Observation: The Good, The Bad, and the Bleak

    While reading Foucault I found myself questioning the validity of the argument that observation leads to discipline. In the case of contagion I find this theory valid. In visiting any ICU we are presented with the Panoptic, it allows both constant observation, but also helps prevent the spread of communicable disease. This model is less important for the restriction of the patients, but rather for a form of protection for them. As we see in Bleak House,  the spread of disease was extremely dangerous to society. Jo spreads whatever he has caught, presumably from Tom-All-Alone's, to Esther and Charley with drastic consequences for Esther. I find myself wondering however, is the real concern less about stopping the spread of disease from the poor and more about keeping it away from the upper class? While it's not specifically said, I feel that this is one concern that we are confronted with, and is why we see such a hesitancy from the upper class to associate with the poor such as Jo. I believe that Lady Dedlock's adverse reaction to touching Jo is both about her disgust of him as part of a lower society, but also a fear of what kind of illness comes along with his station in life.
   When it comes to the panoptic acting as a form of authoritative power I can only say that it is not as effective as Foucault makes it seem. Claiming that "A real subjection is born mechanically from a fictitious relation" is only partially true. This fictitious authority is only effective if the ones who are being watched or observed give it the power of authority. While it may be true that the idea of constant observation may work to quell certain actions of the observed, if those being watched no longer fear the watcher there is nothing that will stop them from their perverse or unacceptable actions. We see with Ms. Flite that she is aware of constant observation in the Court of Chancery, but she still acts irrationally because she no longer fears who or what is watching her. I believe what we see in Bleak House is actually and adverse reaction to all this observation. Foucault would say that society could effectively police itself through observation, but in the novel what we see is an immense amount of secrecy that is corruptive to all of the characters. Each character has their own secrets that they work to keep disclosed from each other, further intensifying the observations of one another. This paranoia springs from their own distrust that comes from over-observation. The power that is gained through observation is what destroys the humanity of the characters, they become consumed with a desire to know more, and yet the harder they look the more distorted the image is. The desire to see inside of a person or society makes it impossible for them to see the reality, they are looking so hard but cannot see what is in front of them.