Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

We watched the first half of the BBC's "Our Mutual Friend" last night. I adore Dickens' novel, and this one especially. The famous British actors distinguish the production (Timothy Spall is one of my favorites in this and anything), and each person is finely deliniated. Dickens' satirical and dark romp about money and the cost to people of capitalizm are fully developed, as in "Little Dorritt" but this time the world is darker and grimmer than the earlier work. Every Dickens book is a mystery, and this is no exception. But his psychology is so deeply perseptive this time. Mr. Hedstone could be right out of the newspapers today, with his stalking, violent and obsessive behavior. Ownership of women is his right, in this patriarchial world, even if the woman Lizzie is revolted by him. She's seen enough of violence living with her father, and she's in a lower class world where there are no protections for women. Bella could be a modern feminist champion, in her determination not to be bought and sold by society. But her luck with her fairy tale ending is just that, and we know it. The men are floundering as well, but it IS their world. Dickens' empathy astounds me every time I read him. I believe what I am witnessing is his LOVE of his characters. And we come to love them as well. Even the villians are understandable, and often they are trapped by poverty and class. Tonight we will see the second half, while our sore arms recover from our vaccine shots. A quiet day and evening, and filled with gratitude for our good fortune in obtaining them early.