Quote:
Originally Posted by Victoria
For a book I didn’t enjoy, I do keep thinking about it; especially issybird’sbelief that Dickens was keeping his options open. I was convinced that Jasper killed Edwin - full stop. But there was one thing that doesn’t seem to fit that scenario.
Why would Jasper haunt Neville’s London hideout for months, if he didn’t think Neville had killed Edwin? I could see a certain amount of that, for appearance’s sake, to cast off suspicion from himself. But even going so far as to hire other people to spy on Neville 24/7? It seems rather extreme. Is there another reason than Dickens keeping the option of an innocent Jasper / guilty Neville open?
|
That's a good point
Victoria. I had interpreted it as his wanting to make sure that Neville didn't slip away, but was there as his scapegoat if any other discoveries were made.
One factor that suggests Edwin could have survived was the behaviour of Mr Grewgious when he told John Jasper of the decision of Edwin and Rosa to terminate their engagement. He seemed to be very detached in observing Jasper's extreme reaction to this:
Quote:
Mr Grewgious saw the ghastly figure throw back its head, clutch its hair with its hands, and turn with a writhing action from him.
"I have now said all I have to say: except that this young couple parted, firmly, though not without tears and sorrow, on the evening when you last saw them together."
Mr Grewgious heard a terrible shriek, and saw no ghastly figure, sitting or standing; saw nothing but a heap of torn and miry clothes upon the floor.
Not changing his action even then, he opened and shut the palms of his hands as he warmed them, and looked down at it.
|
His calm observation of Jasper's horror and faint at learning he had (as he thought at any rate) killed Edwin for no reason, suggests that Grewgious knew that Edwin had survived and was perhaps testing his theory that the attacker was indeed Jasper.