Clennam Family Secret EXPLAINED (Little Dorrit)

Summary

The script outlines a complex web of relationships and tragedies surrounding Mr. Clinton, his troubled marriage to Mrs. Clement, and their involvement with various characters, including a singer, an asylum, and a music academy. Mr. Clinton had an affair with the singer before marrying, and their son, Arthur, is unknowingly raised by Mrs. Clinton. Meanwhile, Gilbert Kaanum, motivated by mercy, writes a new will, leaving money to the singer and the youngest daughter of Frederick Dorrit. However, both inheritances end up being concealed, with Mrs. Clinton keeping the money from Little Dorrit, and Arthur unaware of his family’s secrets.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mr. Clinton is forced by his uncle, Gilbert Clem, to marry a woman who is strong, independent, and emotionally abusive towards him.
• 😀 Mrs. Clinton has an employee, Jeremiah Flint Lynch, whose twin brother Ephriam Flint runs an asylum.
• 😀 A singer at a music academy, who Mr. Clinton had an affair with before marrying Mrs. Clinton, is sent to the asylum after being separated from him and eventually dies there.
• 😀 Mr. Clinton and Mrs. Clinton have a son named Arthur, who is raised by Mrs. Clinton, unaware that his biological father is the singer.
• 😀 Frederick Dorrit, a teacher at the music academy, has a brother named William Dorrit, who is heavily in debt for over 20 years.
• 😀 The singer wrote a letter to Gilbert Clem, asking for mercy before her death, which influenced him to write a new will.
• 😀 Gilbert Clem’s new will leaves £1,000 to the singer’s son and £1,000 to the youngest female descendant of Frederick Dorrit.
• 😀 Since Frederick Dorrit never married, his inheritance legally goes to his brother's daughter, Amy Dorrit, the youngest of his children.
• 😀 The singer’s son, Arthur Clinton, is never informed about the inheritance and remains unaware of the £2,000 left to him.
• 😀 Mrs. Clinton withholds the inheritance from Little Dorrit, preventing her from receiving the £1,000 left to her by Gilbert Clem.

Q & A

Who is Mr. Clinton married to, and what is his relationship with her?

Mr. Clinton is married to Mrs. Clement. Their relationship is complicated, as she is emotionally abusive toward him, though the nature of the abuse is not specified in detail.

What role does Gilbert Clem play in the story?

Gilbert Clem is an influential figure who compels Mr. Clinton to marry Mrs. Clement. He is also the one who writes a new will out of compassion for the deceased singer.

Who is the singer in the academy, and what happens to her?

The singer is a character who had a past affair with Mr. Clinton. After being separated from him, she becomes mentally unstable and is sent to an asylum, where she eventually dies.

What is the significance of the asylum and its relationship to the singer?

The asylum plays a pivotal role in the singer's tragic fate. After her separation from Mr. Clinton, she is driven mad and sent to this asylum, where she eventually dies.

Who is Arthur Clinton, and what is his connection to the main characters?

Arthur Clinton is the son of Mr. Clinton and the singer, though he is raised by Mrs. Clinton. He does not know that the singer is his biological mother, as he is told a different story.

How does Gilbert Clem show mercy toward the singer?

Out of sympathy for the singer's tragic circumstances, Gilbert Clem writes a new will that grants her a thousand pounds upon his death, as well as a thousand pounds to Frederick Dorrit's youngest female descendant.

What happens to the money left in the will after the singer's death?

The singer never receives the money, as she dies in the asylum. The money is intended for her, but it ends up legally going to Amy Dorrit, the youngest daughter of Frederick Dorrit's brother, since Frederick had no children of his own.

What is the connection between Frederick Dorrit and the Music Academy?

Frederick Dorrit is associated with the Music Academy as its head, or at least a significant figure within it. He is a teacher there, although it's unclear how directly he runs the academy.

What is the role of Mrs. Clinton regarding the inheritance?

Mrs. Clinton withholds the inheritance from Little Dorrit, the youngest female descendant of Frederick Dorrit, even though she legally has the right to the money as per Gilbert Clem's will.

Who are William Dorrit and his family, and what is their financial situation?

William Dorrit is Frederick Dorrit's brother and the father of three children: Tiffany, Amy, and Little Dorrit. William has been in debt for over twenty years, which impacts the family's financial situation.