Heaven: 2021 April Book Club - Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

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Comments

  • SarasaSarasa All Saints Host
    I'm still not sure about the ending of the min-series. I can't see Molly hiking off to Africa with Roger, interested though she was in his work. She seems someone who is too attached to home, and I think she'd hate to be that far away from her father.
    As for the others I think Cynthia would stay faithful to Henderson, though they might end up living quite separate lives. She wants a stable existence and he can provide that. I think she and Molly would remain friends, though maybe not close ones.
    As long as he didn't do anything outrageous such as try and court Lady Harriet, Preston would keep his job and the good opinion of Lord Cumnor. He'll probably end up marrying a wealthy widow.
    I can see Lady Harriet living independently in London with a 'companion', and financially baking Roger's work.
    I'm sure that Hyacinth and Mr Gibson would stay married, but I imagine that their lives would be even more separate than Cynthia and Mr Henderson's. I can't imagine Cynthia being very willing to have her mother as a house guest in London for long, but Molly will always be happy to see her father.
    Osborne's son will grow up to be an excellent manager of the estate, take good care of his mother and marry one of Molly's daughters.
  • HelixHelix Shipmate
    I know I am a soppy tart but I would like to see happiness for Dr Gibson in some shape or form, whether it is a coming together with Hyacinth somehow, or her untimely demise and some thing else for Dr Gibson - either a new marriage or perhaps a living arrangement with Roger and Molly - I am not sure. But I want him to be happy in his home life.
  • TrudyTrudy Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I am heartlessly willing to kill off poor Hyacinth to allow Dr. Gibson a happy and peaceful retirement.
  • BelisariusBelisarius Admin Emeritus
    Per the previous mention of Rosamund Vincy, however, Hyacinth could outlive Dr. Gibson and then make the marriage that most suits her.
  • AravisAravis Shipmate
    The Gibsons seem to be in a Mr and Mrs Bennett type of marriage - perhaps even more incompatible. At least the Bennetts had children together.
    Cynthia seems compatible enough with Mr Henderson; both of them appear to want someone who looks suitable, rather than someone they can really know and love.
  • MooMoo Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Belisarius wrote: »
    Per the previous mention of Rosamund Vincy, however, Hyacinth could outlive Dr. Gibson and then make the marriage that most suits her.

    I'm not sure it's possible for her to have a happy marriage because I think the expectations she has are so unrealistic that no man could satisfy them.

  • MiliMili Shipmate
    Hyacinth seemed to be one of the healthiest characters in the book, so she will probably outlive everyone. I wonder what sort of grandmother/step grandmother she will be? Dr Gibson will probably be a good grandfather as long as the kids don't mind being teased or Grandad being a bit gruff.
  • BelisariusBelisarius Admin Emeritus
    edited May 2021
    I'm not sure it's possible for her to have a happy marriage because I think the expectations she has are so unrealistic that no man could satisfy them.
    True, one can't assume there's a wealthy-yet-untitled older man in the Hollingford area willing to marry someone past their youth and then let her have her own way. I thought of the first marriage of Miss Brereton in Sanditon, but she was independently wealthy--though Hyacinth, like Rosamund, would at least have a competency as a widow.

    ETA: Just remembered that Hyacinth married Mr. Kirkpatrick at least in part because he had a chance of becoming a Baronet, so yeah, she would still need a title to be completely happy.
    I wonder what sort of grandmother/step grandmother [Hyacinth] will be?
    Probably her previous MO--give the appearance of exemplariness while doing as little as possible.
    The Gibsons seem to be in a Mr and Mrs Bennett type of marriage - perhaps even more incompatible.
    Interesting point. Given his general views on women, Dr. Gibson would probably consider it par for the course to deal with someone as obviously silly as Mrs. Bennet; Hyacinth, however, has more sense and cunning, and therefore capable of much more significant irritation.
  • TrudyTrudy Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I just finished watching the miniseries last night and the socially distanced proposal really was a hoot to watch in this spring of 2021!
  • AravisAravis Shipmate
    Dr Gibson wouldn’t have married someone obviously silly. At the time he proposed, he knew she was running a school, was valued by the Cumnor family, and had looked after Molly when she got left behind at the Towers; also she was very pretty for her age, and had a daughter the same age as Molly. So he guessed, very reasonably, that she would be sensible, efficient, maternal, respectable, and intelligent. Unfortunately he didn’t take the time to verify those assumptions.
  • SarasaSarasa All Saints Host
    Unlike Mr Bennet Mr Gibson wasn't entranced by a pretty face. As @Aravis said he thought he was making an informed decision, it's just he didn't have the right information. I assume Hyacinth would have married anyone that she thought would have made her life more comfortable.
  • AravisAravis Shipmate
    I have a feeling that Hyacinth would have shown off her grandchildren’s virtues in public, and would have ensured in private that they didn’t get above themselves.
    (I had a manager for years who reminded me of Hyacinth - not that she would ever have read the book; we had startlingly little in common apart from our profession. I was overjoyed when she took early retirement.)
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