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Chapter 56
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
Gwendolen summons Daniel again in the evening, looking more composed but still deeply melancholic. She anxiously asks if he will keep her secret. Daniel reassures her that nothing she did could have saved Grandcourt and urges her to focus on moving forward. She confesses that she once promised to step aside so Grandcourt could marry another woman but later pursued the marriage for financial security, leading to misery and hatred. Now, her only concern is sparing Mrs. Davilow from knowing the truth. She pleads with Daniel not to abandon her, believing that he alone has given her strength to resist her worst impulses.
Gwendolen’s desperation for Daniel’s reassurance shows how much she relies on his moral authority. She does not fear punishment or scandal but the idea that he might see her as beyond redemption. His attempts to reason with her fail because logic does not touch the real source of her guilt—her belief that her hesitation at the crucial moment exposed something unforgivable in her character. She views Grandcourt’s death as the culmination of her moral failures rather than an accident she had no power to prevent.
Themes
Daniel promises not to leave until Sir Hugo arrives and suggests that Gwendolen focus on recovering before Mrs. Davilow joins her. When she asks about his future, he evades the question, revealing his uncertainty. As she struggles to grasp what her life will become, he advises her to take things step by step. Before he leaves, she begs him not to regret meeting her, insisting that his influence has kept her from being worse. Once alone, she collapses in sobs, overwhelmed by the distance between her and Daniel. When others see her crying, they assume she is mourning Grandcourt’s death.
Daniel recognizes that Gwendolen cannot depend on him forever, and his measured responses reflect his effort to create emotional distance. He gives her practical advice, but his reluctance to discuss his own future suggests that he is already preparing to step back. Gwendolen, unwilling to accept that shift, clings to the idea that he must remain involved in her life. Her final breakdown shows that she has not yet found a way to exist outside of this dependence, making it clear that true recovery will take time.
Themes
