Essay Questions

What is the nature of Milvain and Reardon’s relationship?

Jasper Milvain and Edwin Reardon are old friends and companions in spite of the differences in their personalities and characters. What is more, they are brought closer through their connection with the Yule family. On the one hand, Reardon is married to Amy. On the other, Milvain is engaged for a period to her cousin Marian Yule. After Reardon’s death, however, he marries his companion’s widow.

Why does Alfred Yule resent Jasper Milvain?

Alfred Yule’s distaste of Jasper Milvain has its source in the latter’s employment, and the position he holds with an old foe of his; a man named Clement Fadge. Yule and Fadge had had a disagreement some twenty years before. Since then, the latter man had been a successful editor running a journal called The Current, in which he undertook, at the period of Milvain’s employment in his service, to humiliate Yule all over again by means of an unfavorable review. Milvain, in truth, had no share in the degrading article, but in spite of that, Yule had taken his association with a man like Fadge as an indication of the unworthiness of his character.

What are Milvain’s views on love?

Jasper Milvain is depicted as a dangerously modern man. His views on love fit this side of his character, for he considers marriage an institution which necessitates financial prosperity and opulence. Therefore, even though he falls in love with Marian Yule, his ambitions of ascending the social ladder exceeds his feelings. Consequently, he puts an end to their relationship because he views such a union as an impediment to his career.

How is the 1880s literature depicted in the novel?

Gissing’s book is a realistic novel and a study of the social issues of his time. As a literary man, he tried to voice his circumstances and those of hundred other writers back when literature and wealth were almost inseparable. The book does not deny the existence of pure genius and skills, but rather explains the deficiency of a system that looked down upon impoverished writers in spite of their talents. Such system favored the rise of well-to-do authors and writers who were noticeable in society, not necessarily for their compositions, but almost always for their social status. At the same time, the novel analyses the state of contemporary literature back then. The field was altogether decaying, for it had acquired the characteristics of a market rather than those of a science and an art. Thus, hack literature immerged as a last resort to destitute authors who wrote for money and neglected the quality of their works.

What does Amy’s decision of leaving her husband tell us about her personality?

Amy Reardon is one of the most complex characters in the novel. She is depicted as a beautiful, smart, and far-sighted woman who had chosen to leave her husband when his social value declined. It is important to note that Amy and Edwin had married for love, and that the pair was a harmonious one until the latter had lost the brilliancy of literary labor, and the glitter of social appreciation. At the same time, it is noteworthy to consider how Amy was willing to bear destitution and money borrowing from her mother rather than what she had considered pubic disgrace. With this in mind, it becomes apparent that Amy preferred anything to public humiliation. She was even willing to borrow money just to go on living like before so that society would not perceive the change in her husband’s status. From these details, we gather that Amy looked in dismay at the way with which she was seen by her community. In other words, she did look at herself with the eyes of other people rather than her own, which is the reason why reputation was very important to her.

How did Amy’s friendship act upon Harold Biffen?

Following the death of her husband, Amy Reardon had nurtured a grateful friendship towards his most faithful friend, namely Harold Biffen. The latter had always admired the woman, and praised her virtues and merits to her husband during his life. Yet, he had never been in a direct and prolonged contact with her. That being the case, her beauty and kindness had kindled in him feelings that exceeded by far those of mere friendship. But Biffen was a realist and a sober man by nature. He knew that Amy’s acts were fueled by kindness and gratitude for the sake of her former husband. Thus, the change that came upon their relationship acted upon Biffen as a sort of epiphany. He woke up to the truth that he was not immune to such charms even though he was hopeless of ever satiating his crave. In the course of time, the realization drove him towards suicide.