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Early19thcenturyEnglishLiterature,part1
PresentedbyMikeTrialandPatrickMcGrawWithsupportfromCompassFlowerPress
Inthiscoursewewilldiscusstheseauthors
• Today Friday,October12 9:30-11:00– MaryShelley– MariaEdgeworth– FrancesBurney– JaneAusten
• NextweekFriday,October19 9:30-11:00– TheBronte’s– WilliamThackeray– GeorgeMeredith– WilkieCollins
Timelines
• MaryShelley 1797-1851(diedage54)• FrancesBurney 1752-1840(diedage88)• MariaEdgeworth 1768-1849(diedage81)• JaneAusten 1775-1817(diedage42)
• TheRegencyEra:1795-1837
MaryWollstonecraftGodwinShelley(1797-1851)
MaryShelley’sbookFrankensteinisbornduringthelegendarysummerof1816
• AluxuriousvillainSwitzerland;anunusuallycoldandstormysummer
• Thecompanyofthegreatestpoetoftheage,LordByron
• Ghoststoriesreadbycandlelight• TheemotionaltensionsbetweenLordByron,PercyShelley,MaryShelley,ClareClaremontandJohnPolidori
• Revolutions,atheism,newscience,exilefromBritain,divorces,etc.
TheRegencyEra(1795-1837)waschaoticforBritain,buttheVictorianErawhichfolloweditwasBritain’s
finesthour• Industrialrevolution(1760–1830)• Politicalrevolutions:America,France• TheNapoleonicwars(1803–1815)• TheVictorianAge(1837-1901)seestheBritishEmpirebecomethedominantworldpower– Britaingainsmilitarycontroloftheseas,establishescolonies,andbuildsatradingempire
EventsinFrancedominatedBritishandcontinentalEuropeanthinkingduringtheRegencyEra
VillaDiodatiandthelegendarysummerof1816
LordByronrentedVillaDiodati,MaryandPercyandClarerentedahousenearbyThesummerof1816wasextremelycoldandrainyduetoavolcaniceruptioninIndonesiathatputvolcanicdustintheair.Theclimatewasaffectedworldwide.1816waslatercalled‘theyearwithoutasummer’.
Anexcellentbookaboutthatsummer,andthepeopleinvolvedistitled‘TheMonsters’
Thatsummer,LordByronwasreadingbooksoftheoccult,thegothic,andthefantastic
WilliamBeckfordtheauthorofVathek,abookByronread,washimself,aratherBryonroniccharacter.
MatthewLewis,authorofoneofthemostnotoriousgothics,visitedvillaDiodatithatsummer
LordByronchallengedeachofthem…
“…towriteaghoststory…”Ofthefive(LordByron,PercyShelley,ClareClaremont,MaryShelleyandJohnPolidori)onlyMaryShelleyandJohnPolidoricompletedtheirstories:– MarywroteFrankenstein– JohnwroteTheVampyre
MaryShelleyin1816• Sheisonly18yearsold,withnopublishedwriting• At16shehadrunawaywithPercyShelleywhowasmarried• Shehadgivenbirthtoadaughter(byPercyShelley)who
died,andason,William• SheandPercyShelleyandClareClaremontarein‘exile’from
England(socialdisapprovalanddebt)• ShelearnsthatherhalfsisterFannyImlayandPercy
Shelley’swifeHarriethavecommittedsuicide• Sheis,likemanyofhergeneration,enamoredwithnew
scienceslikegalvanism(andpseudoscienceslikephrenology)
• Shehasretained,fromherparentsandfromPercyShelley,veryradicalviews:anti-church,anti-marriage,anti-monarchy,etc.
• Shespendsthesummerof1816inclosecontactwiththemostfamouswriterintheworld,LordByron
Frankenstein,thebook,isunusualandverypowerful…
• Only70,000words(veryshortforanovelofthatday)
• Insidetheframe,thestoryistoldfirstpersonfromVictorFrankenstein’sperspective,exceptchapters3thru8involume2whicharefromthemonster’sperspective
• Multiple,parallel,themes:socialacceptance,parentallove(andlackofit),defininghumanity,themoralityoflifetakingandlifemaking…
• Theendingisambiguous• Thewritingstyleisexcellent
– Thenhesprangintotheiceraft,andwassoonborneawaybythewavesandlostindistanceanddarkness.
AnexcellenteditionofFrankensteinistheNortonCriticaledition
JohnPolidori’sstory,TheVampyre,isalsomemorable
OneofthefirstmodernVampiretales,itisathinlyveiledreferencetoLordBryon’svampirishtreatmentofPolidoriandothers.After1816,PolidorireturnedtoLondonbutwasneversuccessfulatthevarietyOfoccupationsheattempted.Hecommittedsuicideatage41.Buthisbookremainsinprint,andhasredefinedtheVampirelegendForalltime.
Otherpoints…• Maryandherstep-sisterClarespentmuchtimetogetherbutnever
reallygotalongwell• AfterFrankenstein,Marywrotefivemorenovels,noneofwhich
wereparticularlysuccessful• PercyShelleydiedinaboatingaccident,age29• LordByrondiedoffever,age37• ClarediedinFlorence,Italy,atage81havingneverpublished
anything–thoughshewastheonewhobroughtthemalltogetheratDiodati
• Mary’sonesurvivingsonmarriedwell,receivedatitle,servedinparliament,livedacomfortablelife–buthistoryhasentirelyforgottenhim.
• ManycriticsbelievethatMary’sposthumouseditingandpromotionofhisworkislargelyresponsibleforPercyShelley’shighreputationasapoettoday
Acoupleofvideos,onedepictingthesummerof1816atVillaDiodati,theother,MaryShelley’slife
MariaEdgeworth(1768-1849)• AfinanciallysuccessfulandpopularAnglo-Irish
writerofnovels,non-fiction,andchildren'sliterature
• Duringtheheightofhernovel-writingpopularityshewasrivaledonlybyFrancesBurney
• oneofthefirstrealistwritersofchildren'sliterature
• Authorofnon-fictionbookssuchasPracticalEducation,encouragingprogressiveschoolingforchildren(especiallygirls)
• ShetravelledtoTheContinentin1802,wherereceivedoffersofmarriage,allofwhichshedeclined
• Sheheldadvancedviewsonestatemanagement,politics,andeducation
• Sheco-managed,withherfather,thefamilyestate
• Shebecamethefirstwriterof‘regionalfiction’
MariaEdgeworth’snovelBelinda
• Publishedin1801,somecriticsconsiderthisnoveltoprefigureJaneAusten’sworkinthatitfeaturesabrightyoungwomaninsearchofamarriagebasedonloveandrespect,notmoney
• WhenAustenwasrevisingNorthangerAbbey,sheaddedamentionofMariaEdgeworth’snovelBelinda(andFrancesBurney’snovelsCeceliaandCamilla)
TheAnglo-Irish:MariaEdgeworthtoElizabethBowen
• MariaEdgeworth(1768-1849)• ElizabethBowen(1899–1973) OliverCromwell,andthe‘Puritan
Revolution’of1642createdchaosinEngland.OneresultofthiswasthatEnglishadventurersconqueredlargepartsofIrelandandsetthemselvesupasgentrythere.Theylivedthereforgenerations,becomingtheAnglo-Irish.ManyAnglo-Irishwritershavetouchedontheexperienceofbeingoutsidersinyour‘own’land.
SomeotherAnglo-IrishauthorsElizabethBowenJonathanSwiftOliverGoldsmithJMSyngeWBYeatsEdmundBurkeGeorgeBernardShawSamuelBeckettCSLewisBramStokerCecilDay-LewisOscarWilde
St.Patrick’scross,oftenusedasasymboloftheAnglo-Irish
FrancesBurney(1752-1840)VirginiaWoolfcalledherthemotherofEnglish
literature
FrancesBurney’slifestoryisjustasfascinatingasanyRegencyEranovel
AnexcellentbiographyofFrances(Fanny)Burney
Bothherfirstbook,Evelina,andhersecondbook,Cecelia,werebest-sellers
JaneAusten,amongmanyothers,readEvelina,firstpublishedin1778,andCecelia,publishedin1782
Evelinaisepistolaryinstyleandrelativelyshort.Ceceliaisanarrativecomedyofmannersin10volumes(!)
Andher3rdbookCamillawasalsoabest-seller
• Publishedin1796• Firsteditionsoldoutquickly,moreeditionsfollowed
• Shewaspaid£1000forthemanuscript,thensoldthecopyrightforanother£1000
• Withthemoney,sheandherhusbandAlexandreD’Arblayhad‘CamillaCottage’built
CamillaCottageFORSALE:ThissevenbedroomhousewithgardensandgargoylesinWesthumble,Surrey,hasbeenlovinglyrestored.Thehouseisbuiltonthesiteofthepropertywhereacottagewasbuiltin1797byauthorFrancesBurneyandherhusbandAlexndreD’Arblay.ReprintsofBurney’sbooksareinthelibraryofthehouseandareincludedwiththesale.
FrancesBurney• Dr.JohnsonhimselfpraisedherfirstnovelEvelina,publishedwhen
shewasonly26• Herfather,whomFrancesadmired,embodiedthenewmiddle
class:self-made,talented,ambitious,wellconnected,soFranceswasintroducedearlytothebestoftheLondonliteraryworld
• FrancesheldapositionatKingGeorgeIII’scourtfor4years• Shemarried(atage41)aFrenchexile;theyhadalonghappy
marriage,andonlyonechild,ason,whotragicallydiedatage40• Herthirdbook,Camilla,madethemagreatdealofmoney• ShetravelledtoFrancewithherhusbandandwastrappedthereby
thewarsfornearly10years• HerwritingtakesthebesttraditionofRichardsonandFielding,
addssocialnuance,satire,keenobservation,andalargecastofcharacterstotellcompellingstories
JaneAustenreadFrancesBurney’sbookCeceliawhereshefoundthispassage:
“Thewholeofthisunfortunatebusiness,”saidDr.Lyster,“hasbeentheresultofprideandprejudice…”Janelikedthesoundofthatphrase…
JaneAusten’sLife
• BorninDecember1775• Possiblyasearlyasage12,startsJuvenilia,
experimentalwriting• 1793,writesLadySusan,epistolarynoveltoo
outrageoustoprint• 1801-05,AustenlivesinBath,thesettingfortwo
ofhernovels• 1805-09,Austen’s“LostYears”—abandonedThe
Watsons• 1809-17LivedatChawtonCottage.Revised
and/orwrotethesixnovelsforwhichsheisprimarilyknown
• July,1817,diesinWinchesterandisburiedinitscathedral
Austenhasbeenaccusedofbeing…
• adriedupspinster,unexperiencedintheworld
• someonewholivedthroughtheNapoleonicWarswithoutbeingawareofthem
• disconnectedfrompoliticsandsocialinjustice
• boring
Austenwasfamiliarwithsexuality,inandoutsideof,marriage
Adultery• ElizaBrandoncommitsmultipleadulteriesinSenseand
Sensibility• MariaBertramRushworthcommitsadulterywithHenry
CrawfordinMansfieldPark• InMansfieldPark,MaryCrawfordcomestolivewithher
sisterbecauseheruncletheAdmiralhasmovedhismistressintohisLondonhomefollowingthedeathofhiswife
IllegitimateChildren• ElizaWilliams,illegitimatedaughterofElizaBrandon,is
seducedbyWilloughbyinSenseandSensibilityandhasherownillegitimatechild
• HarrietSmithinEmmaisatradesman’s“natural”daughter
Andshewroteclearlyabouttheconsequencesofseduction
Seducers• HenryCrawfordinMansfieldParktellshissister
thatheisgoingtoseduceFannyPrice• Atfirst,WilloughbyinSenseandSensibilityvisits
Mariannewiththeintentionofseducingher• Lt.WickhaminPrideandPrejudiceliveswith
LydiaBennetinLondonwithoutthebenefitofmarriage;itcomesoutthathehasalsoseducedmostofthetradesmen’sdaughtersinMeryton
• Mr.WilliamElliotinPersuasionseducesMrs.PenelopeClaywhoabandonsherfamilytolive“underhisprotection”inLondon
HernovelsreadwellinpartbecauseshedescribessexualtensionwellSexualTensionbetweenHeroesandHeroines
• InPrideandPrejudice,Mr.DarcyissodrawntoElizabethBennetthatheproposestohereventhoughheknowsheshouldn’t
• InMansfieldPark,thestraight-lacedclergymanEdmundBertramissoattractedphysicallytoMaryCrawfordthathetotallyignoresheramoralcomments
• InPersuasion,CaptainWentworthonlygraduallybecomesawareofAnneElliot’sbeauty;butbytheendofthenovel,hewritesalettertohersaying,“Youpiercemysoul.Iamhalfagony,halfhope.”
AndAustenusedinnuendodeftly…
SexualComments• InPrideandPrejudice,Mr.DarcyisinvitedtojoinMiss
BingleyandElizabethBennetinastrollaroundtheroom;herepliesthathecanbetterappreciatetheirfiguresfromwhereheissitting
• Inthesamescene,thenarratorsays,“MissBingley,however,wasincapableofdisappointingMr.Darcyinanything”
• InMansfieldPark,MaryCrawford,whowasraisedbyherlecherousuncleAdmiralCrawford,saysthatshehasknowntoomanyadmiralsandistiredofalltheirRearsandVices!
TheNapoleonicWars• InPrideandPrejudice,themilitiaisquartered
inandaroundMerytontotrainfortheexpectedFrenchinvasion
• InPrideandPrejudice,KittyandLydiabringhomethenewsthataprivatewasflogged
• InMansfieldPark,WilliamPriceisamidshipmanwho,invisitinghissisterFannyatMansfieldPark,entrancesthefamilywithstoriesofnavalbattles,shipwrecks,andblockadeduty.Theirfather,Lt.Price,wasamarinewhowasdisabledinthewar.
• PersuasionisdeliberatelysetduringthetimeNapoleonspentonElba
PoliticsinJaneAusten’sNovels
• NorthangerAbbeyengageswiththenostalgiaformonasteriesstartingin1540sandlastingintotheearly19thcentury
• TheWatsonsreflectsthedebateabouttheRestrictionAct• SenseandSensibilityreflectsthemovementtoreform
PoorLaws• PrideandPrejudicereflectsdebateontheSpeenhamland
System• MansfieldParkobviouslyengageswiththeissueofslavery• EmmaholdsupHighburyasalternativetoEngland’s
economiccrisis• Persuasiondepictsthepost-WaterlooCrashinEngland• SanditonpitsToryandWhigeconomicsagainsteachother
JaneAustenisHumorous• InMansfieldPark,MaryCrawfordreferstoMr.Yates,a
youngmanwhohadactedintheirplayearlierintheyear,sayingthathewouldbeagoodmarriageprospectifonlyhis“rentswouldmatchhisrants.”
• InEmma,thenarratorsaysofMr.Woodhouse,whodidnotapproveofmatrimony,“Thoughalwaysobjectingtoeverymarriage…heneversufferedbeforehandfromtheapprehensionofany;itseemedasifhecouldnotthinksoillofanytwopersons’understandingastosupposetheymeanttomarryuntilitcouldbeprovedagainstthem.”
“‘Runmadasoftenasyouchoose;butdonot
faint’”
Austenismakingfunofthecontemporaryandsentimentalnovelsofthelate18thcentury—thinkEmilySt.Aubert(ofTheMysteriesofUdolpho)whoisconstantlyfainting.
“LadySusan”
• Anunpublishednovellathatiswrittenalmostentirelyinlettersbetweenthevariouscharacters.WidowedLadySusanVernonistotallyamoral.Attheageof36,sheisstillsobeautifulthatsheseducesahusband(Mr.Manwaring)awayfromhiswifeandsimultaneouslygetsthesuitorofthewife’ssister,SirJamesMartin,tofallinlovewithher.
• Afamousline:“Factsaresuchinconvenientthings!”
Austen’sWritingIsNeverBoring!
• Hernarrativesarefast-paced;somethingisalwayshappeningtomovethestoryforward
• Austenlargelycreatedthemodernnovel:thecharacters’actionarerealistic
• Herplotsarecarefullyconstructedandalwaysprobable
• Notwocharacterinhersixnovelssoundslikeanyothercharacter;eachhasaunique“voice”(idiolect)
Austen’sIrony• MuchofAusten’snarrationconsistsofirony:mostly
verbalirony• Whileseemingtopraiseacharacter,Austenwillcut
thecharactertoribbons:“Mrs.Ferrars…wasnotawomanofmanywords:for,unlikepeopleingeneral,sheproportionedthemtothenumberofherideas.”(SenseandSensibility)
• Oftenasinglewordundercutsafavorabledescription:“EmmaWoodhouse,handsome,clever,andrich,withacomfortablehomeandhappydisposition,seemedtounitesomeofthebestblessingsofexistence.”Theword“seemed”undercutsallthepositivestatementstotellthereaderthatallisnotrightintheopeninglinesofEmma.
OpeningSentenceofPrideandPrejudice
• “Itisatruthuniversallyacknowledged,thatasinglemaninpossessionofagoodfortune,mustbeinwantofawife.”
• Therearelayersofironyinthissentence:– First,“universally”isobviouslyverballyironic:
nothingonthisearthisacknowledgeoracceptedbyeveryone.
– Second,thesentenceissituationallyironic:itistheyoungwomenintheneighborhoodwhoareinwantofarichhusband.
Thefactthatitiswrittenasanepigrammakesitsoundtruthfulwhenitisn’tactuallystatinga“truth.”
Austen’sDialogueAustenisamasterofdialogue.Sheusesdialoguetorevealacharacter’sinnertraits.Ratherthantellingthereadersomethingaboutacharacter,Austenallowsthereadertodiscoveritinwhatthecharacterissaying:
Mrs.Bennet:“Youtakedelightinvexingme.Youhavenocompassiononmypoornerves.”Mr.Bennet:“Youmistakeme,mydear.Ihaveahighrespectforyournerves.Theyaremyoldfriends.Ihaveheardyoumentionthemwithconsiderationthesetwentyyearsatleast.”Mrs.Bennet:“Ah!YoudonotknowwhatIsuffer.”
ThereaderimmediatelyknowsthatMrs.Bennetisawhiner,andMr.Bennetissarcastic.
I’llclosewithaquotefromHenryJamesspeakingofJaneAusten’swriting:
“...fromthatspare,cool,drawingroomofotherdays...sheprovidestouchesofuniversalhumantruths...littlemasterstrokesofimagination...”