The entire chapter is a mix of overlapping sentimentalism and gothic elements in the form of religious enthusiasm: devoted and passionately religious Wieland is convinced by a hallucination that he must sacrifice his wife - and later children - to rid himself of mortal impurities, selfishness, and to prove his faith to God by it. The darkness and the torturous thoughts about death and murdering what's most precious to him are gothic elements. I think the cause - the hallucination itself - as godly as it looks is controversially gothic because it is a coverage of the madness and the horrors that will happen. The emotions are overpouring with grief, hesitation, and the urge to fulfill a "divine duty". The reasoning is far from prudent, although there are episodes where Wieland is torn between his love for his family and God. The inner conflict - although more exaggerated here - reminds me a little of "Contemplations", but unlike in Contemplations, where from the gloomy thoughts we reach peace, Weiland is "dancing with madness" in his inner battle, episodically going back and forth even after the deed is done - at first he's relieved even happy that he was able to obey a divine command and set himself free, but then he breaks down under its weight, and again his hallucinations bring him back to carry on and repeat it with his children too.

The twists and turns in the investigation had exhausted Mr.Betteredge, but hadn't worn out his faith in Miss Rachel. Despite his awfully miserable feeling at Miss Rachel's being suspected, his belief in Miss Rachel never wavered. It's interesting how Betteredge's acquaintance with the suspect varied his viewpoint. Was his belief blinded by his familiarity with Miss Rachel? Was it a "human infirmity" that Mr.Betteredge tended to protect Miss Rachel? It appears necessary to analyze Betteredge's attitudes towards Miss Rachel to evaluate his statement of Miss Rachel's innocence here.

Betteredge's demonstrative narrative here appeals to me. All along the way, the old man had been high up above, examining Rosanna's affections towards Mr.Franklin from behind the veils. However, the quiet stolidity of Rosanna described by his daughter "silenced" his "superiority sense". Not only that Rosanna had been stung in the tenderest chamber of her heart, but also her lack of justification of her feelings, had aroused the melancholy sense. I would be intrigued to analyze the turn of Betteredge's feelings towards Rosanna, as revealed here for an instance. Additionally, the old man's stereotypes towards Rosanna might be linked to class prejudice, since she was a mere servant in the house.

sentimentalism defined

sentimentalilsm figured as "tak[ing] strong aim at the heart of the reader" (i)