Reading 1001 discussion

26: I will be posting some questions soon. In this section we have George, Phill, Grandfather Smallweed.
27: Visit with Mr Tulkinghorn, Looking for a sample of handwriting of Mr Hawdon.
28: Sir Leicester Dedlock has poor relatives; Volumnia Dedlock.
29: Mr. Guppy visits Lady Dedlock and wants to know if she knows Esther Summerson
30: Wedding of Caddy

Summary: The death of Krook’s lodger resurfaces in chapters 26, 27, and 29 and Lady Dedlock discovers who Esther Summerson is.

1. How does George distract Grandfather Smallweed?

2. Why do they want a sample of Mr. Hawdon's handwriting?

3. When and How does Lady Dedlock discover who Esther Summerson is?

4. When Caddy marries, what does her father her never to do?

5. Why do you think Lady Dedlock is afraid of Mr. Tulkinghorn?

Chapters 31 to 35. Contagious illness strikes. Richard is struck with his own contagion.

1. What illness strikes and who does it strike?

2. What contagious illness strikes Richard and what effect does it have on him? How does this illness serve as metaphor?

3. Comment on the fantastical demise of Krook?

4. What does the complicated financial arrangement between George, Mr. Smallweed, and the Bagnets signify?

5. comment on Esther’s confession about Mr. Woodcourt at the end of chapter 35.

1. How does George distract Grandfather Smallweed?
Talked my about family and the past, but I might be remembering their first visit wrong by now.

2. Why do they want a sample of Mr. Hawdon's handwriting?
They are in some arrangement with Tulkinghorn, who is their lawyer as well, to find the handwriting sample to match the name with the father of the baby (Esther)

3. When and How does Lady Dedlock discover who Esther Summerson is?
Mr. Guppy comes with questions again, as he’s trying to piece things together and talks about who raised Esther and Mrs Dedlock then knows it was her child being raised there by her sister.

4. When Caddy marries, what does her father her never to do?
Never get a mission! Which is a great line in this book, by the way!

5. Why do you think Lady Dedlock is afraid of Mr. Tulkinghorn?
She knows he also suspects something and is on the case, so to speak, to find out her deep dark secret.

.......

1. What illness strikes and who does it strike?
It starts in London with the Bricklayer’s family and Jo gets them medicine, they all come back to the village and then Jo gets sick, Esther and Charley take care of him and then Charley gets sick, then Esther nurses her and Esther gets sick. I don’t think they ever mention the illness by name, but there is some high fever involved and some disfigurement afterwards... so some kind of mumps/or pox most likely...

2. What contagious illness strikes Richard and what effect does it have on him? How does this illness serve as metaphor?
The illness of the curse of putting to much faith in the lawsuit...some version of gamblers anonymous...gambling his whole life and future on the one spinn of the wheel which is the never ending lawsuit he’s sure will end soon and in his favor.

3. Comment on the fantastical demise of Krook?
Spontaneous Combustion.... I’m guessing more like died and fell into the fire with his frequent companion of aclchol and burned up.... not sure how his whole place didn’t go up though.

4. What does the complicated financial arrangement between George, Mr. Smallweed, and the Bagnets signify?
A loan to start their shooting range, which sounds more like loan sharking, pay up parts now or else. In this case threaten the respectable family man business partner to force George to cave and give the letter he was unwilling to give before.

5. comment on Esther’s confession about Mr. Woodcourt at the end of chapter 35.
She loves him, but feels unworthy given her altered state after her illness and the loss of her beauty.

I have just finished chapter 35 and feel that Melissa has comprehensively answered the questions so far. The plot thickens and I am now entranced with the story.