In the novel Bleak House by Charles Dickens, a supporting character’s, Mrs. Jellyby’s greatest passion is also her greatest flaw. Because of the fact that she’s so engulfed and passionate about a “pointless” cause, she loses track of what is really important, and that is the dedication to family. She fails to grasp the concept of the pain that she brings to her family, which reveals her to be the epitome of ignorance. By means of this story, Charles Dickens is trying to play on the fact of the weak “matriarch” figure and comically shows how difficult life would be without a loving “mom”.
A maternal purpose should lie within the comfort of the home, and not within a distant country. This is the case with Mrs. Jellyby. She dedicates every hour of the day into being the mother of a cause that should come second to most others, which is volunteering. Paradoxically, she bestows herself to saving those abroad in Africa, when she should have been paying attention to and caring for her own family. However she proves herself to be flawed in the fact, that she lacks the proper skills in being both a good Africa activist and mother. In terms of Africa, she lacks the proper voice, and motivation to incite a drastic change. Mrs. Jellyby doesn’t take opportunity of the power she has as mother, to make changes at home, but wastes it on Africa. She fails to show any logical thinking on matters of vital importance. Even the name of her project in Africa named “Borrioboola-Gha venture” seems to raise eyebrows at the question of her morality. Why would an adult mother be so convinced that nothing is more worthwhile than a social issue abroad? Ironically, Mrs. Jellby’s agenda is overall foolish because it does not seem to aid the African peoples at all. This proves her cause to be futile. Mrs. Jellyby fails to grasp the actual problem of the matter which is taking place right under his nose, proving her lack of parenting skills.
The absence of a strong matriarch runs the entire household amok. When the main character Esther enters the Jellyby home, she finds Mrs. Jellyby’s youngest son stuck in between the railing. Meanwhile Mrs. Jellyby continues her never-ending letter dictation to her daughter, on how she plans to save Africa by educating its people, and bestow them with the ability to grow coffee. Esther is also marveled at how messy, and cold the Jellyby house is. Mrs. Jellyby fails to feed children and guests with actual “cooked food”. Being a suitable hostess and mother is the least of her worries. Because she is so absorbed in a “useless cause” her house suffers dramatically. Mrs. Jellyby proves to be a failure in homemaking, an ability which is usually one of the main priorities of mothers. The type of lifestyle that she was essentially trying to change in Africa, manifests itself right in her home. However unlike Africa, she lacks “passion” for home. Her neglect takes the biggest toll on her children, who are turning “savage” like some African beasts on both the inside and out. Likewise, her husband seems to be “trapped” like an African bird in its poacher “cage” that his wife has turned his house into.
In general, Mrs. Jellyby’s younger children fail to develop a close bond that most youngsters have with their mothers. However they are not at fault for this. The cause of the problem is Mrs. Jellyby’s ignorance and selfishness. If a parent fails to reach out to their child from early on in their development, there’s a good possibility that their relationship will be eternally strained. The idea of this occurring however doesn’t seem to phase Mrs. Jellyby. Her absence as a parent causes her to be blind to how her children respond to her; especially her oldest daughter Caddy. Everyday, Mrs. Jellyby requires Caddy to be her “letter writer” as she dictates her plans for Africa. Deep inside, Caddy resents her mother for making her write, and her lack of responsibility. As a result, Caddy has an emotional meltdown, which could be interpreted as a child’s call for help and love, after being “indirectly” mistreated and neglected by a mother. The same applies to Mr. Jellyby. He seems to be almost a nonentity, as he let’s his wife’s passion and solid personality take over his household. He is very secluded, quiet, and standoffish. It seems that the mere fact of his wife’s Africa agenda makes him want to commit suicide.
Most women find motherhood to be their greatest passion in life. Not only does it make them feel fulfilled, but also gives them a sense of purpose in life. However in the novel Bleak House, this is the exact opposite. Mrs. Jellyby devotes her life purpose to a cause that’s a thousand miles away instead of focusing on the one that’s calling her name right within her house. Her lack of responsibility and love towards her children thus shows that she is a flawed character and her title as mother is undeserved.
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