The Mystery Of Edwin Drood By Charles Dickens Essays -

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens ?It has often been remarked that woman have a curious power of divining the characters of men?(75). This quotation from The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens reflects the opposite of what a typical Dickensian society is supposedly based upon. In this standard society, the plot would be based around the life of a dominant male. Although the title reflects a male name, the movement in the novel is directly related to the exploits of a particular character, Rosa Bud. Fondly called Rosebud by her peers, she is the apple of every man's eye and the envy of every woman's. She takes control in the plot not because she evidences forceful or masculine qualities, but because the powerful characters in Cloisterham, males, are all in love or feel a kinship to Rosebud. The power is therefore transferred into her hands as a result of her ability to influence these characters through their love and admiration for her. Attending school at a nunnery, Rosa's female friends rarely have any contact with men. Through her betrothal to Edwin Drood, Rosa is the only woman within the nunnery that has a man to court her. She is the only woman mentioned, in the nunnery, that is going to be married off to a man, not God. Rosa capitalizes on this situation by leading the other girls in the nunnery to be her ?poor pets?(118). She realizes that the girls as well as the head of the school, Miss Twinkleton, who describes Rosa as her ?pet pupil?(14), look at her to be the embodiment of romance because of her prospective marriage. Miss Twinkleton and the girls live their love lives through Rosa, ?over her shoulder?(51). Rosa feeds into the situation by making sure that the girls are watching her and letting Edwin know that they ?must get married . . . the poor girls would be so dreadfully disappointed? (17). She uses her power over Edwin, which is given through love and devotion to her and both of their parent's wish es for them to be married, as a way to stay in control at the nunnery. She is the object of the gaze to all of the girls and Miss Twinkleton, ?nothing escapes their notice?(18). Realizing that she is the object of their gaze, she remains in control by showing the girls what she has with Edwin from afar. The girls are under the impression that Edwin and Rosa are in a perfect relationship when, in actuality Rosa decides that they have to ?pretend that you (Edwin) are engaged to somebody else, and I'll (Rosa) pretend that I am not engaged to anybody, and then we shan't quarrel (17). The two have to pretend that they are not engaged to avoid arguments, which, combined with the constant eye of the nunnery girls fixed upon them, implies that one of the only reasons that they remain engaged is to put on show for the girls. Rosa hopes that they will continue to think that she is the emblem of romance and continue to envy as well as adore her. It can also be proven, by the way Rosa is overly aware of the girl's watchful eyes, that she keeps her engagement to Edwin until much later in the book to preserve the power in the nunnery. She does not tell anyone in the nun's house of her trouble's concerning the engagement to accomplish this sense of having something the girls will never have. Thus, causing her to be held in high regard. Edwin Drood comes to Cloisterham somewhat to see his uncle, Jasper, but mostly to see Rosebud, whom he is engaged to. The tension between Jasper and Edwin concerning Rosa is evident from the beginning of the book. The tension comes wholly from Jasper's side because Edwin acts as if he is oblivious to it. It begins when Jasper questions Drood on ?when she (Rosa)?(10) spoke of him and ?how she (Rosa) phrased?(10) these comments that she had told Drood. This high level of interest implies that Jasper is interested in Rosa as more than just a music student or his nephew's fianc?. This situation between Rosa