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...”