Domesticity and Motherhood were vital aspects of a Victorian society. Primarily, this meant that a woman’s habitation was merely enclosed within the home. During the reign of Queen Victoria, women were stripped of their status, meaning it was a very patriarchal time in which they lived1. However, these concepts kept women far away from the public sphere of the 19th century where altruistic undertakings allowed the breakthrough of the female gender and as a result of this, Victorian feminism emerged as a compelling political force. We can see this breakthrough clearly within the two novels ‘Lady Audley’s Secret” by Elizabeth Braddon and ‘Poor Miss Finch’ written by Wilkie Collins. These are sensationalist novels which explore the juxtaposition of Victorian ideals of female sexuality, plus the appearance of the ‘New Woman’ and the stereotypical, domesticated, passive woman of the 19th century – the ‘Ideal’ Victorian woman.
Both texts demonstrate the vast division of social classes within a Victorian society and how class was seen as a fundamental facet of 19th century Britain. It became almost automatic to look down upon certain social issues and indeed encouraged the attitude of the superior into Victorian Britain. The Victorian society was simply divided into nobility Upper Class, Middle Class and The Working Class2. This famous Victorian social structure allowed the ability to dehumanise and degrade certain groups of people either by putting a label on how much money they earned or whether they were physically and mentally able to work. According to Braddon, the character of Phoebe Marks is a “person who never lost her individuality. Silent and self-constrained, she seemed to hold herself within herself, and take no colour from the outer world” which denotes that the domestic sphere indeed isolated the Victorian woman. It can be said that her husband, Luke Marks, prohibited her from becoming a civic woman by keeping her bound to her domestic chores. The lexical field of imagery, especially the H consonance sound suggests a heavy work load during her commotion.
The title ‘Poor Miss Finch’ immediately demonstrates the way women were perceived within a Victorian Society, implying that they were pitiable and defined by their marital status, “the simple people added their word of pity to her name, and called her compassionately—"Poor Miss Finch”. The word “Miss” signifies a distance between The Working Class and the Upper Class which would’ve indeed shocked a Victorian audience – as women were encouraged to get married, as without husbands they were seen as social failures by the patriarchal society in which they lived3. The Victorian Era was also a time of Romanticism in which courtship was an important aspect and considered to be a tradition. Marriage signified a woman’s maturity and accountability in the home, but romance and sexuality were not seen to be unfamiliar concepts to the typical sensationalist Victorian Novel. Views and concepts illustrated marks for a more shocking presumption made by the Victorian audience as such ideas would have been looked down upon. Innovative works and urban living in fact, encouraged a modification in the ways in which suitable male and female roles were perceived4 – in fact, made equal.
In contrast, the title ‘Lady Audley’s Secret’ suggests that the text is of a more superior class due to the title of “Lady”. This links to another reoccurring theme throughout the Victorian period in which the social hierarchy created a destructive divide between the working, middle, and upper classes. Arguably, women and the working class were treated as second class citizens and neither were entitled to suffrage until later in the era5. Middle Class and Upper-class women were seen as social failures if they worked and once married they were simply stripped of their own money and property6. The character of Lady Audley challenges this assumption as she has direct power over her husband, “When you say I killed George Talboys, you say the truth. When you say that I murdered him treacherously and foully, you lie. I killed him because I AM MAD!” which would have implicitly been shocking to a Victorian Audience. Lady Audley realizes that she can no longer censor her secrets from Robert Audley – therefore admitting her role in her husband’s death. The use of speech invites readers to form their own opinions of Lady Audley’s guilt and responsibility – which she previously denied. It also echoes the idea that sanity and insanity are shifting hypothesis throughout the novel.
Conversely, we see how women are perceived in a Victorian society in ‘Poor Miss Finch’ by the character of Lucilla. Her submissive and ordered actions towards Oscar ‘"Keep the vase!" he said. "You will honour me, you will delight me, if you will keep the vase."
echoes the very idea that middle-class women were discouraged from working and instead encouraged to be an “Angel in the house”. The use of the word “honour” indicates a superiority – this could indicate the fact that she is a woman or inevitably because she serves a disability – her blindness. The ‘Angel of The House’ was ‘central to Victorian beliefs about the proper order of society” 6 in which Sally Ledger, a leading scholar in Victorian Studies, who advanced the study of Women writers7. This was because many ‘Victorian men believed that women did not hold the intellectual capabilities’ 6 which, educated, diligent men were endowed with. Collins describes Lucilla as having “a baby in one hand and a novel in the other”. This is symbolic and it shows that her hands are used for motherly duties and that the amount of children weighing her down symbolises that she is forever bound to the 19th century domestic sphere as “motherly and wifely virtues of childbearing and housework became associated with the role of women” 8. In contrast, her mind tries to break away from the domestic sphere by reading. In the Victorian era it was men who wrote letters, discussed politics and literature 8. Another character in ‘Poor Miss Finch’, Madame Pratolungo, challenges this; nevertheless, her political view is influenced by her husband “I have learnt from my poor Pratolungo the habit of searching for the political convictions…”. The fact that she participates in what are seen as male dominated activities illustrates how women are progressing. Nevertheless, with her husband’s influence still present, this implies a sudden setback in the growth of feminism in society and suggests that women are undermined by men.
The strain and suffering of the 19th century woman played a big part in both sensational novels. The very contrast between the two different portrayals of women in both novels is questionably due to the difference in the author’s sex. Lady Audley’s Secret (written by a woman) portrays feminist arguments and throughout, the importance of suffrage and rebellion against 19th century regulations are echoed. The character of Lady Audley, it could be said, is influenced by Elizabeth Braddon’s personal life, as she was, at the time, living out of wedlock with her partner.9 In ‘Poor Miss Finch’, the reflection of a man’s perspective can be elicited through the speech of the narrator, a French woman, Madame Pratalungo. She illustrates the difference between the two genders “we gossiped, as women left alone often do”. In view of the tone of her language here, is the implication that she doesn’t necessarily agree with the social stereotypes of the era? Alternatively, this could foreshadow pre-feminist ideas by the frequent use of masculine actions throughout the novel – “as women left alone often do” almost sounds sarcastic – as though she is fed up of traditional Victorian societal reforms.
The ‘New Woman’ is a theory created by Sally Ledger in which art, politics, science and society were revolutionised by embryonic new concepts and challenges that shaped a break-through in the tradition. The Victorian fin de siècle was an age of tremendous change10 that allowed the free-spirited, educated mindset of the ‘New woman’ to emerge; which threatened conventional ideas about the Idealistic Victorian woman. The most radical and far-fetched modification of all, brought concerns to the modern role of the Victorian woman with the cumulative number of opportunities rising within the 19th century – a male dominated world. Education and employment aspects improved immensely and the practice of marriage shadowed by motherhood was no longer seen as the anticipatable means toward fortifying a level fiscal security. Link to texts.
Ledger’s theory is depicted through the character of Madame Pratalungo in ‘Poor Miss Finch’ as we see her strong, opinionated personality rise from the patriarchal society in which she lived and if she “had the strength” she would push past social barriers created by domesticity “I would have knocked him down”. The unusual ideology that this politically robust woman wants to physically harm a man suggests the innovation of the New woman and suggests masculine tendencies. Similarly, in ‘Lady Audley’s Secret’, the character of Clara demonstrates femininity by obeying her father and giving into society’s expectations during his presence; however, rebels once he departs by meeting with Robert Audley in clandestine “with her shawl still over her head”. This suggests that Clara is sworn to secrecy and that she is metaphorically hiding from social standards as she knows she is not meant to be taking the actions that she is. The novel emulates Ledger’s concept as Lady Audley physically hurts George Talboys and is willing to do the same to Robert Audley “if he stood before me now, I could kill him”. The word “Kill” suggests the emotional and physical turmoil that she is willing to convey. The author, Elizabeth Braddon, enhances the importance of ‘The New Woman’ here and illustrates the importance of pursuing new sensations which inevitably, led to sex and sexuality playing an increasingly important part in the search for new experiences11.
Masculinity is highly present in ‘Lady Audley’s Secret’ by the use of Robert Audley and his misogynist inclinations. His speech indicates a setback on the progression in society as he challenges the idea of ‘The New Woman’. He begins his trail of thought by expressing his “hate” for women” – ‘"I hate women," he thought, savagely. "They're bold, brazen, abominable creatures, invented for the annoyance and destruction of their superiors.’ While Lady Audley's splendor and elusive manners charm him at the beginning of the novel, he begins to suspect that this is all an act, and as a result, he becomes suspicious of other women. The use of alliteration “bold, brazen” signifies a sharp strong tone. The word “bold” that Robert uses to describe women in his speech implies a valiance in the breakthrough of the genders and the unusual immodesty of the 19th century woman. The use of patriarchies is evident “invented for the annoyance and destruction of their superiors”. The use of a personal pronoun “their” and “superior” connotes the way in which women were deprived of their identities – reinforcing the fact that women were second class citizens as oppose to men. Although Robert speaks his thought in a negative manner, he also assigns the female gender a great deal of power and intervention – he does not think that women are insubstantial, powerless or unintelligent. “And now I find myself driven into a corner by another woman, of whose existence I had never thought until this day." The use of personification here “driven into a corner” reveals the resentment and anxiety that arose as gender roles slowly began to change.
Conversely, in ‘Poor Miss Finch’ the Dubourg brothers provide a thought-provoking insight into how men were affected by Victorian ideals of masculinity. We learn throughout the novel that after being pugnaciously attacked by thieves, Oscar develops epilepsy “As the words passed his lips, a frightful contortion fastened itself on Oscar's face. His eyes turned up hideously. From head to foot his whole body was wrenched round, as if giant hands had twisted it, towards the right. Before I could speak, he was in convulsions on the floor at his doctor's feet.” The use of imagery here “a frightful contortion fastened itself on Oscar’s face” is also metaphorical. The lexical cluster of imagery and fast-paced tone of language indicates a rushed atmosphere. The term ‘fits of idiocy’ was frequent in the Victorian Era in which allowed the disregard of Epilepsy to be accustomed11. Oscar is a prime example of how men were affected by Victorian ideals of masculinity as “a man provided with nerves vigorously constituted, is provided also with a constitutional health”. Driven desperately to get his “constitutional health” back to society’s standards, Oscar turns to some tentative medicine – nitrate of silver which, in all, turns his skin a “livid Blackish Blue”. When ‘Poor Miss Finch’ was set (1850’s), silver nitrate was still being used to treat epilepsy although there was often disinclination to use it, given its well-known side effects. A clinical lecture recorded in the pages of the Lancet in the 1830s already considers it a less “admissible” treatment, noting it is “apt to change the colour of the skin”, and cautionary of the “permanency of the dark colour” that is formed12. Lucilla, his beloved fiancé has a particular aversion to dark colours in which she claims although she cannot see them she can sense them “Pray don't wear dark colours. I have my own blind horror of anything that is dark. Dear Madame Pratolungo, wear pretty bright colours, to please me!”. In the novel, we see Gothic, melodramatic and sensational possibilities of blindness and skin discolouration evoked, which however, set against Collins’ professed aim at realism, his intention to “exhibit […] blindness as it really is” through the character of Lucilla – Poor Miss Finch.