In the fifth book, “The Dead Hand”, Edward Casaubon’s death results in both binding and releasing our pious heroine from her husband’s grip. During the 18 months of their marriage, the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Casaubon has gone from idyllic to dismal, starting with their dystopic honeymoon vacation and continuing from there. Edwards’s inability to communicate his fears and reservations with Dorothea, who is known for speaking clearly and intently, allows his imagination to run unchecked. As he lets small grievances and petty annoyances fester in his heart, his scruples with Dodo evolve into gross misunderstandings and irreconcilable differences that simmer beneath the surface of their interactions. The topic of Mr. Casaubon’s health plays heavily on the minds of both spouses, but again, Edward’s silence breeds such heavy suspicion in his mind that I don’t wonder if he brought about his own death in nurturing his ugly, small anxieties instead of airing them.

Upon discovering his wife’s foreknowledge of his delicate condition, Edward retreats into the darker recesses of his mind to entertain thoughts of her and Ladislaw colluding over his imminent death. His insecurity drives him to attempt to extract an open-ended promise from Dorothea to “carry out [his] wishes…avoid doing what [he] should deprecate, and apply [herself] to do what [he] should desire” (454). Although Dorothea desires to “help him in his life’s labor,” she rightly fears making such an “indefinite promise of devotion to the dead” (456). As she furiously deliberates whether to swear to uphold such a pact, her reticence buys her enough time to evade the issue altogether, thanks to Casaubon’s timely demise.

Upon her husband’s death, Dorothea’s family learns of the codicil he had drawn up within his will that sought to restrict her interactions with the rakish Will Ladislaw. Although both Sir James Chettam and Mr. Brooke seek to keep this information secret from Dorothea for as long as possible, Celia chooses to divulge the matter to her sister, suggesting that it was “as if Mr. Casaubon wanted to make people believe that [Dorothea] would wish to marry Mr. Ladislaw” (466). Disgusted by such an indelicate insinuation, Dorothea realizes how much the possibility of such an affair had “pervert[ed] everything she said and did” during their marriage (467). Devastated by both Edward’s last insult and the effect it has on her friendship, Dorothea at least feels somewhat reprieved of her duty to his unfinished studies.

Although burdened by her late husband’s requests and codicils, Dorothea is once again free to enjoy the “thing[s] that she liked, that she spontaneously cared to have” which, previously “if it was only granted and not shared by her husband…might as well have been denied” (452). As understandable as Mr. Casaubon’s insecurities over his marriage may have been, his unwillingness to divulge them to Dorothea seemed to contribute to a savage sort of emotional distancing between the two. While Edward was never outwardly abusive or even verbally malicious to his wife, his cold manner of conduct and his dismissiveness of her desires resulted in a certain kind of emotional abuse. I cannot help but feel such a sense of relief over Mr. Casaubon’s death, as well as hope that Dorothea may eventually find some way to create a happier union with Mr. Ladislaw or at least someone more deserving of her than Edward was.

Emily Fleishhauer