Little Dorrit · Chapter
The Progress of an Epidemic explained
Arthur Clennam and Mr.
What happens
Arthur Clennam and Mr. Pancks visit the Plornish cottage, where they witness the strange, frightened behavior of Signor Cavalletto (Mr. Baptist), who believes he has seen a dangerous man from his past. Later, Clennam and Pancks dine together, and Pancks reveals that he has invested in Mr. Merdle's schemes, spreading the speculative fever that has infected the whole neighborhood.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt represents the story's dramatic climax because it depicts Arthur Clennam’s psychological nadir an…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Wealth and Moral Decline
The Merdle investment fever spreads like a disease, tempting even the prudent Pancks and threatening moral corruption through the pursuit of easy wealth.
- Secrecy and Revelation
Cavalletto's fearful reaction to a mysterious bad man hints at hidden pasts and secrets that may soon be revealed.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Pancks
Pancks reveals he has invested his thousand pounds in Merdle's schemes and tries to persuade Clennam to do the same.
- Arthur Clennam
Clennam is weary and out of sorts, troubled by his partner's deferred hope and what he saw at his mother's; he is skeptical of the Merdle mania.
- Signor Cavalletto
Cavalletto is agitated and fearful after glimpsing a bad man from his past, whom he hopes did not see him.
- Mrs. Plornish
Mrs. Plornish acts as interpreter for Cavalletto and proudly uses the title 'Padrona'.
- Maggy
Maggy is present in the background, still wearing her monstrous cap, watching with open mouth and eyes.
Key passages
“Mr. Pancks was making a very porcupine of himself by sticking his hair up in the contemplation of this state of accounts”
Mr. Pancks's hair stood on end as he considered the poor state of the accounts.
Vivid description of Pancks's agitation over the Bleeding Hearts' unpaid debts.
“It is the manner of communicating these diseases; it is the subtle way in which they go about.”
This is how such infections spread—subtly and imperceptibly.
Metaphor for the spread of speculative investment mania as if it were a contagious disease.
