Hi, everyone!
I usually clean up my house by a vacuum cleaner on Monday morning. Though there are tiny rooms in my house, I don’t like cleaning. Especially in spring, the floor becomes dusty. I’m going to get a pair of slippers with a floorcloth on the sole.
This morning I received an interesting paperback I have ordered a week ago. That title is Feminism in modern Japan written by Vera Mackie. Last year I heard her name from Plum under instruction for our essay. At first, I was surprised by its detailed glossary and bibliography. It seems valuable for me.
So, see you tomorrow. Good night.
7 comments:
Hi, ladies!!!
It has been a pretty warm day today, hasn’t it?
Did you enjoy this spring-like weather in the afternoon?
I went to Cosmos’ place this morning. Normally, when Jonathan’s meeting is held at Cosmos’ place, Sunflower calls me as she is approaching the Suemori Intersection, and then I go out and walk down the concrete stairs and meet her at the foot of them.
This morning she did not call me at the usual time in the morning, and so I just thought that she would go to J’s meeting, and was rewriting Cherry’s essay. Just before 10 o’clock the phone rang, and I picked up the phone and it was Sunflower who was calling me, and she said that she was leaving home to pick me up.
She arrived at the usual place much more quickly than I expected, and we went to Cosmos’ place.
After we had lunch, perhaps, Sunflower got a phone call, which was from her husband, who said that he was locked out, and Sunflower said that she had to leave immediately.
After the session, I was going to take a taxi to get home, but Cosmos kindly offered me a ride, and drove me home.
Those who attended today’s session were:
Jonathan
Cosmos
Sunflower
Azalea
Yoko san
Etsuko san
Magnolia
Plum
Magnolia stated that the story of Bleak House posted by me was quite complicated and hard to understand. I quite agree with her.
I will post a list of characters appearing in the novel/drama. I would like you to print it, and bring it when you come to Cosmos’ place when I show you the DVDs in May. We have not decided when they are shown.
I am very sorry about the lengthy list. I sincerely apologize to you for this. But, please, please do not be intimidated by the long list. I really think it worth watching and would like to encourage you to make attempts to comprehend this list.
Characters in Bleak House
As usual, Dickens drew upon many real people and places but imaginatively transformed them in his novel. The "telescopic philanthropist" Mrs. Jellyby, who pursues distant projects at the expense of her duty to her own family, is a criticism of women activists like Caroline Chisholm. Many people saw the "childlike" but ultimately immoral character Harold Skimpole as a portrait of Leigh Hunt but this was always denied by Dickens. Mr. Jarndyce's friend Mr Boythorn is based on the writer Walter Savage Landor. The novel also includes one of the first detectives to appear in English fiction, Mr. Bucket. This character is probably based on Inspector Charles Frederick Field of the then-recently formed Detective Department at Scotland Yard.[1] Dickens wrote several journalistic pieces about the Inspector and the work of the detectives in Household Words.
[edit] Major characters
* Esther Summerson — The hero and narrator of part of the story, raised as an orphan because the identity of her parents is unknown. At first it seems probable that her guardian, John Jarndyce, is her father because he provides for her support. This question is not fully cleared up for Esther until he offers her his hand in marriage. The discovery of her true identity provides for much of the drama in the book: it is later discovered that she is the illegitimate daughter of Lady Dedlock and Nemo.
* Richard Carstone — a ward of court in Jarndyce v Jarndyce. A fairly simple but inconstant character who falls under the malign spell of the Jarndyce v Jarndyce case. At the end of the book he dies, tormented by his inability to make any progress in the case at the cost of all his money.
* Ada Clare — a ward of court in Jarndyce v Jarndyce. A good girl who falls in love with Richard Carstone. They later marry (in secret).
* John Jarndyce — a party in Jarndyce, guardian of Richard, Ada and Esther, and owner of Bleak House. A depressive but good man who falls in love with Esther and proposes that they marry. She agrees but it becomes increasingly clear that the marriage would not suit her. He also realizes this but finds it very hard to give her up.
* Harold Skimpole — a friend of Jarndyce and "in the habit of sponging his friends" (Nuttall); supposedly based on Leigh Hunt. A thoroughly despicable character, amoral, and without remorse.
* Sir Leicester Dedlock — a crusty baronet, very much older than his wife.
* Honoria, Lady Dedlock — the haughty mistress of Chesney Wold. Her past drives much of the plot as it turns out she had an affair with another man and gave birth to his child. She discovers the child's identity (it's Esther) and then she has to fend off the manipulations of Mr. Tulkinghorn. At the end, she dies, disgraced in her own mind, convinced her aristocratic husband could never forgive her moral failings.
* Mr. Tulkinghorn — the Dedlock family lawyer. A scheming, manipulative monster of a man. He learns of Lady Dedlock's past and tries to control her conduct, to preserve the reputation and good name of Sir Leicester. He is murdered and the last part of the book turns into a murder investigation as several characters have good reason to want Tulkinghorn dead.
* Nemo — a law writer. A mysterious man who dies early in the story. He is later revealed to have been a Captain Hawdon, an officer in the British Army under whom Mr George once served. He was the lover of Lady Dedlock, and the father of Esther.
* Miss Flite — an elderly eccentric obsessed with Chancery. She is a party in a long-running Chancery case similar to Jarndyce v Jarndyce. She owns a large number of little birds who she says will be released "on the day of judgement".
* Mr. William Guppy — a law clerk at the firm of Kenge and Carboys. He becomes very taken with Esther and plays a role in unearthing her true past. He proposes marriage to Esther, then withdraws the offer, then re-proposes. Esther politely refuses both his proposals.
* Inspector Bucket — a detective. He is the key player in the murder investigation of Mr. Tulkinghorn and he does solve the case.
* Mr. George — a former soldier. He is a trainer in the martial arts (swords and pistols mostly). Richard Carstone, before he joins the army, trains under him. Later we learn that Mr. George served under the command of "Nemo". He was the prime suspect in the death of Mr. Tulkinghorn and was arrested.
* Caddy Jellyby — a friend of Esther who feels ashamed by her "lack of manners". After meeting Esther, she marries and has a baby.
* Krook — a rag and bottle merchant and collector of papers. He dies from a case of spontaneous human combustion, something that Dickens believed could, in fact, happen. Nemo and Miss Flite lived in rooms in his house.
* Jo — a young boy who tries to make a living as a crossing sweeper. He dies from a disease (pneumonia, a complication from an earlier bout with smallpox) which Esther also catches (and is nearly killed by).
* Allan Woodcourt — a physician. A kind, caring man who likes Esther. She in turn likes him a great deal but feels unable to respond to his overtures because of her prior commitment to John Jarndyce. All is resolved happily at the end.
* Grandfather Smallweed — a money lender. An evil man who enjoys inflicting emotional pain on other people. He drives Mr. George into bankruptcy (by calling in debts).
[edit] Minor characters
* Mr Kenge — a lawyer of Kenge and Carboys
* Mr Vholes — a lawyer who was introduced to Richard Carstone by Skimpole. He makes a great deal of money at Carstone's expense.
* Mr Gridley — an involuntary party to a suit in Chancery (based on a real case, according to Dickens' preface)
* Mr Snagsby — the proprietor of a law-stationery business
* Mrs Snagsby — his wife
* Guster — the Snagsbys' maidservant, prone to fits
* Neckett — a debt collector — called "Coavinses" by debtor Harold Skimpole
* Charley — Coavinses' daughter; hired by John Jarndyce to be a maid to Esther.
* Tom — Coavinses' young son
* Emma — Coavinses' baby daughter
* Mrs Jellyby — Caddy's mother, a philanthropist with little regard to the notion of charity beginning at home
* Mr Jellyby — Mrs Jellyby's husband
* Peepy Jellyby — the Jellybys' young son
* Prince Turveydrop — a dancing master at his father's studio
* Old Mr Turveydrop — proprietor of a dancing studio and a master of Deportment
* Jenny — a brickmaker's wife
* Rosa — a favourite of Lady Dedlock
* Hortense — lady's maid to Lady Dedlock (based on murderess Maria Manning)[2]
* Mrs Rouncewell — housekeeper to the Dedlocks at Chesney Wold
* Mr Rouncewell — son of Mrs Rouncewell and a prosperous ironmaster
* Watt Rouncewell — his son
* Volumnia — a Dedlock cousin
* Lawrence Boythorn — an old friend of John Jarndyce and neighbour of Sir Leicester Dedlock; based on Walter Savage Landor
* Miss Barbary — Esther's godmother and severe guardian in childhood
* Mrs Rachael Chadband — a former servant of Miss Barbary
* Mr Chadband — an oleaginous preacher, husband of Mrs Chadband
* Mrs Smallweed — wife of Mr Smallweed senior and sister to Krook. She is in her second childhood.
* Young Mr (Bartholemew) Smallweed — grandson of the senior Smallweeds and friend of Mr Guppy
* Judy Smallweed — granddaughter of the senior Smallweeds
* Tony Jobling — aka Mr Weevle — a friend of Mr Guppy
* Mrs Guppy — Mr Guppy's aged mother
* Phil Squod — Mr George's assistant
* Matthew Bagnet — military friend of Mr George and dealer in musical instruments
* Mrs Bagnet — wife of Matthew Bagnet
* Mrs Woodcourt — Allan Woodcourt's widowed mother
Dear Cherry and friends,
Hi! How are you?
Plum, thank you for putting up the list of characters in Bleak House. I copied and pasted it on a new page which I added to our Google Group website so that members who need it can print it out easily. Please check it up.
Today's newspaper tells that yellow sand swirls. So I didn't open the window.
Do you have good imagination about cooking? I'm not able to connect what I eat and how to cook. Soup dumpling, Xiaolongbao, is Chinese food. A restaurant on the 12th floor of Takashimaya serves this food. The other day, a Chinese friend and I talked about the food. My naive question asked her was, “how do you put soup in that kind of dumplings?” Probably, you might laugh at my silly question. For the sake of my exercise in English, I'll try telling you the answer that I got from her. The idea is very simple. They don't put soup in them. They just make its filling very watery. They mix ingredients with much water. Water comes out from the mixture of ingredients and becomes rich soup after the dumplings are steamed.
Incidentally, she recommended some Chinese restaurants. According to her, Ohsho serves good gyoza dumplings and for ramen noodles, Umaya is worth trying. In other words, these are guaranteed by a Chinese woman.
Good night.
Dear Peach,
How are you?
Are you all right?
Hi, everyone.
Plum, are your hands OK?
Thank you very much.
If I can, I would map out the interrelation illustration until May.
Peach, Mrs. KF pined to meet you on Sunday. She asked us 'Say hello to her!' If you don't mind, plese contact her by e-mail.
I found Peach's today's comment on yesterday's part.
She wrote about waribashi today. I didn't know otemoto meant waribashi. Thank you.
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