“My task is done. My personal share in the events of the family story extends no farther than the point which I have just reached. Other pens than mine will describe the strange circumstances which are now shortly to follow. Seriously and sorrowfully I close this brief record. Seriously and sorrowfully I repeat here the parting words that I spoke at Limmeridge House:—No daughter of mine should have been married to any man alive under such a settlement as I was compelled to make for Laura Fairlie.”
What drew me to this specific section of the reading is his tone after signaling the conclusion of his role in the specific legal matter that he has been asked to complete. “My task is done” shows that he has provided his side of the story, and acknowledges that others are now to take over the storytelling. His awareness of the story’s absurdity is incredibly interesting, especially in the line, “Other pens than mine will describe the strange circumstances” which is a clever way of distancing himself from the future events and shifting the focus to other characters. The repeated emotional language (shoutout to Freud here) of “Seriously and sorrowfully” emphasizing his emotional state implies regret or guilt, particularly in regard to the marriage settlement he was forced to make for Laura. The repetition of these words underscores his emotional disquiet, and foreshadows the troubled nature of Laura’s marriage.
Mr. Gilmore represents the legal and financial realities of Victorian society, and his reflection on the marriage settlement is crucial in understanding the inequities of that system. The line, “No daughter of mine should have been married to any man alive under such a settlement,” is a key indication that he recognizes the settlement as deeply flawed and unfair. The marriage settlement is a key plot device in the novel, symbolizing the financial control placed over women, particularly in terms of property and inheritance. Mr. Gilmore, while not entirely a villain, is part of the system that enforces these structures. He may feel sorry for Laura, but his legal role means he cannot act on that sorrow to make a tangible difference in her circumstances.
This is the most important part to understand in the context of this section of the novel, as Mr. Gilmore’s sorrow also highlights the theme of powerlessness, particularly for women in Victorian society. While he expresses regret, he ultimately cannot change the situation, and his inability to act is a key reflection of the way that social and legal systems constrained individuals like Laura. She is effectively powerless within the structures that Mr. Gilmore, as a lawyer, enforces. His professional detachment is paired with his personal acknowledgment of the injustice done to her, reflecting a broader theme in the novel about the limitations of legal and societal systems.
Bringing this idea back to the very start of the novel itself, “But the Law is still, in certain inevitable cases, the pre-engaged servant of the long purse.” This proves this passage reveals Mr. Gilmore’s internal conflict and highlights his unease with the constraints placed on Laura. It also reinforces the novel’s critique of a legal system that, while seemingly neutral, often perpetuates gendered inequalities.
Thank you, I’ll be crossing a street near you!
Jay Walker
I like your reading of this passage and the way women had very little legal power. I think we talked about this passage and the way Mr. Gilmore was presenting himself as a father figure to Laura. In the part we read today, Miss. Halcombe laments that she and Laura are trapped at Sir Percival’s house because “We two women had neither father, nor brother, to come to the house, and take out parts” (306). I think in a story so bound up in the law, as you mention, and family, it’s interesting how the two intersect and how Mr. Gilmore is just as trapped in what he can do as Laura and Marian.
I love your thorough, in-depth analysis here! I completely agree with your criticism of Mr. Gilmore’s inaction–though regretful, he is helpless against the broader legal system of Victorian England. I wonder what you think Collins is trying to say here with Mr. Gilmore’s sorrowful reflection–is he in support of changing marriage laws to favor women’s liberation? Or is he complying with the status quo? I think you could connect this passage to historical legal documents about Coventry laws…
I appreciate your acknowledgement of the glass ceiling existing within the legal system and questioning whether Mr. Gilmore’s approach to the legal system hurts or helps the women he is supposed to protect. Though, how does this narration inclusion from Mr. Gilmore’s perspective engage with other narrators and the mystery elements they bring to the story? Is Hartright also re-enforcing the very structures that limit his lover and her sister through his narration of a mystery scheme?