The Dictionary of Lost Words

Part 6 comprises two epilogues. The first deflates the seeming optimism of the novel’s ending, again visiting violence on Esme’s body as she is killed in a car crash, and also demonstrating how little the efforts of the suffragettes have actually changed life on a practical level. Ditte’s description of the OED refusing to acknowledge its female volunteers reflects historical accounts of the publication ceremony. However much the fictional Esme pushed to have her dictionary enter the stacks of the Bodleian Library, real women in history were not taken seriously as scholars or intellectuals for decades. Only the second epilogue carries a note of triumph, as Megan shares the stage equally with a male professor, and spends her time heralding the accomplishments of women of the past. The two speakers’ interests align, as both discuss the language of marginalized communities—lower class women in England and Indigenous peoples in Australia, marking a new turning point in the Relationship between Language and Community. Building upon the early scene in which Esme and her father discuss archaic English phrases, Williams again highlights how language and usage change over time. In these closing scenes, William suggests that shaping more equitable language, or reflecting a more equitable society through its language, is a lengthy endeavor but absolutely possible.