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Chapter 54
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 hesitates to leave Genoa, drawn by a lingering sense of obligation toward Gwendolen. After learning from the hotel porter that Gwendolen and Grandcourt are out boating, Daniel attends synagogue and later walks along the quay, hoping for a chance encounter with them. On the shore, he notices a commotion as a boat approaches, carrying someone rescued from the water. To his alarm, he realizes it is Gwendolen, pale, drenched, and visibly shaken. As she recognizes Daniel, she stretches out her arms and utters, “It is come, it is come! He is dead!” Daniel quickly takes charge, ensuring her safe return to the hotel and arranging medical care. He learns from the boatman that Grandcourt drowned, and Gwendolen jumped into the water in an attempt to save him. Daniel sends urgent messages to Sir Hugo and Gwendolen’s family, letting them know what has happened.
Daniel’s lingering presence in Genoa suggests an unspoken awareness that Gwendolen’s situation is reaching a breaking point. His visit to the synagogue contrasts with his search for her, highlighting the tension between his personal transformation and his unresolved attachment to her suffering. The chaotic scene on the quay disrupts his attempt at detachment, forcing him back into her life at the moment of her greatest crisis. Gwendolen’s cry is less a statement of relief than a collapse of the unbearable tension that has defined her marriage. Her immediate reach for Daniel reinforces his role as her moral anchor, even as her desperation threatens to pull him further into her turmoil.
Themes
