George Gissing, The Nether World, 1889

1. What are some differences between Gissing's portrayal of social distress and that of Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Bronte or Charles Dickens? What does Gissing emphasize in his descriptions of lower-class life?
   shift in class viewpoint; more detail; more variety of character and situation among poor; less identification with a particular protagonist and more with a shared situation; less moral uplift and hope of solutions)
2. How would you describe Gissing's descriptions of places and situations? What is the relationship between the depictions of poverty and the novel's plot?
3. What seems to be Gissing's attitude or tone toward the circumstances he describes? (a tone of dry sadness, laconic bitingness toward the facts he narrates--blended disgust and sympathy). Many examples of dignity affronted by sordid greed are presented, and a physically and morally repellent environment (16, 36, 45, mild authorial intrusion), with excellent descriptions of London streets and locations.
4. What effect does the opening scene have on our expectations of the novel?
5. Does The Nether World give evidence of any latent economic or political views? (53, 54, 57, 100, 138, 181, 182, 187; 143, John Hewett is presented as weakly attracted to social rebellion, but Kirkwood sees through this) Does the author accept the theory of the improvident poor?
6. Does the novel fairly represent the various kinds of working-class reformists and middle-class philanthropists?
7. How evident is Gissing's narrator? On what occasions does he intrude authorially? (109, 110, 302) Do you find these passages effective?
8. What are some features of the novel's characterizations? Are the characters consistently presented? Do they develop?
9. For which characters do we have the most sympathy? How do Gissing's judgements of his characters affect our response to the novel? (e. g., John Hewett, his wife, Clara 79, 94, Jane, Clem, Pennyloaf) Which characters are most worthy of respect?
10. Are there any unusual features of plotting? Are there elements of conventional melodrama in the plot?
11. Are the several subplots naturally related? Are they appropriate for the working out of Gissing's themes?
12. What are features of Gissing's style? Is it appropriate to the novel's subject? Could this novel have been presented, say, in the style of Eliot's Middlemarch or Daniel Deronda?
13. Is the title strictly accurate? What range of social classes is presented in the novel? Are there aspects of working-class life which we do not see? Are the characters we meet typical members of their class?
14. What is the purpose of showing the scenes in which Bob and Pennyloaf celebrate their wedding? (107, 110) The soup kitchen?
15. Does Gissing seem to hold hereditarian views? Would these have been common at the time?
16. What seems to be his response to public houses?
17. Are the central plots sentimental? Why or why not? Is Sidney Kirkwood a believable hero? What are some remnants of the traditional Victorian plot?
18. What are some associations of the name What are some associations of the name "Sidney Kirkwood"? Of "John Snowdon"
19. How is Jane characterized? (136, 152, 166) If political solutions will not do, what may be some possible private ones? (143)
20. What seem to be Gissing's attitudes toward religion? (152)
21. Is adequate reason given for Sidney's marriage to Clara? Why doesn't he marry the woman he loves and respects?
22. What kind of marriages do we see throughout the book? (Hewetts, Byasses, Pennyloaf and Bob, Clem and Mr. Joseph Snowdon, Michael and Jenny Snowdon)
23. What seems to be the purpose of introducing the Joseph Snowdon plot? Of Michael Snowdon's story of the past? (174; issue of savings of the poor)
24. Does the Clara Hewett subplot illustrate any of the novel's main themes? What are her Does the Clara Hewett subplot illustrate any of the novel's main themes? What are her "notions"
25. What are Michael's plans for Jane's future, and why does Gissing's narrator find these deficient? (178, 223, 230, 233, 235, 236)
26. Are there moments of foreshadowing in the novel? (180)
27. What is shown to be the destructive effects of competition? (194)
28. What is the purpose of the Henett-Pennyloaf subplot? (cmp. Dickens) The entrance of Scathorne?
29. Are there Dickensian features in the book? (e. g. Great Expectations theme, 354, portrayal of Jane)
30. How is John's relationship to his daughter portrayed? (Gissing seems to condone Hewett's cherishing of one daughter, even at the expense of his other children, 371)
31. Are the reasons for Kirkwood's rejection of Jane and Michael's change of inheritance convincing? Are the final results of the plot caused by poverty and injustice, as Gissing would have us believe?
    (Sidney and Michael act in arbitary ways; the action of actress Grace is one of personal malice; Joseph is a shark anyway, and Clem sadistic)
32. Do you feel Clara collapses more than needful? Is her behavior consistent with her earlier character? What points are made in the final characterization of Clara? (Gissing seems to accept Clara's desire to withdraw as natural--her face had been her only asset.)
33. Why does Gissing present Jane as unattracted to schemes of philanthropy? What does he seem to believe are natural traits of women? What does he perceive to be Jane's best natural trait?
34. Does the plot justify the novel's ending?
35. What purpose is served by Jane and Sidney's final encounter at the grave?
36. What seems to be the implication of Gissing's ending? (isolated nobility is all that the world can give) How does it affect our retrospective view of the incidents of the novel?
37. What important social issues are treated in this novel? To what extent is the novel successful in representing them?
38. If you have read New Grub Street or The Odd Women, what are some parallels and contrasts in Gissing's views and their presentation? How would you characterize his general view of life?