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Symbols
In Daniel Deronda, jewelry symbolizes characters’ entrapment within societal expectations and material desires, particularly highlighting Gwendolen’s moral struggles and her yearning for autonomy. Jewelry, especially the diamond necklace Gwendolen pawns, represents her reliance on wealth and status to secure her future. The act of pawning it signifies both her desperation and her willingness to sacrifice moral integrity for survival. Later, Grandcourt’s presentation of jewels to Gwendolen as symbols of marital authority illustrates her entrapment in a loveless and oppressive marriage. These adornments, meant to display her elevated status, instead become chains that bind her to Grandcourt’s control. Gwendolen’s aversion to wearing the diamonds reflects her growing awareness of the moral and emotional cost of her decisions.
Jewelry Quotes in Daniel Deronda
The Daniel Deronda quotes below all refer to the symbol of Jewelry. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 24
Quotes
The “feeling” Gwendolen spoke of with an air of tragedy was not to be explained by the mere fact that she was going to be a governess: she was possessed by a spirit of general disappointment […] But the movement of mind which led her to keep the necklace […] came from that streak of superstition in her which attached itself both to her confidence and her terror […] She had a confused state of emotion about Deronda—was it wounded pride and resentment, or a certain awe and exceptional trust? […] There is a great deal of unmapped country within us which would have to be taken into account in an explanation of our gusts and storms.
Related Characters:
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Jewelry Symbol Timeline in Daniel Deronda
The timeline below shows where the symbol Jewelry appears in Daniel Deronda. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...losses and secure funds for her family. She decides instead to sell a valuable turquoise necklace, a discreet solution that avoids raising suspicion among her companions, the Langens. Early the next...
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Before Gwendolen can return home, she receives an unexpected package: the necklace she sold, returned anonymously with a note from a stranger urging her not to risk...
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Chapter 24
One day, Gwendolen abruptly takes out her jewelry and tells Mrs. Davilow to sell it. Mrs. Davilow hesitates, unwilling to part with the...
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Chapter 28
In the morning, Gwendolen receives a gift from Grandcourt: a diamond ring , a note instructing her to wear it as a sign of their betrothal, and...
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Chapter 30
...at Gadsmere with two objectives: to tell Lydia about his engagement and to retrieve the diamonds he once gave her. He enters the house, where she is sitting with her children,...
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...detachment only deepens Lydia’s resentment, and she responds with sarcasm. The discussion turns to the diamonds, which Grandcourt now demands back. She refuses to hand them over directly to him, insisting...
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...relents, telling her the wedding will be at Ryelands. Satisfied, she agrees to deliver the diamonds there.
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Chapter 31
...inside. Left alone in her opulent boudoir, she receives an unexpected gift: a box of diamonds with a letter atop them. She immediately recognizes the handwriting as Lydia’s, which fills her...
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Chapter 33
...more, Daniel devises a plan. He pretends to need a loan, offering to return with a diamond ring that evening, hoping the visit will give him another opportunity to observe them. The family,...
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Chapter 34
...and Cohen dismisses him as a charity case, valuable only for his skills in repairing jewelry and tutoring Jacob. Daniel, sensing that the man is more than he appears, departs with...
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Chapter 35
...becoming. The letter from Lydia returns to her mind, its words clawing at her. The diamonds she wears feel like a brand, a reminder of her broken promise. She had told...
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Chapter 36
...a glass of water. When she accepts it from him, she lets the old turquoise necklace slip into view, drawing Daniel’s attention. Grandcourt notices as well. He does not react immediately,...
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