Summary

Analysis

Joyful-tearful reunions are prevalent in Dickens’ novels, and in this chapter there are two such. Today many readers find such scenes “overdone,” “sentimental,” or “unrealistic.” But they pleased many readers in Victorian England, and Dickens sincerely believed that the expression of such sentiment, whether in fiction or in real life, served the useful purpose of promoting moral idealism and regard for others. The plot advances somewhat as Esther realizes who she is and becomes aware of her mother’s — and her own — difficult situation.