Question: John Jarndyce and Mrs Jellyby are characters from which Charles Dickens novel?
Show answer
Bleak House.
John Jarndyce and Mrs. Jellyby are characters from the celebrated novel “Bleak House” by Charles Dickens. Published in installments between 1852 and 1853, “Bleak House” is known for its critique of the English judicial system and its intricate plot involving numerous characters and subplots.
John Jarndyce is a central figure in the narrative. He’s a benevolent and wealthy man who becomes the guardian of the novel’s main protagonists, Esther Summerson, Richard Carstone, and Ada Clare. These three are potential beneficiaries of a long-standing and complicated court case, “Jarndyce vs Jarndyce,” related to a disputed inheritance. John Jarndyce, himself a potential heir, is weary of the court proceedings and tries to shield his wards from its corrupting influence.
Mrs. Jellyby, on the other hand, represents Dickens’s critique of misguided philanthropy. She is a “telescopic philanthropist” who is so devoted to her charitable work in Africa that she neglects her own family, allowing her home and children to descend into chaos. She symbolizes the paradox of being so focused on distant problems that one’s immediate responsibilities are ignored.
“Bleak House” uses these characters, and others, to provide a scathing critique of Victorian society’s flaws and inconsistencies, showcasing Dickens’s acerbic wit and his capacity for social commentary. The novel remains one of his most complex, mature, and respected works.
