Character Commentary: Oh, this is my absolute favorite dress. I had a photo of it made so that I could always be reminded of how truly beautiful it is. I bought it from a boutique in town a couple of years ago, before I was married. At the time, I had recently been invited to a wedding in the spring and when I saw this dress, I knew it would be perfect for the occasion. The lace detailing on the collar adds additional elegance to the stunning dress. I chose lilac because of the gorgeous color and how it reminds me of the fields of lavender my sister and we would pass on our way into the city when we were growing up. Oh, how I miss those days. I miss shopping with my mother, she always had the best taste in fashion. She taught me everything I know about how to dress. And her dress collection was unbelievable. She would convince my father to have her dresses shipped in from a dressmaker in France. When she passed my sister and I received her entire collection, however, we leave them in the back amour untouched, as not to disturb the precious fabrics. Sometimes we open the amour to smell the dresses to be reminded of her. Nothing has been the same since she passed. Father quickly detached from the world after she passed, and he passed not too long after. Mother and father were so in love, he treated her like a princess. Mother taught Laura and me to never marry if it’s not for love. She would always say there nothing more important in the world than being happy, which was a very refreshing way to live. I miss her every day.
Editorial Commentary: This is spoken by Lizzie, from The Goblin Market. I imagine that Lizzie was attracted to this dress because of the light, vibrant color that it radiates and how it reminds her of her deceased mother. From the way Lizzie describes her mother, we can infer that she was a positive person which would explain where Lizzie got her optimism from. Lizzie explained that her mother passed away and I can only imagine the toll that took on the sisters. I know it had a huge toll on their father and he passed shortly after the mother did. I am assuming the sister were anywhere from 18-20 years of age when their parents passed away. This is a rough age and was defiantly a tough adjustment for the sisters to learn how to live on their own. At this time in the Victorian Era, it was especially hard for young ladies because of the social pressure that was placed on them to find a husband. Lizzie and Laura were in a unique situation with being left with no parents to help guide them. I can’t imagine the physical and mental toll this had on the sisters. I’m sure that’s why they keep their mothers’ dresses to comfort them and remind them of their joyous childhood, a time where there was no stress or reasonability. I think it shows a lot of Lizzie’s character to not wear her mother’s dresses or sell them for money but to use it as an item of comfort instead.
Citation:
Jewett, Jessica. “More Fabulous Historical Clothing.” Jessica Jewett, jessicajewettonline.com/more-fabulous-historical-clothing.