RL#1
DeFoe, Preface to Moll Flanders, pp. 3-6
The preface to Moll Flanders struck me as a very familiar sound when reading 18th-century works, the emphasis on morality, personal growth, and decency (even when the subject may be indecent). Something that stood out to me that I found interesting was the way that Defoe, in a way, tells the reader to hold on through some of the rough bits of this story because there is a purpose at the end, and the life between “should be made as wicked, as the real History of it will bear; to illustrate and give a Beauty to the Penitent part”(Defoe, 4). I am drawn to the edge this story has, and it leaves the reader wanting to understand the background of these exploits, or at least I want to know. In some places it feels like a cautionary tale such as “…the Reader will have something of instruction, if he pleases to make use of it”(Defoe, 5), yet in others, it alludes to the fact that even if there is misfortune and disaster “…no Case can be so low, so despicable, or so empty of Prospect” (Defoe, 6). I am interested in hearing what others feel about this preface and its tone; it seems incredibly layered. Without knowing the themes or plot of this novel, it makes me wonder just how scandalous Moll Flanders’s life was for there to be such an elaborate warning, so to speak, for the preface.
Behn, “The Epistle Dedicatory” in Oroonoko, pp. 3-6
While reading “The Epistle Dedicatory”, I kept thinking about the beauty and the flow of Behn’s writing – her elegant style could be perceived as soft and calm, but her words still manage to strike and pierce through to the reader regarding her subject matter. For instance, “A Poet is a Painter in his way; he draws to the Life, but in another kind; we draw the Nobler part, the Soul and Mind; the Pictures of the Pen shall out-last those of the Pencil, and even Worlds themselves”(Behn, 509). I felt like I was floating through those words, yet at the same time, the depth she brought to them by way of allusions and the metaphors given to the written word vs. the painted face can allow for serious contemplation. How does an artist, like she suggests a poet can be, decide what to show, what to hide and how to emulate the truth while still creating art? I found her set up to describe and introduce our character of “The Royal Slave” fascinating. She employed many examples of honor, charms, and nobility as a way to sort of flatter the Lord that she is writing to before she explains how her “…true Story, of a Man Gallant enough to merit your Protection…”(Behn, 511) begins. It makes me wonder why she needs such an elaborate introduction; what is the character of this Lord she is writing to, and how does his approval play into her admiration and interest in this story’s protagonist?
RL #2
After hearing a bit of insight about Aphra Behn in class on Tuesday, I now know that this novel or “proto-novel” wasn’t her usual skill set. Knowing that plays and poetry were her forte, I can see the influences of that in Oroonoko. To me, it seems like she became invested in the character Prince Oroonoko, who could have had a significant but short role in one of her plays or even as a focus of poetry. Nevertheless, she wanted to elaborate and layer the story even more. I could see this piece as a play by how the characters interact and the dramatized events. The diction also feels very powerful like we could see in a play, take this scene where Oronooko realizes he cannot have Imoinda “But here in the arms of a feeble old man, my youth, my violent love…avail me nothing. Imoinda is as irrevocably lost to me as if she were snatched by the cold arms of death”(Behn, 20). However, the scenes can be extended in this form of an early novel. For instance, she provides us with both narration of the plot from the voice of her writing while also interjection of first-person dialog. This style common in novels allows the reader to gain some context into the broader implications at hand but then the ability to scale back down to a very intimate relationship with the characters. Though her prose remains very poetic and fanciful, her characters’ depth comes through with the detailed depictions of character, morality, strength, and power. I always like to wonder how much authors try to include the social commentary of their times into works such as these. Maybe she wanted to romanticize and humanize the accounts of slavery by bringing in her own experiences with this humanity in real life. It seems a bit out of touch with the overall views towards slavery at that time – like how they believed their cultures were savage and uncivilized. One of her largest emphasis was on the cultural aspect of Oroonoko’s story. For example, when describing Oroonoko, Behn writes he “was capable even of reigning well and of governing as wisely, had as great a soul, as politic maxims, and was as sensible of power as any prince civilized in the most refined schools of humanity and learning, or the most illustrious courts”(Behn, 15).
RL #4
Moll Flanders resembles the novel I am used to reading; though there is no chapter structure, it still feels more on the path of what we consider a novel to be today. Unlike the choice made by Behn in Oroonoko to tell her story of Oroonoko through the narrator’s perspective, Defoe takes on the reader’s immersion into Moll’s world as we get a sort of stream of consciousness take on whatever event is going on in her life. For instance, in the very beginning, we are brought up to speed by Moll herself, not some outside source looking in, she says, “…having gone out of the World by the Steps and String as I often expected to go, knew me by the name Moll Flanders; so you may give me leave to speak of myself”(Defoe, 8). By this formal quality we often see in novels, the reader may be biased towards our protagonist as she is our only perspective into the adventures of the novel. After hearing her arguments, emotions, and reasoning, it is hard not to root for her or empathize with her situation. The walls between the audience and our main character come down when we are let into their head – maybe it is harder to resonate with Oroonoko’s reasoning when we are getting only second-person information. When we talk about the differences novels have between other genres, I feel like the emphasis is on subtle and growing character development. In this time period, the moral grievances that Moll goes through makes a significant distinction between other works of the time, such as epic poems or plays where the switch over to one characteristic or breakthrough happens in a grand and climatic way. In Moll Flanders, where more length is given, as most novels have, it allows for a more gradual and maybe tumultuous journey that leads somewhere the author wants the audience to pay attention to. Nearing the end of the pages assigned, there are glimpses of Moll’s character changing and knowing how she might be perceived, such as “I leave it to any Man to judge what Difficulties presented to my view”(Defoe, 75).
RL #5
The middle section of Moll Flanders provides us with so many experiences that I have so many questions about. Having just come out of yet another relationship with a man, Moll again finds herself without friends, places to stay, and a dwindling amount of money. A question that keeps coming up throughout all of her relationships, apart from the half-brother one, is what was the extended family life like? Was she in a situation where it was not socially acceptable to stay with her in-laws, especially as she had children related to them? Today it is pretty normal that the mother would stay in the mix of her husband’s family if she had children and had been together for years. Alternatively, did she not want to stay and perhaps use their deaths or misfortunes as a way to get out into the world again and try her luck for a better outcome. She says at the opening of our assignment, “…I was now a loose and unguided Creature, and had no help…I knew what I aim’d at and what I wanted, but knew nothing of how to pursue the End”(Defoe, 108). This statement makes me think she has no point of reference about family life, as she never had one to look to as an example, and feels that it is not a feasible option to look to her in-laws for help. Jumping ahead to the end of our assignment, Moll tells her audience, “Let’em remember that a time of distress is a time of dreadful Temptation…Poverty presses, the Soul is made Desperate by Distress”(Defoe, 160). She acknowledges that what she is doing is wrong, but necessity brings her to it makes us more sympathetic to her circumstances – yet do we know the other options she would have had at the time? Is she choosing based solely on necessity, or is she also factoring in other options she does not want to employ?
RL #6
After our class discussion on Tuesday, I found myself wondering about the sudden shift from poverty being the driving force of Moll’s decisions to then the devil and all this internal strife with morality and sin. I think it was Gracie’s point during the class discussion that Defoe makes a point to shift the blame from Moll to the devil to showcase maybe one of two things, first, that Moll is using the devil as a means to go beyond her own circumstances and accept that what she is doing is out of her control or second, that Moll wants to relay to the audience that the situation society put her in forces her to make deals with the devil so to speak. This struck me as interesting in terms of the chronological order of the novel – after her life of crime has been underway, and she refers to her soul more, the direct ramification of her actions is Newgate prison. Could Newgate be an interpretation of Hell or some purgatory? Especially when the Minister comes into play and Moll finds herself deep in repentance. Moll says that “…he reviv’d my Heart, and brought me into such a Condition that I never knew anything of in my Life before: I was cover’d with Shame and Tears for things past, and yet had at the same time a secret surprizing Joy at the Prospect of being a true Penitent”(Defoe, 241). The morality aspect of this, while also knowing the background is Newgate, makes me think this intended to showcase the readers a Hell on earth but then the ability to rectify. Also, the ending is tied up so neatly with a new chance in the Colonies with the one man she truly loved seems like a message to the audience of the power of penitence. Even the last line states how they would “spend the Remainder of our Years in sincere Penitence, for the wicked Lives we have lived”(Defoe, 285).
RL #7
In “An Introduction to Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded” I noticed that class structures played a significant role in how Pamela was perceived and how she perceived herself. I thought back to Moll Flanders’s view of herself and how she was of low status in society, but she never really accepts that to be her fate. In Pamela, how she talks about her situations sounds more familiar to me – other novels discuss social class and the deep-seated self-identity to one area and the lack of flexibility in moving up. Margate Doody says, “They are portrayed as concerned with money and advantage for themselves, and as lazy gossips, deceptive and insolent.” Yet, the usage of letters to portray Pamela’s true voice will be interesting and might provide insight into the deeper values of the lower class. If the affluent people of the time were concerned with how much servants or lower class people think about money, it just shows how out of touch they were with the problem most people had to deal with. After reading the excerpts, the trope of enemies to lovers comes to mind – but again, it differs from some of the more well-known such as Pride and Prejudice or even the class hierarchy gap in Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. The power abuse that becomes evident rather quickly in Pamela makes the distinction and introduces the aspect of sexual harassment and coercion. The quotes that I found emphasized this were in the early letters when she states, “he offered to take me on his knee, with some force. O now I was terrified!”(Richardson, 20), and then at the very end she says “But he is pleased cheerful, kind, affectionate! O what a happy creature am I – May I be always thankful to God and grateful to him”(Richardson, 450). I know I am missing the context of the middle of the book, but I wonder how they navigate her choices to agree to marry him.
RL #8
Anti-Pamela started similarly to Pamela, but I started to notice the use of the word pretended, which I felt implied the beginning of the critique. From her encounters with the first Gentleman, she writes to her mother saying, “I pretended a great Fright and Confusion, and desired him to take his Hand away…”(Haywood, 64); as a reader, it seems difficult to decipher when she really is frightened at men’s actions towards her and when she uses that as a tactic to employ her virtues of modesty and “reputation” that she speaks to abundantly. The obvious attempts of sexual assault and harassment automatically make us incredibly concerned for her as readers today. In this critique of Pamela, Syrena’s adventures align more towards Moll Flanders just without the crime. Toward the end of the reading, the narrator states, “ Syrena was not idle in spreading her Nets; but none as yet had the ill fortune to fall into them, and the first that did, proved little to her Advantage…”(Haywood, 198). In contrast to Moll’s pursuits, Defoe writes the men in her life to be utterly ignorant of her schemes but here, more credit is given to the men in their ability to recognize Syrena’s intent. Moll, however, doesn’t turn to her lower status as a method to promote her modesty and honorable station in society as Syrena does. That difference makes me wonder if there was a shift within the audience of the time. To see a young girl like Syrena rather stay in poverty than ruin her character, although obviously in Anti-Pamela, that is being mocked as a tactic to persuade the wealthy men to acknowledge her virtue.
RL #9
The critiques of Pamela in Shamela are incredibly direct and detailed, more so than Anti-Pamela, it seems. The usage of language like pretended or feigned are constant throughout, much like in Anti-Pamela. However, Fielding’s pointed and sarcastic phrases truly emphasize the critics’ thoughts of this time. Two quotes I found that illustrated this were in the beginning of the work before Pamela’s letters start regarding the reception of Pamela, “Happy would it be for all Mankind, if all other Books were burnt, that we might do nothing but read thee all Day, and dream of thee all night”(Fielding, 237) and “This being the only Education we intend henceforth to give our Daughters”(Fielding, 238). I wonder about what the target audience of the original Pamela thought – it was supposed to be geared towards young adults, as we talked about in class. Were the critiques coming from parents or academics who didn’t want their children learning through the situations Pamela was in because they know it probably would not end the way it so nicely does in her story? Again the elements of plausibility and probability we discussed in class. Another aspect of Shamela that I found conveyed a mocking nature towards Richardson’s work was Pamela’s continuous spelling of virtue as “Vartue.” These little subtleties make Shamela feel very humerus, but is it dangerously lumping all women together as lustful schemers? Maybe this one instance and story evident in Pamela wasn’t authentic enough for the critics to believe. Also, bringing up the point that we have discussed regarding the audience’s ability to decipher the truth in early novels – could that element be detrimental to how the people in society reading critiques like Shamela view women of a lower class. Pamela expresses thoughts such as “What signifies having Money if one doth not spend it”(Fielding, 266) or “It would be hard indeed that a Woman who marries a Man only for his Money should be debarred from spending it”(Fielding, 267) definitely gives off a stereotype that when a woman marries out of her social class, all she is thinking about is greed and status.
RL #10
The discussion of realism, romance, character, and nature in Hawkesworth, The Adventurer No. 4, and Whitehead, The World, No. 9 has a lot of the same questions I had while we talked about the differences between Pamela and the critiques of it. The idea of realism, probability, and plausibility that we have tried to define in class seems to go hand in hand. It remains true now that an audience likes to see representations of the scenarios they might face in the real world, but would we like to read or watch those same renditions if the ending was not grander than what might appear in reality? The Adventurer No. 4 states, “…truth is apparently violated: but though the events are not always produced by probable means, yet the pleasure arising from the story is not so much lessened”. This is what I feel Pamela aimed to do – whether or not a young servant girl is fortune-hunting or not, the reality of being preyed upon by wealthy men of the family is still there; if I was a young girl in her position reading that, I too would want to believe that my actions would be rewarded, even if it isn’t probable. In The World, No. 9, a statement connected to what I remember thinking about in the back of my mind while we contemplated the audience’s reaction to Pamela and why such a strong reaction stirred from it. In regards to the writers “below nature,” which depicts “low characters and manners,” it said the audience they write about are “…if they are not all of them incapable of reading their own adventures, are at least unable to inform us by writing whether the representations of them are just, and whether people in their station did ever think or act in the manner they are described to have done”. I don’t know why this jumped out to me, but I feel it could aim at an even bigger issue of the representation of the lower class in society. Not only can they not experience what is being written about them, but in reality, they also have very little control over what happens to them. Like Pamela, they don’t have agency over their lives as the other classes do, events happen to them, and they must adapt.
Reading Log #11
Richard Cumberland’s critique of Richardson’s novel Clarissa took a more plot and character-based interpretation than the formal qualities. His inquiry into the reception of the novel is interesting to me because it raises the question of how readers may respond and what attracts them to the descriptions of the book but also goes one step further into fearing that young girls will take these “fables” as he calls them as characteristics they should imitate. Cumberland writes that “Young minds are so apt to be tinctured by what they read, that it should be the duty of every person who has charge of education, to make proper choice of books”(Cumberland 198). Today we are so used to reading stories with villains and indecent characters that we can separate ourselves from the story and real-life – the worry here is that some “may be apt to lead young female readers into affection and false characters by stories”. His critique isn’t so much on the story’s morals, but how that could seep into society and daily views on conduct, perhaps? Repton’s critique of the critic Cumberland speaks to this in a way when he defends a particular immoral character in Clarrisa, “To form a bright example of female virtue…it was necessary to draw the character of Lovelace, exactly as he was drawn”(Repton, 201). This, to me, feels like a deepening novel character placement and starting to understand the intricacies of the author’s choices that are aimed to do more than simply imitate life. In the previous assignment, we discussed in class how it seemed sort of counterintuitive for Hawkesworth to argue that real people are boring, so it makes for a dull and pointless story but then also allude to the argument that novels are stretching the line between truth and fictitious stories and confuse readers. Is it better to allow readers to make their own version of the truth and take the story as an almost separate realm of reality? Could the morals and purpose of the novel at this time in history not be as regulated as Cumberland is advocating for, or would it give the everyday audience too much power without the correct kind of background knowledge in his mind?
Reading Log #12
The instructional elements in The Governess mirror what we talked about with the critiques of Repton and Cumberland in terms of an educational setting providing parameters on what to read and guidance on how to interpret it. The formal structure of this novel, while not as immediate as an epistolary format, the formal structure of this novel is still very journalistic, with the recounting of days at the school in chronological order, which I think helps guide the young audience on how to go about their own lives. Readers most definitely were faced with the traditional instructions on characteristics they should have, such as “Sweetness, Mildness, Modesty, and Good-nature” (Fielding, 61) and a great emphasis on diverging from “passions” or lies and falsehoods. On the surface, we could interpret these goals as a fairly recognizable feminine archetype, but one thing that Fieldings, I think, makes a point of is stressing the importance of education for young girls. While it does embody the more feminine ideals, their work, such as writing and reading, is not specifically feminine. How they learn about these ideals are indeed though quite different from boys their age, they are surrounded by all women in a reasonably secluded school with just each other to learn about the world; this parallels our discussion about the increase of female imagination compared to men as they are not taught through lived experiences but rather through imaginative scenarios. Even though the stories of giants or princesses are not real, the novel makes a point of connecting those elements to the girl’s past experiences, which I think helps readers solidify the similarities and implications in their world. For instance, after Miss Sukey’s cousin sent her a letter Miss Patty Lockit remarked that “What Thanks can I give you, my dear friend, for having put me into a Way of examining my Heart, and reflecting on my own Actions; by which you have saved me, perhaps, from a Life as miserable as that of the poor woman in Miss Sukey’s Letter!”(Fielding, 105).
Reading Log #13
The girl’s discussions as they share and learn to repent against their past behaviors brought up some comparisons of their brothers and the gender relations that brings. For example, Miss Henny Frett explained to her friends that “All my Praise or Blame was to arise from my being better or worse than my Brother” (Fielding, 157) and “…then I was bemoaned over, that poor Miss Henny was left at home, and her Brother carrier abroad”(Fielding, 158). I wonder where her brother went when she was sent to the school? Was there a place like this for boys, or was it a more formal school? While reading the Fairy Tale, I also noticed that the villains of the story are all women who represent the flaws the Governess is working hard to make the girl see could be their demise. Brunetta and Rozella are full of trickery and indulge in vanity and lies to obtain their desires. At the same time, the role model and moral savior Sybella “followed the Paths of Virtue, and kept her mind free from restless Passions”(Fielding, 142). As I am thinking back to old traditional fairy tales like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, the most troublesome characters are the women who reflect the flaws society tells women will ruin their lives, things like jealousy, pride, and falseness. I wonder, after hearing why so many critics were worried about characters in Clarissa if those female villains were put there to be sure young readers would make no mistake of judgments as to which characters they should align themselves with? Near the end, the girls reflect on the bird fable, and the takeaway is that “Innocence of Mind, and Integrity of Heart, adorn the Female Character; and can alone produce your own Happiness…” (Fielding, 171). These characteristics of innocence and attempts to be sheltered from hardship seem standard when looking to the past at what high society women tried to emulate. Do these novels and instructional works for young children want to keep their world scope small or face problems with these mindsets? It could be misconstrued to the views that women were inferior in their studies due to their emotional and innocent outlook…but this novel understands these to be a vital gain to their character and success
Reading Log #14
After reading Volume I. of Evelina, I still had our class discussions regarding the models of femininity within the novel and the cues given to signal to audiences what they should be emulating. In Evelina, in contrast with The Governess, we see more diversity of male characters and developments regarding relationships between them and our female model. Something I find interesting and makes me think of Jane Austen is the father role in a woman’s life and, in this case, the healthy and emotional connection Evelina has with her adoptive father. A key point at the beginning of Volume I. was the trust in Evelina that I feel showcases to readers how they could endeavor to have bits of independence through proving their virtue. For example, Lady Howard writes to Mr. Villars after Evelina’s arrival that “She has the same gentleness in her manners, the same natural grace in her motions, that I formerly so much admired in her mother. Her characters seem truly ingenious and simple; and, at the same time that nature has blessed her with an excellent understanding, and great quickness of parts, she has a certain air of inexperience and innocency that is extremely interesting”(23). In this novel, the mixed ideals women were employed with through familial instruction show how they still can obtain a chance to explore without forgoing these crucial ideals set forth previously. I also noticed a more significant distinction between the social norms of the country lifestyle and the city. I feel these social interactions between characters deepen the awareness of the intricacies that women were faced with and ridiculed for if not met. It shows how much pressure was put on them to be both this essence of good manners and upbringing, usually through a sheltered life without exposure to the adventures and indecencies of reality, and also be ready to engage in public life with all the nuances reality brings with the same airs that they should have practiced at home. For example, Evelina expresses her confusions when she says, “I was extremely irresolute whether or not I ought to make any acknowledgments to Lord Orville for his generous conduct…and I thought, that as he had seemed to allow Mrs. Mirvan to acquaint me, though no one else, of the measures which he had taken, he might perhaps suppose me ungrateful if silent”(107). This novel showcases the incredibly complex behavioral components of a woman in society, and I am very interested in our discussions on how this played a role in the novel’s purpose.
Reading Log #15
In Volume II of Evelina, more challenging circumstances for Evelina occur, and more characters to deal with. I noticed from her use of the continuous correspondence with her father as the formal structure of how the novel tells the story that in comparison with, say, Pamela, she can better insert her views as she has had plenty of time to think about the previous events. This makes me wonder if the critics’ reception of this novel was more positive than the Anti-Pamela/Shamela. We have not got to the responses to this novel yet, but I feel that the reflectiveness and sense of timing are much more developed and could feel plausible to the audience. In Volume II, another aspect that jumped out to me was the stark contrast between Evelina’s initial sense of reality with the Howard family and the utter chaos of Madame Duval and the Branghton’s when she must stay with them. Evelina repeatedly refers to them as “ill-bred” or “under-bred” – the detailed description of Lord Orville also highlights the difference when she says “…that elegant politeness, that flattering attention, that high-bred delicacy, which so much distinguished him above all other men”(174). As we talked about in class, the different types of men appearing in this novel can be seen as a marker of what young men should strive to be and what to avoid, such as the Captain’s behaviors. However, this got me thinking about how Evelina is subjected to these men’s behaviors based on her own conduct. When her father wrote to her saying, “Remember, my dear Evelina, nothing is so delicate as the reputation of a woman: it is, at once, the most beautiful and most brittle of all human things”(pg 166). To then bring back all the places and people she meets thus far, there seems to be an enormous emphasis on whom you associate with and how the rest of society perceives her. The especially concerning scene at the end of our assignment was her mistaken walk in “the dark walks” and how humiliating it was for her when she says “Ashamed of my situation, and extremely mortified to be thus recognized by him, I was for some time silent…”(198). Evelina always has to play this game of fitting in with social levels around her and being with the right crowd. Through the satirical methods of this novel, we see how horribly confusing and multifaceted those “rules” can be.
Reading Log #16
After thinking about this book in a more satirical sense and examining certain people and scenes, I wonder about the audience that would understand the humor and enjoy it and the people who understand it and feel it hits too close to home and become offended. I feel the subtle mention of the actions that point to social climbers could be quite humorous to the wealthy elite. Evelina said on page 220 when describing Mr. Smith that “he was dressed in a very showy manner, but without any taste, and the inelegant smartness of his air and deportment, his visible struggle, against education, to put on the fine gentlemen…”. I found it so shockingly modern because of the example we talked about in class of the Kardashians. I immediately thought of the differences between their family and, say, the Kennedys, with their subtle and delicate displays of wealth, classy events, and associations are the elements of old money. At the same time, the Kardashians exaggerate every aspect of their money to prove how much they have and fit quite clearly into this “nouveau riche” category. The same can be said about the social climbers of Evelina’s party, and she, belonging to a different level of society, can notice their absurd desire to be “one of them”. With Mrs. Beaumont, Evelina writes, “…as I heard it from our satirical friend Mrs. Selwyn…’ she is an absolute Court Calendar bigot, for, chancing herself to be born of a noble and ancient family, she thinks proper to be of opinion, that birth and virtue are one and the same thing”(284). Modernize the specifics, and we still see the same thing today. Another point in class that I noticed return in this section of the novel is that Mr. Villars’ advice to Evelina seems to resemble a lack of empowerment to women. The toxic masculinity aspect of Mr. Villars, although much more evident in someone like the Captain, was mentioned in class that correlated to a direct quote in my last reading log. I took it to mean that he was looking out for Evelina’s welfare and urging her to show strength against the patriarchal realities of the liberties men took with women without remorse. Later in this volume, Mr. Villar writes, “Though gentleness and modesty are the peculiar attributes of your sex, yet fortitude and firmness, when occasion demands them, are virtues as nobel and as becoming in women as in men”(218). Imagine the young women who, like Evelina, feel trapped by their virtue and limited in the liberties they can express, feeling validated that their most feminine qualities can be employed for strength and action in their lives. To me, this is how women came to cross more and more boundaries to prove their worth over time.
Reading Log #17
The discovery of a Miss Belmont early in this section of the reading sets a tone of urgency and entanglement as Evelina and Mrs. Selwyn try to understand how the “only daughter and heiress of Sir John Belmont”(316) came to be when Evelina has been so neglected as a rightful heir. The complexities of this situation increase enormously when I think of the time period and put myself into the position of Evelina; her whole future is dependent upon a clear and unscathed reputation, and her position regarding money makes her eligible for an entirely different social stratum of resources for a husband, familial connections and ability to move throughout her life with greater ease. A conflict such as Miss Belmont showcases how Evelina copes with hardships and unforeseen events – this idea of returning to a place of comfort and support that we talked about last class plays in here and how Evelina waits for Rev. Villar’s response before any plans are made. I could see how we could view his position as enabling her to think and act for herself. Nevertheless, there is the idea that she is so knowledgeable of potential downfalls to her reputation that even if she does have thoughts on how to act, she knows that the wisdom of her father figure will most likely align with her morals and is comforted with his advice. I felt very drawn to this concept brought up between Rev. Villars and Lord Orville that Villars may feel worried that his strong bond of communication and guidance to Evelina could deteriorate through the actions of Lord Orville. Granted, Mr. Villars and Lord Orville are our two characters of moral superiority compared to the rest, and one would assume Evelina could benefit from both their inputs. This dynamic could very easily create tension, as it does when Evelina replies to Villars letter by saying, “Yes, Sir, I will quit him; – would to Heaven I could at this moment!”(321-322), but I view it as a subtle message to readers of the value of patriarchal guidance or deserved appreciation of someone like Mr. Villars and to be wary of men or anyone for that matter who may try to deceive a young woman, so innocent of the “world” as we would say until they prove to be true. At the end of the reading, we see the encounter between Evelina and Lord Orville; she says, “…’ your generosity overpowers me!’ And I wept like an infant. For now that all my hopes of being acknowledged seem finally crushed, I felt the nobleness of his disinterested attachment so forcibly, that I could scarce breathe under the weight of gratitude that oppressed me”(376). This realization of his generous and selfless concern mirrors a lot of the feelings she has toward Mr. Villars – her gratefulness for being understood and the two figures of empathy to her.
Reading Log #18
The end of Evelina, as in other novels from this era, always sparks thoughts about how neatly the ending is tied up and how we rarely hear of any events after the leading couple is married. There is such an abruptness to the ending Evelina secures, like the page count was just met, so her father quickly and briefly expresses his acceptance and happily ever after. Their happy ever after is read as, “…she united herself for ever with the object of her dearest, her eternal affection!”(406). Looking back in this section to who the agent of change was that resolves the central conflict of Evelina’s title and inheritance to Sir Belmont and the unfolding relationship with Lord Orville naturally resulting in marriage, I find it quite interesting that it is a woman, Mrs. Selwyn. Part of this interest comes from Mr. Villars’s lack of enthusiasm toward Mrs. Sewlyn earlier in the novel when he reluctantly allows Evelina to go with her to improve her health. Elements of Mrs. Selwyn’s strong and assertive behavior, such as “Mrs. Selwyn determined upon sending no message” and “No’, she said, ‘you must stay now; your fears will but gain strength by delay, and we must not have such a shock as this repeated”(370-371). I wonder how the audience would have perceived this character – would they acknowledge her as a role model of being able to have a name for yourself and take action over situations? Judging from the feminine virtues of the time, however, I would be more inclined to say that her character is mostly satirical in the audience’s view and that a woman would not be so direct. Perhaps Burney snuck in a woman figure like that for her own amusement, knowing that the male audience especially would find it funny as it is not probable in society. However, she still had the power to make a female character embody the flipping gender roles, as we discussed in a previous class had been done to characters like Lord Orville in the feminine.
Reading Log #19
The Preliminary Dissertation of Letters of a Hindoo Rajah aims to set the scene before we readers delve into the actual letters of Rajah Zāārmilla through “the History, Religion, and Manners of the Hindoos”. One piece of Hamilton’s description of their religious norms that I found interesting was the way she connected them to other religious figures that western civilization would be able to connect to. Hamilton stated, “ The long list of inferior Deities, which follow, exhibit such a striking similitude in their character and offices to the ancient Gods of Greece and Rome, that it has led to a conjecture of their being actually the same, and an attempt has been made by a writer of equal taste and erudition, to prove their identity”(64). Bringing in this very British sense of what a classical literature education would look like, for example, studying ancient Greek and Roman mythology, would be an indication to the audience for this novel that the culture she is going to explore has authority and significance much like the well known ancient civilizations. Another emphasis I found Hamilton extracted from the history of the Hindoo culture was the depiction of their tyrannical rulers, the Mohammedans. She writes, “The reader of sensibility will, it is hoped… remark that the happiness enjoyed by the Hindoos under the mild and auspicious government of their native Princes…was at length doomed to see its overthrow effected, by the resistles fury of Fanatic Zeal”(67). The building upon how sacred the rules and manners and caste system were to the Hindoos allows for us to see how sophisticated their society was and how loyal people were to the rules – to then shift to how all that got dismantled by the wrong ruler sets up the British to come into play. Hamilton states that they “…have fallen under the dominion of Great Britain, it is to be hoped that the long-suffering Hindoos have experienced a happy change”(70). This appears very on-brand for an 18th-century British novel and allows for this notion that they are the world leaders and saviors to the lesser, but still interesting, societies who should try to emulate their way of culture. Also, I could not help but note the emphasis on the negative description of the “ignorant bigotry of their Mussulman rulers” and how the “correct” religion or “… milder spirit of Christianity, been converted into the tenderest indulgence”(70) is the best option.
Reading Log #20
After reading the selection of letters from Volume I of Letters of a Hindoo Rajah, I can clearly see the work of satire and orientalism being employed to convey the differences between British culture and that romanticized and mysterious nature of “The East”. The first point I want to note is that the letter format is continued, like in many of our previous novels. This makes me question why authors realized there was a better, or just different, way of conveying their message, resulting in such a widespread shift to the standard structure still used today in chapters? The epistolary format does make the events seem personal and that you are reading into a private sector of something that normally wouldn’t be public. As for the romanticism of the East and overly dramatized depiction of the English culture that woos the Rajah, I think by the end of the volume, we start to see more of that satire and criticism edging its way in, bringing to light the problems Hamilton sees with her world. For instance, at the beginning of the letters, we see statements about the injured English officer, such as, “His knowledge, in comparison of that of the most learned among the Pundits of the present age, was like the mountains of Cummow compared to the nest of the ant…His heart was the seat of virtue, and truth reposed in his bosom”(80). Then this considerable shift of tone by Letter V. to almost mockery and bewilderment regarding the education of women in England allows us from the view of an outsider like the Rajah to analyze what “education” really entailed. I was not expecting it to be so strongly worded, such as “…their time is solely employed in learning a few tricks, such as a monkey might very soon acquire, and these are called accomplishments!”(127). From the focal point of women, I also thought back to previous courses and our class discussion from Evelina concerning older women. Here, Hamilton showcases the differences between how single women take their place in society in Britain. The Rajah, when writing about how absurd it is for women to run estates or be somewhat independent, states, “How much wiser is the institution of Brahma, by which creates, incapable of acting with propriety for themselves, are effectually put out of the way of mischief, by being burned with the bodies of their husbands…by which the number of old women is so effectually diminished”(129). I remember discussing in another course how post-menopausal women were seen as a nuisance to society in certain cultures as they had no real purpose anymore in the eyes of the heavily patriarchal society. Perhaps this could be a similar connection prompted by Hamilton about when and how women could act for themselves.
Reading Log #21
The emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge is a very repetitive pattern within the Rajah’s letters, and I found it very interesting to hear what impressions he made of the literary endeavors of the scholars of London. In this section, we get some great detailed information on the education of the widowed lady of Dewan, Mr. Delmond, the philosopher, and Doctor Severan. In the early section, I also noticed the repetition of his remarks regarding what women were reading. For instance, “ Having once found out how all the wished-for-marriages of all the heroes and heroines, were brought about…she had no further interest nor curiosity concerning them. These books had, nevertheless, by giving constant fuel to the vivid flame or youthful imagination, created such an insatiable craving for novelty”(196). As we move into the scene of London, I can sense Hamilton’s choices of showcases its grandeur in the beginning as the Rajah states, “No idea of the sublimity of a fleet of floating fortresses, can possibly be conceived by those who have not beheld the unequal scene”(201). I understand the British influence Hamilton wants to emulate here. Still, I also wonder how much of her voice she wants to be heard through the Rajah, especially later in the section when there are so many critiques on the odd social traditions like differing education between girls and boys, infatuation with money and material endeavors like fashion, parties, etc. I was also drawn to the depiction and strong view toward the newspaper – the Rajah, who was incorrectly published as having “come there on behalf of the Hindoo inhabitants of Bengal, to complain of the horrid cruelties, and unexampled oppression, under which, through the mal-administration of the British governor of India, were made to groan”(246). The way Hamilton sets up this scene also highlights how political commentary of her time was maybe picking up on the controversies surrounding imperialism, I’m not sure what was going on during this exact time, but I do remember from class us positioning this novel as pretty much in the middle of significant events like the American Revolution, Reign of Terror in France and a few decades in the future the wars with Britain and India. The description of “fraud, falsehood, venality and corruption, even in that court-protected vehicle of public information…called a Newspaper” just jumped out as maybe alluding to a theme within London toward certain publications.
Reading Log #22
The preface to Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto aligns in many ways with what we are trying to decipher as a class regarding what makes a novel good; what literary structures, characters, genres, etc., were authors trying to employ. The repeated pattern of the author using the preface to angle themselves as either an editor, translator, or eyewitness to give some greater authority or context (like with Hamilton’s preliminary dissertation) is still utilized here with Walpole. In the preface, this work is described as “There is no bombast, no similies, flowers, digressions, or unnecessary descriptions”, “Never is the reader’s attention relaxed”, “The characters are well drawn, and still better maintained”, “…the mind is kept up in a constant vicissitude of interesting passions”(6). To define this novel as gothic, we might look at the Nixon experts and see what they had to say about this new kind of novel – I noticed right away that whenever something new emigres, just as we saw the critiques of Pamela or Moll Flanders, there is always this question of how it will affect the vulnerable reader. From Anna Letititia Barbauld and John Aiken, we see some of the unfavorable results sprouting from what they believe will be a decrease in emotion and compassion in real life – “…and a girl who will sit weeping the whole night at the delicate distresses of a lady Charlotte or lady Julia, shall be little moved at the complaint of her neighbor who, in a homely phrase and vulgar accent, laments to her that she is not able to get bread for her family”(160-161). Still, the same expert does identify The Castle of Otranto to be “a very spirited modern attempt upon the same plan of mixed terror, adapted to the model of Gothic romance”(159). Through chapters 1-3, a 21st-century reader like myself may find the “horrors” humorous and cliche and must remember it was just becoming popular in the literary world and would most likely be seen as suspenseful and exciting. For instance, at the closing of chapter three, we find out that “Oh! Amazement! Horror! What do I hear? What do I see? Cried Isabella. My father!”(73) was the knight injured by Theodore as he tried to protect her from being seized under Manfred’s orders.
Reading Log #23
Reading the prize-winning student essays on “The Love of Novels” from the early 1800s was very interesting – they were all young girls…was it only for girls, or were they just the only ones writing? I noticed right away how the girl’s arguments were structured in a way similar to the anonymous reviews we have been reading about our novels. The way they allude to the pros and cons of each argument and seem to have taken a hold on the principle that we picked up from so many critics of the vulnerable reader. I have to say, I was expecting a much more positive viewpoint from these prize essayists – it feels like they must have been facing so many adults warning them of the downfalls of reading novels that they are not enjoying them as we would think today; for instance, when I read Jane Austen for the first time as a young girl, I did not ponder the serious implications on my life. In the first essay by Miss Elizabeth Parker, she writes, “It is therefore evident that the reading of Novels has a natural tendency to create a partiality for them, in the youthful mind, which is totally uninfluenced by the directions or precepts of others; and that this partially excludes all taste for knowledge of a more solid and exalted kind”(253). The youthful audience being more apt to sway with the excitement and fanciful storylines of novels to her proves how novel readers who get their experience from fictitious events are worse off than, say, “the uniformed girl” who “gains her ideas, and forms her opinions from observations corroborated by experience… and, at any rate, she will grow up so far engaging as she is the child of nature”(253). We as a class have remarked on the novel’s notion of “nature” with things like natural sentiments and natural place in society. I think Miss Parker addresses the more intuitive and inherited form of acquiring knowledge that she finds dismantled through novel reading as it stretches the realities of life for young girls especially. In another essay, I found a connection to one of our recurring themes surrounding this emphasis on the factual authority we have seen through many prefaces or the preliminary dissertation as a way for the author to convince the reader of their knowledge and accreditation in writing a particular story. Miss Eliza Sinclaire wrote a rather strong statement saying, “Is it not preferable, therefore, to be illiterate and good, then to be possessed of the false knowledge which Novels afford?”(256). She brought up before her concluding statement that she wrote what many critics expressed as novel readers being unhappy with their mundane lives compared to the exaggerated scenes of living the novel emulates.
