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Chapter 40
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Daniel Deronda, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Identity and Self-Discovery
Judaism and Zionism
Marriage, Gender, and Control
Familial Duty
Wealth and Social Class
Summary
Analysis
Daniel leaves the house in Chelsea unsettled by his encounter with Mordecai. His emotions are strong, but his habit of questioning everything makes him examine the depth of his reaction. He recognizes how easily he could be swayed by Mordecai’s conviction and trust, and this realization unsettles him. He refuses to dismiss the meeting as a simple case of fanaticism, but he also does not want to be carried away without reason. If he had read about a similar moment in history, he would not have dismissed its significance. Yet, in his own life, he hesitates. The pressure of social expectations and his own rational skepticism pull against the possibility that this meeting could be life-changing.
Mordecai’s unwavering belief offers Daniel something he has never had—a definitive identity, a place in a grander scheme—but Daniel hesitates to accept such a role without proof. His intellectual instinct demands caution, even as he senses the emotional and spiritual weight of the encounter. The tension between logic and faith pulls at him, leaving him unsettled not only by Mordecai’s expectations but by his own reaction to them.
Themes
Daniel considers how easily people categorize visionaries as fanatics, grouping them with those who obsess over false discoveries. He knows that history has judged many such figures unfairly, but he also knows that not all claims to insight are valid. Mordecai’s certainty in Daniel’s role troubles him. His words echo those of many misguided dreamers, yet his passion makes Daniel reluctant to dismiss him. He reflects on the fine line between prophecy and delusion, between genuine inspiration and wishful thinking.
The deeper conflict Daniel faces is one of legitimacy, both in terms of Mordecai’s vision and his own self-perception. Daniel’s reluctance is not mere skepticism but a refusal to be claimed too easily. He has built his life on a particular identity, and allowing Mordecai to redefine it would mean surrendering the control he has always maintained over his sense of self.
Themes
Daniel turns to the question that haunts him most: the possibility that Mordecai’s belief about his Jewish heritage is correct. He resists the thought, holding to his conviction that his father was English, yet he cannot ignore the growing pull of the unknown. If Mordecai is right, his entire understanding of himself would shift. If Mordecai is wrong, Daniel will have to break the man’s heart. He does not want to rush toward answers, knowing that doing so could make Mordecai’s inevitable disappointment even worse. Until then, uncertainty gives Daniel room to navigate his relationship with Mordecai without making promises he can’t keep. For four days, Daniel balances this turmoil while fulfilling his obligations to Sir Hugo, waiting for the moment when he can return to Holborn and face whatever truth awaits him.
The question of Daniel’s Jewish heritage is no longer just an abstract possibility—it is a looming shift that could upend everything Daniel has assumed about himself. If Mordecai is mistaken, Daniel will have to shatter a dying man’s greatest belief. If he is right, Daniel will have to reconsider everything he has assumed about himself. For now, uncertainty provides him with a shield, allowing him to postpone the inevitable confrontation with truth. Yet even as he tells himself that he is waiting for the right moment, he knows that something within him is already changing.
Themes
