I chose a passage from the first chapter of the novel, a description of the house at Audley court. “the house faced the arch, and occupied three sides of a quadrangle. It was very old, and very irregular and rambling. The windows were uneven; some small, some large, some with heavy stone mullions and rich stained glass.” (Braddon 7).
This passage describes some of the exterior of the house. For the first few pages of the novel the author offers extensive details about Audley Court. Braddon uses a lot of contrasting imagery to describe the window situation at the house, which is what the passage begins to describe. This passage relates to the book as a whole in that it describes the most used setting throughout the entire novel. I think the disorderly, irregular looking house reflects the disorder of what’s going on in the novel and the drama between the characters. When she states “some small, some large, some with heavy stone mullions and rich stained glass”(Braddon 7), the author gives us insight into the characters. For example, Lucy Graham’s description could be equivalent to, in this instance, to the ones with “heavy stone mullions and rich stained glass”, as she is a powerful figure in the story.
I agree that the lengthy description of the house at the beginning of the novel is a representation of the disorder within the character’s lives. It could also be alluding to how the wealth and status of the Audley family is vulnerable due to Lady Audley’s actions. Robert worries that if Lady Audley were to be put on trial it may cause a scandal within their family and harm their reputation. The estate is so large, reflecting their family’s power, but is in disarray, showing that they are struggling to retain normalcy.
I also found the extensive imagery at the beginning of the book to be an interesting way of foreshadowing the novel. The idea of the very old house strung together with new and modern architecture shows the effect Lady Audly brings into the household. There are also hints about wealth and class through the stained glass windows that vary in size, shape, and age. Spending so much time describing the house gives it the effect a character would have. So much so that we see the house hiding secrets within its walls.