July 2017: installment 7 (chs 19-21)
Summary
Ch. 19. Aurora and Mellish make a surprise visit to Felden woods. Aurora asks her papa for a large sum of money. Everyone is uncomfortable.
Ch. 20. Aurora’s long lost uncle on her mother’s side, merchant captain Samuel Prodder, comes for a visit, but just misses meeting Aurora at Felden Woods. He’s good-natured, but ill-mannered.
Ch. 21. Conyers grows increasingly belligerent, and Softy bides his time and gathers information. A chance discovery in Conyer’s waistcoat leads him to conclude he knows everything about Aurora and Conyers.
Discussion Questions
Q1: In Ch 20, Captain Prodder makes himself chummy with his fellow passengers. His intro gives us info about the effects/ expectations of traveling by ship and by railway on people. Let’s discuss! (Any VPFA conference participants care to chime in?)
Q2: Let’s discuss the interesting ways this installment conceives of bodies & health. Ch 19 includes a description of the affect and the body via railroad metaphor (see screenshot). Ch 21 contains an interesting description of nervous system via modern technology (see screenshot). Why do you think Braddon chooses to represent bodies & affect at the intersections of modern technologies?
Q3: There are six installments left. When do you think we’ll finally learn what Aurora’s secret is?
Q4: There’s an entire chapter devoted to introducing Aurora’s long-lost maternal uncle. What role do you think he’ll play in the rest of the book?
Share your own questions with the group using the #MEBAread hashtag!
–Courtney Floyd