Essay Questions

How does the author use the comparison of Nelly and Doll's hair as a symbol in the Cometh Up as a Flower?

The entire novel is largely about the two sisters, Nelly and Dolly. Victorian society has specific standards for women. In this novel, Dolly has fair hair which matches the expectations of a perfect woman. On the other hand, Nelly has red hair which makes her ugly. The author is using a comparison of the two sisters' hairs to represent the definition of a perfect woman in Victorian society. The perceived ugly women like Nelly are assumed to be less confident and inferior. On the other hand, beautiful and gorgeous women like Dolly are assumed to be confident and maneuvering.

How does the Death of Lestrange’s mother affect the growth of Nelly?

Nelly's mother dies when she is still a young girl and she is left under the care of her father. The lack of a mother figure impacts negatively on the growth of Nelly because she does not know what is expected of a woman in Victorian society. When she attains the age of marriage, it becomes difficult to attract potential suitors because she lacks confidence. The Victorian society puts more emphasis on woman perfection something that Nelly lacks. While living with her father, Nell adapts a carefree lifestyle and this makes it difficult for her to settle in marriage.

What differentiates Nell from her elder sister Dolly?

Nelly and Dolly are biological sisters belonging to the Victorian family. However, there is a sharp contrast between these two sisters. Firstly, Nelly is depicted by the author as ugly compared to her beautiful elder sister. Dolly is portrayed as a perfect Victorian woman with a gorgeous body, beautiful face, and blond hair. On the other hand, Nell has red hair and an ugly body making her inferior when compared to her sister. Most of the time Nell is affected by inferiority complex whenever she interacts with other people.