Category: ENG216 QCQs (Page 1 of 2)

Dictionary of London:

Textual: Richard Carlile, Every Woman’s Book (1838)

(http://www.victorianlondon.org/index-2012.htm)

This excerpt made me think of the “life cycle of a woman” image that we looked at early on in the semester. As the author cites virgin, women becoming “old maids” at 25 years old, it made me think a lot about the importance Victorian society placed on marriage. The only real purpose of women was to get married and to have children, but if you were unmarried by a certain point, society would treat you as “peculiar” and “restless” (as Richard Carlile states). Within all of novels, excluding The Type Writer Girl, there is always a large emphasis on marriage and we see, particularly in Ruth, that being an unmarried woman was seen as a rejection of “modern” society.

Visual: Advert for Electrolysis (1893)

(http://www.victorianlondon.org/index-2012.htm)

This advertisement is specifically geared towards women, primarily because the person who does the procedure is a woman (specifically the “Lady Electrician”, Miss Mostyn). The ad claims that electricity can permanently remove “superfluous” hair, vein-marks, moles, and warts. I was drawn to this for a similar reason stated in the textual example. This reminded me of the “life cycle of a woman” image that we examined at the beginning of the semester. It also makes me a little sad to see that women’s physical appearances and the pressure to eliminate natural features has always been around. Regardless, I thought of how we touched upon the themes of ownership and being “marked” during our unit on Mr. Meeson’s Will. Be it a mole or a tattoo, it seems like women were so fixated on being “physically acceptable” in order to be considered by a potential suitor.

QCQ:

Quotation:  “…  that women who had never had sexual commerce begin to droop when about twenty-five years of age, that they become pale and languid, that general weakness and irritation, a sort of restlessness, nervous fidgettyness takes possession of them, and an absorbing process goes on, their forms degenerate, their features sink, and the peculiar character of the old maid becomes apparent” (Carlile)

Comment: This quote concerns the sexuality of women and how they “degenerate” later in life. By our standards today, 25 years old isn’t considered to be old at all, and certainly does not mean that women start to “shrivel up”. In terms of connectedness to other works we’ve gone over this semester, I mentioned Mr. Meeson’s Will above. Similar to Augusta’s treatment, Carlile describes women more as objects than as people. By using the word “commerce” at the beginning of the quote, Carlile is essentially saying that women’s worth drops significantly the older they get. This is a prime example of how normalized sexism was during this period, especially within the 1830s-1840s.

Question: As Carlile focuses on the commercial value of women’s sexuality, I was wondering if there were any parallels that we could draw from later feminist movements. Were there similar arguments presented to feminists at the turn of the century? I also wonder just how men, like Carlile, would react to ideas of feminism, literature, and law that were presented by West.

Quotation: “But the second problem is that the stock story obliterates the very different story of all those-men and women-who do not fit the narrative: the working woman, rather than man, who is also a mother, and who does not have a wife at home to raise the children and keep the home running; the worker of either sex who is not married; the gay or lesbian worker with or without children but who does not have a “spouse” or significant other of the opposite sex; the single parent; or for that matter even the married man who shares equally with his working wife the burdens of home maintenance and child raising” (West 211-212).

Comment: West’s discussion of the stock story made me think of the novels we’ve read and how they each had aspects that went against the standard stock story ideals (i.e., male-centric, women as objects/homemakers, etc.). In Bronte’s novel, we see Helen attempting to make a living as a single mother. Ruth focuses on another single mother. Mr. Meeson’s Will and The Type-Writer Girl show us a glimpse of a more “modern” woman by featuring (initially) single women who have their own agency to find jobs, live alone, etc. Augusta even breaks the trope of having a “breadwinner” husband, as her fame as an author and her actions during court led to financial gain for her and Eustace. Juliet’s own agency and confidence within her life and romantic relationships also go against the stock stories of male-dominance/leadership. With each generation and the growing ideals of “modern women”, these novels show the ability to go against stock stories, such as the one pointed out by West.

Question: Although we see examples of women-centric narratives that go against stock stories, they primarily focus on white, heterosexual women (though there are varying social/economic classes). It makes me think of the narratives of minorities (POC, LGBTQ+, etc.) that have been lost or have not gained nearly as much traction or popularity as the works mentioned above. People of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community definitely existed during the Victorian era, and while educational opportunities were defined by economic and social factors, I’m curious if there are any first-person narratives by minority authors that reflect the same ideals posed by the authors we’ve studied this semester.

Quotation: Now, that anyone will aver that the subjects of study in any one University are actually the very best possible subjects for women, or even for men, I do not suppose we shall find. But the point is, Who is to decide what is fit for a woman’s brain save the owner of the brain herself? Who has the right to decree that the curriculum for the goose ought not be the same as that which collegiate wisdom has appointed for the gander?” (Cobbe, 84)

Comment: In this passage, Cobbe is making an argument for an “open” education of women, meaning that women should have the right/power to chose her own path of education. Later in her argument, Cobbe says that just because one woman is not interested in subjects (say the humanities), that doesn’t mean that every woman should be barred from studying them. While Cobbe is generally hopeful about women pursuing higher education, she worries about biased curriculums and women being forced into studies that “suit them” best as women. I feel like we still see biased curriculums today, especially within STEM related fields. If a woman goes into a health program, some people automatically assume she’s training to be a nurse or some type of assistant to a male counterpart. Women who go into computer sciences are also called out and her knowledge and intelligence are often doubted. There are other fields where gender bias is still relevant today, but naming them all would require more space than what I have.

Question: Due to Cobbe’s worries of gender bias forcing women into “traditional” or acceptable routes of education, I wonder what early curriculums or class schedules looked like for women. What was a typical ‘day in the life’ for a woman pursuing a higher education?

Quotation: “How light and free I felt! When man first set woman on two wheels with a pair of pedals, did he know, I wonder, that he had rent the veil of the harem in twain? I doubt it, but so it was. A woman on a bicycle has all the world before her where to choose; she can go where she will, no man hindering. I felt it that brisk May morning as I span down the road with a Tam o’Shanter on my head and my loose hair travelling after me like a Skye terrier.” (Allen, Chapter 5)

Comment: This quote stuck out to me for a few reasons. First, in comparison to the other novels we’ve read, this is the first time a woman has travelled uninhibited and without a man to accompany her. Like Augusta in Mr. Meeson’s Will, Juliet takes agency over her professional and personal life, however unlike Augusta, she has no male intervention whatsoever. Her bicycle is representative of her freedom and agency. It’s shown that she is also aware of her position of a woman in a new era. I feel like this quote really highlights the change of women’s personal agency, especially as we look back on earlier novels read this semester.

Question: Going along with Juliet’s question (“did he know, I wonder…”), I’m wondering how readily available bicycles were. I’m assuming that if a woman could get one at this point in time, it wasn’t rare to see them around. Was there any controversy surrounding women riding bicycles as a result of their availability?

Quotation: “Undoubtedly, my Lord; and we have no objection to the document being exhibited for the court to draw its own conclusion from, but we deny that it is entitled to speak in its own explanation. A document is a thing which speaks by its written characters. It cannot take to itself a tongue, and speak by word of mouth also; and, in support of this, I may call your Lordship’s attention to the general principles of law governing the interpretation of written documents.”

“I maintain that the document remains the document; and that for all
purposes, including the giving of evidence concerning its execution, Miss
Smithers still remains Miss Smithers.” -Chapter 20

Comment: These two quotes during the trial made me think of our discussion last week about Augusta’s objectification. The first quote, taken from the Attorney-General, describes how Augusta should not be considered a witness because she is already serving as a “document”. This sentiment is something that has been built up throughout the novel from multiple characters such as Eustace and Mr. Short. The first quote could also be a form of satire from Haggard, based upon the traditional phrase that “women (and children) should be seen and not heard”. Haggard is also making a point on how the law is interpreted, most often very literally. Augusta’s purpose, in the eyes of the attorney-general, is to be a document with no voice, despite the fact that she is very clearly a human. Mr. Short’s quote finally seems to defend the humanity of Augusta. He doesn’t say that she is a book (like Eustace) and does not continue to claim that she is solely a document. These points of objectification earlier in the novel were seen as something beneficial for the characters at Augusta’s expense. However, now Mr. Short is attempted to restore her humanity and reconcile for her objectification, which allows Augusta to ultimately give her story to the court, which assists in winning the case.

Question: While Haggard includes a lot of satire within Mr. Meeson’s Will, I can’t help but wonder what the inspiration for the plot was. Was there a case that he believed was taken too literally before the time in which he wrote the novel?

Quotation: ” ‘My dear, do let me see,’ said Lady Holmhurst, as soon as the servant had left the room. With a sign Augusta uncovered her shoulders, and her friend ran around the table to look at them. There, on her neck, was the will. The cuttle ink had proved an excellent medium, and the tattooing was as fresh as the day on which it had been done, an would, no doubt, remain so till the last hour of her life. ‘Well,’ said Lady Holmhurst, ‘I hope the young man will be duly grateful. I should have to be very much in love,’ and she looked meaningly at Augusta, ‘before I would spoil myself in that fashion for any man.’ (Haggard, chp. 14, pg. 95)

Comment: This passage and reaction from Lady Holmhurst made me think of the different forms of change regarding the view of women. On one hand, we see that Augusta has some semblance of authority and fame via her books. That causes those around her to view her highly and, even if it isn’t close to the standards we hold today, men around her have some respect for her as a woman of business. However, when we see Lady Holmhurst’s reaction, she views the tattooed will as a mark that ‘spoils’ Augusta’s worth. Rather than holding Augusta up as a multifaceted person, Holmhurst instead focuses solely on the physical value of her friend. Of course, even with the growing rights of women, their value during this time stemmed mostly from their value to men specifically, and I feel like Lady Holmhurst’s reaction is an example of how this mindset was still prevalent despite women’s autonomy.

Question: While we know that there were feminist movements, were there any women or groups of women that fought against feminist ideals? If so, did they push for women to return to more “traditional” roles?

Quotation: “The plan may be a very good one, to prevent the prostitute being waylaid as she left the hospital by some of her old associates, but it did not seem to occur to the would-be benefactors of the girl that the arrival of a parishioner in charge of a policeman creates a great sensation in a little country community. They did not seem to have contemplated the possibility of the fact that the villagers become curious to learn what Mary Smith has been doing at —; I ventured to suggest to the authorities that the village gossips would probably over their tea hint at her gay doings, and that the young men would not long be idle in ferreting out her antecedents; and the quiet village, notwithstanding all the care of the rector or aid of his good wife, would be made very disagreeable for the fair penitent who had once quitted her home on an evil errand, and it too often happens she will quit it again, no more to return to her native place.”

Comment: This quotation highlights the views of Victorian society, especially through the lens of mostly middle and lower classes. As seen in Ruth, gossip plays a key role in how Ruth and Leonard are treated within society, despite Ruth’s best efforts to keep her past hidden. Within his piece, Acton discusses the benefits and disadvantages of the Contagious Diseases Act and the asylum-based treatment offered to fallen women. While Acton acknowledges the benefits of providing protection to returning women, he highlights one of the most prominent problems of the system. Acton and Gaskell both seem to hold the opinion that gossip and societal views shape the success of “redeeming a fallen woman”.While a fallen woman could make the choice to “return” to society, the pieces written by Acton and Gaskell show that society itself may not let them. 

Question: Regarding the Contagious Diseases Act, did works and critiques like Acton’s cause any backlash against it? Was there a push for reforming the CDA? From a modern standpoint, it’s painfully obvious that the regulations outlined in the CDA have little to no regard for women’s bodily autonomy, but I don’t think that many people within Victorian society would necessarily call for reform over that aspect alone.

Quotation: “‘Cannot bear it! Cannot bear it!’ he repeated. ‘You must bear it madam. Do y ou suppose your child is to be exempt from the penalties of his birth? Do you suppose that he alone is to be saved from the upbraiding scoff? Do you suppose that he is ever to rank with other boys, who are not stained and marked with sin from their birth? Every creature in Eccleston may know what he is; do you think they will spare him their scorn? ‘Cannot bear it,’ indeed! Before you went into your sin, you should have thought whether you could bear the consequences or not–have had some idea how far your offspring would be degraded and scouted, till the best thing that could happen to him would be for him to be lost to all sense of shame, dead to all knowledge of guilt, for his mother’s sake” (Gaskell, Chapter 26)

Comment: I was interested in this quote because of the emphasis it places on Ruth’s son, Leonard. Throughout multiple points in the novel, Ruth has been forced to deal with her reputation as a “fallen woman”, which could really only be mitigated by Ruth becoming Mrs. Denbigh. Now, we’re seeing that the consequences of Ruth’s actions shift from Ruth herself to Leonard. Based on the quotation above, it seems that being an illegitimate child held a lot of negative connotations. Leonard is called “stained” and it’s implied in the quotation that Ruth’s “sin” can be rubbed off on other children who are close to Leonard. 

Question: I’m wondering where this belief and animosity towards illegitimate children themselves came from. Was it based on religious beliefs or was there a turning point in Victorian society in which this belief came from?

Quotation: “The acute pain which shot up his back forced a short cry from him; and, when bird and beast are hushed into rest and the stillness of night is over all, a high-pitched sound, like the voice of pain, is carried far in the quiet air. Ruth, speeding on in her despair, heard the sharp utterance, and stopped suddenly short. It did what no remonstrance could have done; it called her out of herself. The tender nature was in her still, in that hour when all good angels seemed to have abandoned her. In the old days she could never bear to hear or see bodily suffering in any of God’s meanest creatures, without trying to succour them; and now, in her rush to the awful death of the suicide, she stayed her wild steps, and turned to find from whom that sharp sound of anguish had issued”. (Gaskell, Chpt.8)

Comment: This quote comes from chapter 8 after Ruth realizes that Mr. Bellingham has left her for good. While it isn’t stated explicitly that Ruth is pregnant until a little later in the novel, she is still being ostracized by the community as a “fallen woman”. This passage has a lot of connotations of sinfulness and redemption that I found interesting. Ruth has been led into a committing a variety of sins so far, such as her  living arrangement with Mr. Bellingham, and is about to commit suicide, which is considered a sin in most sects of Christianity. Mr. Benson, in this scene, acts as a means towards redemption, which is heightened by his religious affiliations. As the passage says, Ruth is “called out of herself” and is moved to help Mr. Benson. This act, performed by a character who has gone against the status quo of Victorian society and would very well be villainized, seems to redeem herself and move closer to a “purer” life by helping the minister. 

Questions: I’m curious as to why Gaskell made Mr. Benson a dissenting minister and how that role will play out later in the novel. By moving away from the Church of England, does that make Mr. Benson a “sinner” in the eyes of English society at the time? If so, does his religious standing take away from Ruth’s redemption?

Quotation: “Provided always, and be it enacted, That no Order shall be made by virtue of this Act whereby any Mother against whom Adultery shall be established, by Judgment in an Action for Criminal Conversation at the Suit of her Husband, or by the Sentence of an Ecclesiastical Court, shall have the Custody of any Infant or Access to any Infant, any thing herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding.” (Custody of Infants Act, 2)

“In Wellesley v. The Duke of Beaufort  (2 Russ. Rep. I), (which however goes beyond any previous case), very gross misconduct was imputed to the father ; he had harboured an adulteress in his own residence; and the separation between him and his children had originally begun with his own deliberate consent. Here, the adulteress has never been brought to the father’s house, nor into contact with the children; aid, in such a case, adultery is not a sufficient ground for separating the children from their father” (Rex v. Greenhill, 5)

Comment: I thought that these two quotes demonstrated the double standard of women and men’s legal rights (especially those pertaining to child custody). The first quote, I believe, says that women who are accused of adultery cannot have custody of their children. However, the second quote from Rex v. Greenhill says that since the adultress was never in contact with the children, the father was allowed custody of his children, despite the fact that he had committed adultery. I think the juxtaposition of these quotations basically summarizes Victorian society. Men, it seems, were practically allowed to do whatever they wanted, even if the laws prohibited it. On the other hand, if women were anything less than perfect, their limited rights could be stripped away. 

Questions: I’m really wondering what the catalyst was for the change in women’s legal rights after the Victorian era. While we’re already seeing dissent from Bodichon’s summarization of rights and from Bronte’s novel, I’m curious about when the women’s rights movement started to gain traction and momentum.