DH : CLiC Dickens Project

 DH : CLiC Dickens Project

The fireplace pose – texts and cultural context

This blog is the part of lab activity under the unit Digital Humanities assigned by Dilip sir.  In this I have browse through activity book by CLiC Project of Birmingham University. I am displaying  two 'thematic' activities. 

(One can access through the hyperlink to the activity book and the project.)

The social importance of the fire-place : 

This activity aims to make connections between textual patterns in the novels and social or cultural behavious and conventions in the real world. As most texts in CLiC were written in the 19th century, we focus on the cultural context of that period. Section 12 above looked at the role of fire in A Christmas Carol and here we focus on a related topic: the so-called ‘fireplace pose’ in 19th century fiction.

This pose has been identified in literature and other cultural material from the time, such as paintings; Barbara Korte describes this in her book on body language (Korte 1997: 212). Mahlberg (2013) has looked at textual patterns of the fireplace pose in Dickens’s novels and finds that the cluster with his back to the fire is particularly frequent.

"Jellyby," said Mr. Kenge, standing with his back to the fire and casting his eyes over the dusty hearthrug. "On!" said Mr. Turveydrop, also standing with his back to the fire.

In Bleak House, six out of five sentences describe men standing with their backs to the fireplace. Looking at the binary of gender in the hall, this standing position often signifies authority. In one sentence, a character is thinking, while in another, they await a reply. Two sentences depict characters observing others.

[While I was not able to interprete it more the use of chatboats made it more clear concise. I have used Gemini. ]

The fireplace, traditionally a source of warmth and comfort, is reconfigured as a stage for masculine performance. The act of turning one's back to the fire implies a disengagement from domesticity, suggesting a preoccupation with external concerns or professional matters.The fireplace pose could be explored through a Freudian lens, with the fire symbolizing the unconscious and the turned back suggesting a defense mechanism against deeper emotions or desires.

Similarly, in Dombey and Son, the fireplace becomes a place for male characters to contemplate, stare, or wait. Seven out of six instances involve male characters.

In the Our Mutual Friend The description of Podsnap "executing a statuette of the Colossus at Rhodes" suggests a posture of dominance and self-importance.Dickens uses the fireplace here to highlight the superficiality and pretense of the Veneerings' social circle. So even in the other works reflecting similar kind of the demenour around the fire place. 

When character is described as looking at fire, may described it as meloncholic. Fire gazing could be the symbol in the Dicken's novel. The gaze on the fire means the character is avoiding eye-contact with other characters within the room. 

Fog is another symbol which adds layers of confusion of the thoughts, atmosphere and so on. Here the combination of fire and fog makes it more complex, for example in the very first sentence showing other character in fog could be mean that they are not having same opinion, thinking, or agreement. 

Now let's look at the other works and the writers. 

The fire-place pose in 19th century literature : 

In other 19th-century works, fire symbolizes different meanings. It echoes similar postures reflected in Dickens' work. The characters are in a confused state of mind. In The Small House in Allington by Anthony Trollope, while facing the fire, a character discusses the past and the cold weather of London. This might suggest that the coldness of the past is burdening the present. 

In Daniel Deronda by George Eliot, in both references to the fire, Grandcourt looks at the female character with slight discomfort. This differs from Dickens' characters, who often display a sense of foreboding in their surroundings. "Grandcourt was contemptuous, not jealous;" this line appears later in the paragraph. Here, his emotional rollercoaster is revealed.

In Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy, Jude is on the verge of falling in love when he looks at the sleeping Sue. This scene is far removed from the typical Dickens living room scene. The divinity he feels for Sue is not characteristically Victorian. This may be why Hardy is considered an early modernist writer. Jude's feelings for Sue become clearer and brighter with the presence of the fire, though she is a new woman archetype. Thus, the Dickensian idea of using the fireplace is entirely transformed here.

Parenting in Great Expectations :

In the second activity we will look at parenting in the Great Expectation with the help of this activity book. 

In Geat Expectations, Pip is constantly being told to be thankful, and yet he feels regret. In the novel Great Expectations, the phrase "brought up by hand" appears 14 times. Pumblechook initially uses it to tell Pip's sister how she raised Pip, instilling guilt in him. Pip narrates this in the first person, revealing a superficial reverence he feels. His sister reinforces this by repeatedly asking if she hasn't raised him. Aware of his orphan status, Pip feels burdened by his reliance on her. Not only his sister, but also Mr. Joe, continually reminds Pip of his gratitude owed to her. Thus, Pip's upbringing differs significantly from that of a normal child.

We can explore these not only by searching for these words themselves, but by searching also for their synonyms – these will give us a set of associated words for the ‘semantic fields’ of gratitude and regretfulness, respectively. CLiC makes this sort of search easy.

Gratitude and regret in Great Expectations : 

The Concordances below show results for the semantic fields of gratitude and reget across the novel. The first remorse appears in Chapter 4 when, as a young boy, he steals food for a man and feels guilty. This teenage mind later experiences similar anxiety during church days. In Chapter 8, his first encounter with Miss Havisham is terrifying, and he pretends to be fearless while facing the old lady in her bridal attire and the horrific space.

In Chapter 52, Pip narrates feeling deeply and deservedly humbled as he muses by the fire. The clock's striking arouses him, but not from his dejection or remorse. He is in England for an important job meeting and is nervous.

In Chapter 57, he expresses his perplexity over how to check Joe's growing change, revealing his remorse. Pip has reached a high standard but is unable to help Joe, who needs money. His rude behavior in leaving the house without informing Joe is a source of regret. Pip's character, like a Bildungsroman protagonist, faces different kinds of regret and remorse. Through life experiences, he learns and matures, ultimately understanding and accepting his identity.

Learning Outcome :

It was my first time doing this kind of task. Reading and analyzing all of a writer's books in just one or two hours to identify symbols and patterns is incredibly difficult. However, this kind of project turns research into a matter of seconds. Combining literature and language studies in this way simplifies the process. While dealing with the books themselves is complex, this approach makes it easier.

Secondly, the tool's numerous filters allow readers or researchers to categorize or eliminate information. Direct links and hypertext lead to specific chapters, providing evidence. This eliminates the need to read entire books to understand symbols, characters, and behaviors.

Thirdly, it offers a broad overview, enabling analysis of not just three or four texts, but fifteen at once. Fourthly, it is accessible to everyone and requires no high-speed internet connection, making research much easier.

Finally, it deepens understanding of a writer's style, tone, characterization, and themes. It also allows for comparisons between multiple writers and their use of symbols and characters, even within the same century.

Thank You.