There is a passage at the beginning of chapter nine of The Picture of Dorian Gray that reminded me of the description of the homosexual male from John Addington Symonds’s A Problem in Modern Ethics. The passage from Dorian Gray reads: “The boyish beauty that had so fascinated Basil Hallward, and many other besides him, seemed never to leave him…Men who talked grossly became silent when he Dorian Gray entered the room. There was something in the purity of his face that rebuked them. His mere presence seemed to recall to them the innocence they had tarnished. They wondered how one so charming and graceful as he was could have escaped the stain of an age that was at once sordid and sensuous.” (Wilde 91-92)
Symonds wrote in his description that the male “Urning” basically has the body of a man, but the soul of a woman. He says that “his passions, inclinations, sensibilities, emotional characteristics, sexual desires–eludes the observation of the senses.” In the above description of Dorain Gray, Wilde wrote of Dorian’s “boyish beauty,” which leaves the impression that Dorian has an effeminate look about him, in spite of his male body. Wilde also writes about how he catches the attention of the other men in the room, who wonder at his state of innocence that they no longer have, and this also relates to Symonds’s claim about characteristics eluded by the soul. Dorain’s look of purity in his face could also allude to an effeminate nature of him, as purity was something more-so socially expected of women at this period, than men. The description of Dorian as charming and graceful also mark that his presence gave off an air of what would be considered as femininity, and noticeable by others. This would also connect with Symonds’s claim of the homosexual male seeming to have a feminine soul.
Author: n02714729
Victorian Views of Prostitution
Flora Tristan’s article not only sympathizes with prostitutes, but it outright and shamelessly condemns English society for forcing unmarried, entailed, and/or impoverished women to resort to a “job” that risks their health, safety, and sense of well-being. She sees the desperate act most clearly as a result from an unjust society, claiming, “…this revolting degradation is brought about by the disastrous effects of prejudices, poverty, and slavery” (2). Tristan also comments on the lack of options for women to support themselves, “Girls born in the poor class are pushed to prostitution by hunger. Women are excluded by work in the fields, and when they are not employed in factories, their only resource is domestic service or prostitution!” (2) Tristan also talks about the conditions in the whorehouses where women are played cruel tricks on when they’re drunk, such as being forced to drink a nasty mixture or glasses of all different kinds of beverages thrown on them when they are drunk. Tristan shows that the “fall” into the role of prostitute is not the worst part about being one, which leads me to think about Thomas Hood’s poem, “The Bridge of Sighs.”
Tristan wrote about the horrors of prostitution. Hood’s poem portrays a different perspective. While the poem is about the suicide of prostitutes, I feel that Hood, while sympathetic in some parts, does not quite grasp the whole reality that a prostitute is forced to live in and how she is ultimately, driven to her death. The first three lines of the third stanza show a sense of sympathy: “Touch her not scornfully;/Think of her mournfully/Gently and humanly;” Observing these lines, one might think that Hood holds a deep feeling of compassion towards the prostitute, and there is no doubt a sense of compassion is there, however, just as quick as Hood seems to be able to show this sympathy for these “fallen women”, he also condemns them, implying them as “One of Eve’s family” (1) and “Owning her weakness/Her evil behavior,/And leaving with meekness,/ Her sins to her Saviour!” My first question with these lines is, what weakness? It almost seems as if Hood is suggesting this woman wanted to be a prostitute for lustful reasons or something other than the sheer necessity of trying to survive as a lone woman in this world as is stated in Tristan’s article. The next part of this stanza, which states her “evil behavior,” once again condemns the woman and the woman alone. What about the men who used prostitutes? They were not condemned like this. Was their behavior not thought of as evil? As in Tristan’s article, they most certainly were.
Overall, Hood seems to try to sympathize with prostitutes, but more so for the sake of Christian forgiveness (still blaming the woman for her fall) rather than sheer empathy and compassion. Whereas, Tristan’s view completely understands and sympathizes with the prostitutes and condemns societal structures.
Jane Eyre and Fraser’s Sympathy for Governesses
This article, “Hints on the Modern Governess System” from Fraser’s Magazine presents the conflict of isolation in the role of the governess. While it does not outright combat the morality of whether a mother should teach lessons to her own children (as opposed to trusting them in the hands of a “stranger”), there are instances in the article that certainly seem to object to the idea of governesses, not because of any inadequacies, but because of the conditions of which they work under. The author writes, “Day by day the governess is worn by the disappointments the most promising child must inflict upon its teacher; but to whom can she, in her weariness, turn for sympathy?” (573) The writer indicates that the parents of the children do not want to hear of their child’s shortcomings, especially by a “third person,” so it leaves the governess in a complicated position. The indication of the governess as a “third person” also establishes her sense of inferiority to the rest of the household. This is just one aspect of the governess’s loneliness. She is also condemned to mere isolation when she is not with the children, “It is only the governess, and a certain class of private tutors, who must hear the echoes from the drawing-room and the offices, feeling that, in a house full of people, they dwell alone” (574).
Perhaps this idea of loneliness of the governess expands further than just her job at an estate. In Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, when Jane becomes a governess at the Thornfield estate, she is initially insulted and demeaned by Mr. Rochester (“No wonder you have rather the look of another world” (192)), even though Jane nonetheless, returns his insults with clever wit, this still confirms Jane as an inferior, given her position in the household. However, Jane has a more clever insight: “It is in vain to say that human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility…Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel: they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts just as much as their brothers do” (178). I feel that this quote responds to the condition of women in general of course, but in terms of governesses specifically, it connects with the claims made in Fraser’s article, as these women who are deemed “odd” by Victorian society are subject to even greater loneliness even more when they support themselves.
Works Cited
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre Ed. Richard Nemevari.Peterborough, Ont: Broadview, 1999. Print.
“Hints on the Modern Governess System.” Fraser’s Magazine. November 1844: 567-577 Print.
Cross-Dressing: A Desirable Crime!
In Lee Jackson’s Victorian Dictionary, I researched accounts of cross-dressing women and found that many of these women were often “found out” in lawful investigations following the conviction of a separate crime. The first article I read was written for a newly published magazine at the time (though the source did not indicate which), and it tells of a woman who called herself Bill Chapman, who caused a disturbance at a bar after being complained of by many others for being a “cheat and imposter” (1). The article, entitled, “HATTON GARDEN. EXTRAORDINARY CASE- A MAN-WOMAN,” tells of Chapman’s alternative lifestyle of smoking cigars, wearing men’s hats and trousers, and traveling with another woman, who is her wife. The investigator’s comment,”She may be a disorderly and disreputable character, which, in fact, her dressing as a man clearly shows, but I know of no law to punish her for wearing male attire” (1) clearly depicts a common attitude towards the great misunderstanding of transgender people at the time. This claim also identifies with the words used to describe Chapman, referring to her a “creature” and using the pronoun “it.” Chapman reasoned her dress as “owning to the cruelty of her father-in-law” (1).
Another account from “The Penny Illustrated Paper,” discussed a woman who disguised herself as a man so she could make more money. Her in initial crime was “annoying the landlady of a lodging house…by creating a disturbance and threatening to beat another woman…whom she had been living with as husband” (4). In spite of the crime, this article heavily focuses on the fact that she is a woman in man’s clothing. In fact, the heading of the article is “A WOMAN FOR SIX YEARS IN MAN’S CLOTHES” (4). This seems that the lore to get people’s attention to read the article is more so by pointing out her “oddity” rather than her crime, then again, how else can one expect Victorian society to react?
It wasn’t until recently that cross-dressing became socially acceptable on the surface of society, so I found these accounts to be quite interesting, especially when considering the different reasons as to why women cross-dressed. Was it for women’s rights? or was it an expression of their sexuality?
Works Cited
“Hutton Garden. Extraordinary Case-A Man-Woman.” Victorian London Dictionary. Web. 14 February 2016. www.victorianlondon.org.
“The Penny Illustrated Newspaper.” Victorian London Dictionary. Web. 14 February 2016.
Sara’s Blog Post
Hello, I am an English major with a creative writing minor and I am quite fond of the novels of Victor Hugo and the poetry of William Blake, Walt Whitman and T.S. Eliot.
Fordyce’s sermon widely discusses the societal expectations of a young woman in regards to her speech, her friendships, and her responsibility in her household. He emphasizes the importance of the “conduct of daughters” in order to maintain peace within her family and this is done through a number of “proper” behaviors that are widely demanded on women more so, (as Fordyce admits) than on men. Fordyce writes, “The world, I know not how, overlooks in our sex a thousand irregularities, which it never forgives in yours; so that the honour and peace of a family are, in this view, much more dependent on the conduct of daughters than on sons” (394).
I believe this point to be the prominent issue in which Austen is challenging in Pride and Prejudice. The Bennetts have their five daughters, each with their differences in so-called conduct. Mrs. Bennett’s disgust in her daughter, Lizzie, who is the most rebellious of the daughters, is one way in which nineteenth century female roles affect the peace of the household. One instance where this is prominent, is the scene when Lizzie rejects Mr. Collins’ marriage proposal. She does not reject it once, but several times and assures Collins that she will continue to reject it if he so chooses to ask again. What is important here, is not only the shock and disappointment that is brought onto Collins, but how this refusal effects the relationship between Lizzie and her mother. The following scene when Lizzie is called to speak with her parents, her father tells her that her mother insists in her to accept the proposal and then says to his wife, “Is not it so, Mrs. Bennett?” and to which she responds, “Yes, or I will never see her again.” (142).
Another point made by Fordyce that can be actively portrayed in Austen’s novel is: “If men discover that you captivate them by an outside only, or by little frivolous arts, there are, it must be confessed, many of them who will rejoice at that discovery” (395). I find that Pride and Prejudice reflects heavily on this point, given that the girls are expected to take pride in their outer looks in order to attract men and perhaps in some cases, that may be one of the most important attributes. For instance, taking a look at the sister, Mary. Mary reads all of the books on proper conduct and behavior and frequently shows off her ability to play the piano in effort to make up for the fact that she was not blessed with the greatest looks. There is a scene in the novel where her being “carried away” with her musical talent and the only male attention she gains is her father scolding her to stop: “Mary, though pretending not to hear, was somewhat disconcerted; and Elizabeth sorry for her, and sorry for her father’s speech , was afraid her anxiety had done no good.” (132)
Ultimately, I find that Fordyce’s sermon certainly has influence over Austen’s novel. At least, some of the points Fordyce makes are found in the novel, and I find that he does sympathize with women more so than other men of that time, given that he he admits that it is on the female to maintain stability and peace within her household and that it is a greater stab on the family’s pride if she were to “go astray” as opposed to a male child. I feel like the sermon agrees with Austen to a certain point, as Fordyce is no doubt, aware of the prejudices against women in his contemporary society, especially in regards to keeping peace in the household and having to have “good enough” looks to attract a man to marry them.