What is the significance of Dora's visit to London in Iris Murdoch's 'The Bell'? An essay exploring the consequences of Dora Greenfield's actions.

Dora's original arrival at Imber is not primarily through choice, and her unhappiness is clear to the reader almost as soon as her and Paul are alone. Dora's visit to London is significant in the fact that her emotional development throughout the novel has peaked, and her realisation of her newfound strength is brought on by her 'connexion' with Gainsborough's picture of his two daughters. Dora is delighted when she first arrives in London as …

…expect this trip to become an emotional journey in which she would discover the strength that she holds inside herself, through her emotional connexion and love of art. Dora's visit to London is therefore extremely significant as it is the point in the novel in which Dora completes her journey of self discovery and becomes comfortable with the problems that she has to deal with and embarks on a new way of thinking and feeling.