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Chapter 58
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
Sir Hugo arrives in Genoa five days after Daniel first sends word. Despite his deep gratitude for Sir Hugo’s kindness, Daniel struggles with the baronet’s role in concealing his true parentage, though he tries to temper blame with understanding. When they finally meet, Sir Hugo immediately inquires about Gwendolen’s condition. Daniel reports that she is recovering under the care of her mother and uncle. Their conversation soon turns to Grandcourt’s will, which leaves his fortune and estates to his illegitimate son, giving Gwendolen only a modest income and the house at Gadsmere. Sir Hugo criticizes Grandcourt’s decision, believing he should have provided better for his wife, and hints that Gwendolen may have known about her husband’s past and his intentions.
Sir Hugo’s arrival does not provide the comfort or resolution Daniel might have once expected. Though Daniel remains grateful for his upbringing, the knowledge that his identity was deliberately withheld creates a quiet but lasting fracture between them. Sir Hugo’s concern for Gwendolen reinforces how quickly Grandcourt’s death has turned into a matter of social and financial logistics rather than personal tragedy. Her future is being discussed not in terms of emotional recovery but in terms of what she has or has not been left with, reducing her suffering to a practical issue.
Themes
As they walk, the discussion shifts to Daniel’s own revelations about his heritage. Sir Hugo hesitantly asks if Daniel has been deeply pained by what he has learned, emphasizing that he still sees him as a son. Daniel expresses gratitude but admits that knowing he was born Jewish will likely have a significant impact on his life. This revelation unsettles Sir Hugo, who warns against getting involved in “eccentricities” and urges Daniel not to align himself with outcasts. He offers Daniel access to a significant inheritance that has been accumulating for him. However, Daniel insists on traveling to Mainz first to retrieve a chest belonging to his grandfather. Sir Hugo responds with an offhand remark about valuing a “dead Jew” over a living Christian. Daniel holds back a retort, as he realizes that he is starting to deviate from the life Sir Hugo envisioned for him.
Grandcourt’s will ensures that his control over Gwendolen extends beyond the grave. By leaving his wealth to his illegitimate son, he ensures that she has no real power or influence, even in widowhood. Sir Hugo sees this as a social failing on Grandcourt’s part, but the decision is personal as much as it is financial. Gwendolen was never meant to have a lasting place in Grandcourt’s world, and the will serves as a final rejection. Meanwhile, Daniel’s growing embrace of his Jewish identity creates further distance between him and Sir Hugo, whose casual dismissal of it as an “eccentricity” reveals a fundamental lack of understanding.
Themes
