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Simile
Explanation and Analysis—A Bundle of Shawls:
When Dr. Sloper gives his disdainful view of Catherine’s intellectual capacities as they travel in the Alps, he uses a simile to compare her to a bundle of shawls:
‘She is about as intelligent as the bundle of shawls,’ the Doctor said; her main superiority being that while the bundle of shawls sometimes got lost, or tumbled out of the carriage, Catherine was always at her post, and had a firm and ample seat.
This simile is very dismissive and cruel. By equating Catherine to a brainless tangle of material, Dr. Sloper not only belittles her intelligence but also reduces her to an inanimate object, stripping away her agency. Comparing her to a scarf is a way of saying she's simple, malleable and doesn't think deeply. It's a method of taking away her value as a person with her own thoughts and feelings. The allusion to her "firm and ample seat" also carries an uncomfortable, gendered sexual innuendo—especially coming from her father—hinting at the size and texture of her bottom.
Beyond its overt implication regarding Catherine's physique, the “firmness” of her seat suggests her steadiness and reliability. This might seem like praise, but in this context actually seems more like further mocking, suggesting that she can easily be taken for granted. By pointing out how she's always "at her post," Dr. Sloper is also hinting that she’s just good for sitting and not much else. The dual-edged remark illuminates Dr. Sloper's character as much as Catherine's, revealing his tendency to undermine his daughter with faint praise. When Dr. Sloper compares Catherine's intelligence to a bundle of shawls, he's objectifying her literally and metaphorically.
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