Fate and Determinism

Characters are often trapped by their circumstances or past actions, with the weather, chance encounters, and hidden secrets shaping events, suggesting a deterministic world where justice is elusive and fate is cruel.

The chapter questions whether bad weather and circumstances can influence a person's mind, and Jabez's past as a foundling seems to shape his present and future.

Richard's casual actions, like turning away from an acquaintance at the station, are foreshadowed as having a 'dark and dreadful influence on his life,' suggesting a cruel destiny.

The narrator muses on whether a foundling baby might be fated to play a part in dragging a murderer to justice, suggesting a predetermined retribution.

Richard's despair and calm acceptance of his fate, as he feels his doom is sealed unless a miracle intervenes, underscores the theme of inevitable destiny.