries realizes the true character of Felix (and all fortune hunting men) by becomming her "own mistress" at last. This move may or may not save her from her questionable marriage to an American fortune hunter, Hamilton Fisker. Hedda discovers both the worth of Paul Montegue despite his obviously weak character and the suprisingly high moral character of Mrs. Hurdle. Winifred Hurdle recognizes, at last, Paul's "tame, sleek,---over-civilized" nature totally incompatible to herself, something she was blind to from the beginning.
Of the two characters to whom Trollope gives the biggest egos (Georgiana Longstaffe and Augustus Melmotte), both un-deceive themselves through acts of desperation (very low marriage although to a "gentleman" (Georgiana) and the ultimate act of self-destruction (Melmotte). It is interesting that Trollope used the metaphor of "rising waters" that eventually overwhelm, to describe both Georginana and Melmotte's respective downfalls.
Some characters are never un-deceived. Sir Felix, financially destroyed and physically marred, takes a year off in Germany with a clergyman as 'keeper' with no indication of having learned anything from previous mistakes. Roger Carbury continues to deceive himself with his love for Hedda which takes a bizarre turn when he calls her his daughter, makes her his heiress and says her child will be his child. Evidently if he can't marry her, then he will be content to control her financially. He never really reconciles with the weak Paul. His hopeless love for Hedda finds correspondence in Winifred Hurdle's hopeless love for Paul. She vows to keep his portrait next to her heart and love him eternally even though she recognizes how exasperatingly weak he is!
Trollope's motif of parents and children work to the end in the four main families: Carburys, Nidderdales, Longstaffes and Melmottes. In each case parents push their respective children into repulsive situations for financial and/ or social gain. Each case fails. Hedda and Felix do not marry the partners Lady Carbury has pushed them toward, although Lady Carbury herself makes a propitious marriage to Mr. Bourne. Lord Nidderdale remains a pawn in his father's hands at the end of the novel, available for the next heiress who might be waiting in the wings. The Longstaffe girls get husbands (Sophia's favored, Georgiana's unfavored although he is a "gentleman"). Mr. Longstaffe and Lady Pomona, downsized tremendously due to current financial disasters, continue to regard the wealthy and morally high Mr. Breghert as nothing but a dirty Jew telling readers more about the Longstaffes than about Mr. Breghert. August Melmotte pushed Marie so far and no further eventually concluded that her marriage would not save him from financial ruin. In an odd twist, readers are left to wonder how much Marie is really her father's daughter in her sudden alliance with Fisker, her trip to America (with the jewels) and her awareness that American laws allow women more freedom over ownership of their property.
This novel showcased Trollope's wonderful ability to draw characters with depth (the ethical but single-minded Roger, the fortune hunting Lord Nidderdale who actually has a heart, the helpless Marie who eventually becomes her own mistress) and give readers a great Trollpian ending where true love (given to the weakest characters) triumphs and unrestrained greed (Melmotte, Longstaffe) falls into the pit dug by the greedy perpetrators themselves.
Oh yes, the Beargarden closed but the guys hoped to open it again, this time with a strict understanding that they would only be cheated by the manager to a set amount.
2PensiveCat
I thought he ended it in a way that was not overly tidy or coincidental, and only mildly tragic. Roger's kind of creepy in my opinion, even though he's far more of a quality person than Felix - then again, pretty much everyone in this story is...even Dolly makes a go at an effort here and there.
