The Poor Clare

Originally written for Charles Dickens Household Words magazine, The Poor Clare is a dark, gothic short novel of thwarted love and a family curse that vividly illustrates the social tensions of Victorian England. The intentional killing of a womans dog unleashes a torrent of rage. In her desire for revenge, the woman curses the dogs killer: All that the murderer loves most, he will lose. This haunting tale brilliantly demonstrates Elizabeth Gaskells understanding of the tensions between Catholics and Protestants and the harsh realities of class society.