MA-English-paper-V-Pre-20th-Century-English-Sem-I-munotes

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1Unit-1
FIRST FIVE LITERARY TERM’S PART I
Unit Structure:
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Use of Concepts
1.3 Concepts Under Study
1.3.1 Bildun gsroman
1.3.2 Picaresque
1.3.3 Sentimental Novel
1.3.4 Historical Novel
1.3.5 Gothic Novel
1.4 Let’s Sum Up
1.5 Questions
1.6 References
1.0OBJECTIVES
To introduce students to various concepts centred around
Fiction
To help them study the literature of any era with the help of
these terms
1.1I N T RODUCTION
This Unit along with the next unit, introduces learners to
various types of a novel. As a literary text, a novel covers a number
of areas such as social milieu, historical periods, economic issues,
political situa tions, cultural influences, psychological viewpoints so
on and so forth. These concepts are incorporated within the
structure of the text, giving the text its complex narrative.They do
not occur singularly, but almost always in combination with each
other. However, the overall development of a novel takes place on
a primary conceptual line. Each type of the novel carries its own
characteristics. Understanding the types of novels helps in critical ly
studying the text.munotes.in

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21.2USE OF CONCEPTS
Literary terms are techniques that writers use to express
their ideas and enhance their writing. Literary terms highlight
important concepts in a text, strengthen the narrative, and help
readers connect to the characters and themes.
These devices serve a wide range of purposes in literature.
Some might work on an intellectual level, while others have a more
emotional effect. They may also work subtly to improve the flow
and pacing of your writing. No matter what, if you're looking to inject
something special into your p rose, literary terms are a great place
to start.
1.3CONCEPTS UNDER STUDY
1.3.1 Bildundroman
This German word literally translates to “novel of formation.”
It was coined in an 1820 text titled Über das Wesen des
Bildungsromans by Johann Carl Simon Morge nstern, and slowly
entered common use as a literary term during the period known as
German Enlightenment.
A bildungsroman is rather more than a simple “coming of
age” novel. This genre is characterized by a more specific focus on
the psychological a nd moral development of the character rather
than the adventure itself. Many folklorists agree that this genre
evolved from the oral tradition, of tales talked about the lucky fool,
or youngest son, who leaves his family to seek his fortune and ends
up be coming a king or lord of those who once scorned him.
Harry Potter, David Copperfield, Jane Eyre, Tom Sawyer: -
These characters are well known. Each of their stories
follow a certain path, one whose theme is quite familiar.
You join this character as their story begins, when they are
but children beleaguered by a difficult life and developing their
world outlooks on the world. In this crucible of experience, they
soon encounter some sort of trouble that causes them to have a
reason to travel or offers them a quest to pursue. The characters
experience the world around them, maturing over time. They grow
and find themselves clashing with their traditional cultural and
societal standards as they progress, until they realize that they
embody the values t hey struggle against and manage to find a
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3Some other well -known examples of popular bildungsroman :
Candide (French title: oul’ Optimisme) is a French satire written in
1759 by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment .
The novella begins with a young man, Candide, who is living
a sheltered life in an Edenic paradise and being indoctrinated with
Leibnizian optimism by his tutor, Pangloss. The work describes the
abrupt cessation of this lifestyle, followed by Candide’s slow, painful
disillusionment as he witnesses and experiences great hardships in
the world.
Candide is characterized by its sarcastic tone and its erratic,
fantastical, and fast -moving plot. With a story similar to that of a
more serious bildungsroman or picaresque novel, it parodies many
adventure and romance clichés, the struggles of which are
caricatured in a tone that is mordantly matter -of-fact.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize -winning novel by
Harper Lee that tells a story similar to something the author
experienced as a child.
The book follows three years in the life of Scout Finch, her
brother Jem, their father Atticus, and their town of Maycomb,
Alabama during the Great Depression. The first half of the novel
focuses on Scout and J em’s childhood, and the second part of the
book is the ongoing trial of a black man accused of raping a white
woman, whom Atticus has been called to defend, and the children’s
coming of age.
1.3.2Picaresque
The picaresque novel (Spanish: picaresca, from pícaro, for
"rogue" or "rascal") is a genre of prose fiction that depicts the
adventures of a roguish, but "appealing hero", of low social class,
who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. Picaresque novels
typically adopt a realistic style, with elements of comedy and satire.
This style of novel originated in Spain in 1554 and flourished
throughout Europe for more than 200 years, though the term
"picaresque novel" was only coined in 1810. It continues to
influence modern literature. The term is also somet imes used to
describe works, like Cervantes' Don Quixote and Charles Dickens'
Pickwick Papers, which only contain some of the genre's elements .
Picaresque novels typically adopt a realistic style, with elements
ofcomedy and satire. It has a picaro or a se mi-criminal as its
central figure who has to shift for himself to earn his living. He is
born of poor and degraded parents or he is illegitimate. There is
noplot. The story is told in a series of thrilling events only loosely
connected together by the fac t that the same central character
figures in them all. The plot is episodic and the incidents thrilling
and sensational. A picaresque narrative is usually written in firstmunotes.in

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4person as an autobiographical account. There is little if any
character development in the main character. Once a picaro,
always a picaro .The picaro’s story is told with a plainness of
language or realism. Satire is sometimes a prominent element. The
aim of the novelist is to delight and entertain and not to reform or
improve. The behavior of a picaresque hero or heroine stops just
short of criminality. Carefree or immoral rascality positions the
picaresque hero as a sympathetic outsider, untouched by the false
rules of society.
Lazarillo de Tormes is a Spanish novella, published
anonymously because of its anticlerical content in 1554. It is variously
considered either the first picaresque novel or at least the
antecedent of the genre. Another early example is Mateo
Alemán's Guzmán de Alfarache (1599), characterized by religiosity.
Don Quixote is a Spanish novel byMiguel de Cervantes Saavedra
(1547 -1616), published in two volumes, in 1605 and 1615. The
"single most important progenitor of the modern novel", that M. H.
Abrams has described as a "quasi -picaresque narrative".
Moll Flande rsis a novel by Daniel Defoe (1660 -1731), first
published in 1722. It purports to be the true account of the life of the
eponymous Moll, detailing her exploits from birth until old age. This
novel enlarge sthe scope of this genre as it depicts the life of a
dissolute heroine and not of a hero.
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling , often known simply
asTom Jones ,i sa comic novel by English playwright and
novelist Henry Fielding, first published in 1749. It is both
aBildungsroman and a picaresque novel. It totals 346,747 words
divided into 18 smaller books, each preceded by a discursive
chapter, often on topics unrelated to the book itself. It is dedicated
toGeorge Lyttleton. The novel is highly organized, despite its
length. It became a best seller, with four editions being published in
its first year alone. Tom Jones is generally regarded as Fielding's
greatest book and a very influential English novel.
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle is another picaresque
novel by the Sc ottish author Tobias Smollett (1721 –1771), first
published in 1751 and revised and published again in 1758. It tells
the story of an egotistical man who experiences luck and
misfortunes in the height of 18th -century European society.
Elements of the picar esque are found in Charles
Dickens’s The Pickwick Papers (1836 –37). Mark
Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) was consciously
written as a picaresque novel. Rudyard Kipling's Kim(1901)
combined the influence of the picaresque novel with the
moder nspy novel.munotes.in

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51.3.3Sentimental Novel
The sentimental novel or the novel of sensibility is an 18th -
century literary genre which celebrates the emotional and
intellectual concepts of sentiment, sentimentalism, and sensibility.
Sentimentalism, which is to be distin guished from sensibility, was a
fashion in both poetry and prose fiction beginning in the eighteenth
century in reaction to the rationalism of the Augustan Age.
Sentimental novels relied on emotional response, both from their
readers and characters. They f eature scenes of distress and
tenderness, and the plot is arranged to advance both emotions and
actions. The result is a valorisation of "fine feeling", displaying the
characters as a model for refined, sensitive emotional effect. The
ability to display fe elings was thought to show character and
experience, and to shape social life and relations.
An emotionally extravagant novel of a kind that became
popular in Europe in the late 18th century. Partly inspired by the
emotional power of Samuel Richardson's Pamela, or Virtue
Rewarded (1740) .The sentimental novels of the 1760s and 1770s
exhibit the close connections between virtue and sensibility, in
repeatedly tearful scenes; a character's feeling for the beauties of
nature and for the griefs of others is tak en as a sign of a pure heart.
An excessively sentimental example is Henry Mackenzie's The Man
of Feeling (1771), but Oliver Goldsmith's ,The Vicar of Wakefield
(1766) and Laurence Sterne's ,A Sentimental Journey (1768) are
more ironic. In Europe, the most important sentimental novels were
J.-J. Rousseau's La Nouvelle Héloïse (1761) and J. W. von
Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774;). The fashion
lingered on in the early Gothic novels of Ann Radcliffe in the 1790s.
For a fuller account, consult R. F. Brissenden, Virtue in Distress
(1974).
Sometimes referred to as "sentimental fiction" or "woman's
fiction," "domestic fiction" refers to a type of novel popular with
women readers during the middle of the nineteenth century. The
genre began with Catharin e Sedgwick's New-England Tale (1822)
and remained a dominant fictional type until after 1870. It derives
in part from the eighteenth -century "sentimental novel" or "novel of
sensibility," of which Henry Mackenzie's The Man of Feeling (1771),
Oliver Goldsm ith's,The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), and one of the
earliest American novels, The Power of Sympathy (1789), written
by William Hill Brown but ascribed circa 1860 to Sarah Wentworth
Morton (Feminist Companion to Literature in English 766), are
examples. In their reliance on the inherent goodness of human
nature and the power of feelings as a guide to right conduct, these
novels were in part a reaction against Calvinistic doctrines that
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6The characteristics of a senti mental novel may include the
following
1.The p lot focuses on a heroine who embodies one of two types
of exemplar: the angel and the practical woman (Reynolds) who
sometimes exist sin the same work. Baym says that this heroine
is contrasted with the passive woman (incompetent, cowardly,
ignorant; often the heroine's mother is this type) and the "belle,"
who suffers from a defective education.
2. The heroine struggles for self -mastery, learning the pain of
conquering her own passions (Tompkins, Sensational Designs,
172)
3.The heroine learns to balance society's demands for self -denial
with her own desire for autonomy, a struggle often address ed in
terms of religion.
4.She suffers at the hands of abusers of power before
establishing a network of surrogate kin.
5.The plots "repeatedly identify immersion in feeling as one of the
great temptations and dangers for a developing woman. They
show that feeling must be controlled... " (Baym 25). Frances
Cogan notes that the heroines thus undergo a full education
within which to realize feminine obligations (The All -American
Girl).
6. The tales generally end with marriage, usually one of two
possib le kinds:
1.Reforming the bad or "wild" male, as in Augusta Evans's St.
Elmo (1867)
2.Marrying the solid male who already meets her
qualifications.
Examples: Maria Cummins, The Lamplighter (1854)
Susan Warner, The Wide, Wide World (1850)
7.The novel s may use a "language of tears" that evokes sympathy
from the readers.
8.Richard Brodhead (Cultures of Letters) sees class as an
important issue, as the ideal family or heroine is poised between
al o w e r -class family exemplifying poverty and domestic
disorganization and upper -class characters exemplifying an idle,
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71.3.4Historical Novel
Historical fiction is a literary genre where the story takes
place in the past. Historical novels capture the details of the time
period as accurately as possible for authenticity, including social
norms, manners, customs, and traditions. Many novels in this genre
tell fictional stories that involve actual historical figures or historical
events.
Historical fiction as we know it in contempor ary Western
literature dates back to the early 19th century. Sir Walter Scott,
Honoré de Balzac, James Fenimore Cooper, and Leo Tolstoy were
among the first novelists to explore the historical setting as its own
concept for a book.
By the early 20th centu ry, the genre was thriving in the
United States with a focus on war stories, like Kenneth Roberts’
Arundel about the American Revolution or William Faulkner’s
Absalom, Absalom about the American Civil War.
5 Common Elements of Historical Fiction
1.Setting :The setting is the most important part of a historical
fiction novel. It should take place during an authentic period in
history and be set in a real historical place. For example, New
York City during the Great Depression or Paris, France during
World War II.
2.Plot:T h e plotin a historical fiction novel is a combination of real
events and fictional events. You can invent characters, cities,
and events, but they still must make sense to the time period.
For example, a novel set in London, England in 1666 wo uld
benefit from incorporating the Great Fire of London, a major
turning point in the city’s history.
3.Characters :T h e characters can be real, fictional, or both, but
they should all look, speak, and act in ways that accurately
reflect the era. For example, if you are writing a book about
Mary Tudor, it shouldn’t disregard or reinvent her family history
as the daughter of Henry VIII and sister to Elizabeth I, who both
played an important role in Mary’s reign.
4.Dialogue :T h e dialogue must be authentic to the t ime period
and should reflect the status of the characters who are
speaking. For example, British soldiers in the Revolutionary War
wouldn’t use Western slang of today.
5.Conflict : The problems the characters encounter should
beconflicts people of that era would encounter. For example,
your book might describe the hesitation and fear German soldier
feels as he is to the Eastern Front, where he knows he is likely
to die.munotes.in

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86.Historical fiction as we know it in contemporary Western
literature dates back to the ear ly 19th century. Sir Walter Scott,
Honoré de Balzac, James Fenimore Cooper, and Leo Tolstoy
were among the first novelists to explore the historical setting as
its own concept for a book.
A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American
literature, The C olor Purple by Alice Walker depicts the lives of
African American women in early twentieth -century rural Georgia.
Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to
and hope in each other across time, distance and silence. Through
a seri es of letters spanning twenty years, first from Celie to God,
then the sisters to each other despite the unknown, the novel draws
readers into its rich and memorable portrayals of Celie, Nettie,
Shug Avery and Sofia and their experience. The Color Purple broke
the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, narrating the lives
of women through their pain and struggle, companionship and
growth, resilience and bravery. Deeply compassionate and
beautifully imagined, Alice Walker's epic carries readers on a spir it-
affirming journey towards redemption and love.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy broadly focuses on
Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the most
well-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate
son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for
spiritual fulfilment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family
behind to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov,
the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman who intrigues both
men.
As Napoleon's army invades, Tolstoy brilliantly follows
characters from diverse backgrounds --peasants and nobility,
civilians and soldiers --as they struggle with the problems unique to
their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel
progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming
some of the most moving --and human --figures in world literature.
AT a l eo fT w oC i t i e s by Charles Dickens
It was the time of the French Revolution --at i m eo fg r e a t
chan ge and great danger. It was a time when injustice was met by
a lust for vengeance, and rarely was a distinction made between
the innocent and the guilty. Against this tumultuous historical
backdrop, Dickens' great story of unsurpassed adventure and
courage unfolds.
Unjustly imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, Dr.
Alexandre Manette is reunited with his daughter, Lucie, and safely
transported from France to England. It would seem that they could
take up the threads of their lives in peace. As fate would have itmunotes.in

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9though, the pair are summoned to the Old Bailey to testify against a
young Frenchman --Charles Darnay --falsely accused of treason.
Strangely enough, Darnay bears an uncanny resemblance to
another man in the courtroom, the dissolute lawyer's cle rk Sydney
Carton. It is a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom
more than once. Brilliantly plotted, the novel is rich in drama,
romance, and heroics that culminate in a daring prison escape in
the shadow of the guillotine.
1.3.5Gothic Novel
A story of terror and suspense, usually set in a gloomy old
castle or monastery (hence ‘Gothic’, a term applied to medieval
architecture and thus associated in the 18th century with
superstition). Following the appearance of Horace Walpole’s, The
Castle of Otranto (1764), the Gothic novel flourished in Britain from
the 1790s to the 1820s, dominated by Ann Radcliffe, whose
Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) had many imitators. She was careful
to explain away the apparently supernatural occurrences in her
stories, but other writers, like M. G. Lewis in The Monk (1796),
made free use of ghosts and demons along with scenes of cruelty
and horror. The fashion for such works, ridiculed by Jane Austen in
Northanger Abbey (1818), gave way to a vogue for historical
novels, but it co ntributed to the new emotional climate of
Romanticism. In an extended sense, many novels that do not have
a medieval setting, but which share a comparably sinister,
grotesque, or claustrophobic atmosphere, have been classed as
Gothic: Mary Shelley's Franke nstein (1818) is a well -known
example; and there are several important American tales and
novels with strong Gothic elements in this sense, from Poe to
Faulkner and beyond. A popular modern variety of women's
romance dealing with endangered heroines in the manner of
Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre (1847) and Daphne du Maurier's
Rebecca (1938) is also referred to as Gothic
The Mysteries of Udolpho
In the 1790s, novelists rediscovered what Walpole had
imagined. The doyenne of Gothic novelists was Ann Radcliffe, and
her most famous novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) took its
title from the name of a fictional Italian castle where much of the
action is set. Like Walpole, she created a brooding aristocratic
villain, Montoni, to threaten her resourceful virgin h eroine Emily with
an unspeakable fate. All of Radcliffe’s novels are set in foreign
lands, often with lengthy descriptions of sublime
scenery. Udolpho is set amongst the dark and looming Apennine
Mountains –Radcliffe derived her settings from travel books .O n
the title page of most of her novels was the description that was far
more common than the word ‘gothic’: her usual subtitle was ‘A
Romance’. Other Gothic novelists of the period used the same
word for their tales, advertising their supernatural thril ls.munotes.in

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10Frankenstein and the double
A second wave of Gothic novels in the second and third
decades of the 19th century established new conventions. Mary
Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) gave a scientific form to the
supernatural formula. Charles Maturin’s Melmoth the
Wanderer (1820) featured a Byronic anti -hero who had sold his
soul for a prolonged life. And James Hogg’s elaborately titled The
Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824) is the
story of a man pursued by his own double. A character’ s sense of
encountering a double of him -or herself, also essential
toFrankenstein , was established as a powerful new Gothic motif.
Doubles crop up throughout Gothic fiction, the most famous
example being the late 19th -century Gothic novella, Robert Louis
Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde .
This motif is one of the reasons why Sigmund Freud’s
concept of the uncanny (or unheimlich ,a si ti si nG e r m a n )i so f t e n
applied to Gothic fiction. In his 1919 paper on ‘The Uncanny’ Freud
drew his examp les from the Gothic tales of E T A Hoffmann in order
to account for the special feeling of disquiet –the sense of the
uncanny –that they aroused. He argued that the making strange of
what should be familiar is essential to this, and that it is disturbing
and fascinating because it recalls us to our original infantile
separation from or origin in the womb
The Gothic in mainstream Victorian fiction
Meanwhile Gothic had become so influential that we can
detect its elements in much mainstream Victorian ficti on. Both
Emily and Charlotte Brontë included intimations of the supernatural
within narratives that were otherwise attentive to the realities of
time, place and material constraint. In the opening episode of Emily
Brontë’s Wuthering Heights ,t h en a r r a t o r , Lockwood, has to stay
the night at Heathcliff’s house because of heavy snow. He finds
Cathy’s diary, written as a child, and nods off while reading it. There
follows a powerfully narrated nightmare in which an icy hand
reaches to him through the window and the voice of Catherine
Linton calls to be let in. The vision seems to prefigure what he will
later discover about the history of Cathy and Heathcliff. Half in jest,
Lockwood tells Heathcliff that Wuthering Heights is haunted; the
novel, centred as it is o n a house, seems to exploit in a new way
the Gothic idea that entering an old building means entering the
stories of those who have lived in it before.
Two of Charlotte Brontë’s novels, Jane Eyre andVillette ,
feature old buildings that appear to be haunt ed. As in the Gothic
fiction of Ann Radliffe, the apparition seen by Jane Eyre in
Thornfield Hall, where she is a governess, and the ghostly nun
glimpsed by Lucy Snowe in the attic of the old Pensionnat where
she teaches, have rational explanations. But Ch arlotte Brontë likesmunotes.in

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11to raise the fears of her protagonists as to the presence of the
supernatural, as if they were lat erday Gothic heroines. Gothic still
provides the vocabulary of apprehensiveness. Similarly, Wilkie
Collins may have introduced into fict ion, as Henry James said,
‘those most mysterious of mysteries, the mysteries which are at our
own doors’, but he liked his reminders of traditional Gothic plots.
InThe Woman in White ,a l le v e n t st u r no u tt ob eh u m a n l y
contrived, yet the sudden appearance to the night -time walker of
the figure of ‘a solitary Woman, dressed from head to foot in white
garments’ haunts the reader as it does the narrator, Walter
Hartright . The Moonstone is a detective story with a scientific
explanation, but we never forget th e legend that surrounds the
diamond of the title, and the curse on those who steal it –a curse
that seems to come true. The final triumph of Gothic is to become,
as in these examples, a vital thread within novels that otherwise
take pains to convince us o fw h a ti sp r o b a b l ea n dr a t i o n a l .
1.4 LET’S SUM UP
In this unit, we have tried to understand five types of novels ;
Gothic, Bildun gsroman ,Picaresque ,Sentimental ,a n d Historical .
Bildungsroman novel traces the growth of the protagonist
from youth to adulthood, with a focus on moral and psychological
development. Picaresque novel enlists adventures of the semi
criminal central figure in episodic structure .Sentimental novel, an
18thcentury literary g enre is marked by its sentiment,
Sentimentalism ,and sensibility, to achieve the emotional effect.
Historical fiction captures the details of the particular time period
with the focus on accuracy and authenticity, including social,
cultural, and other such aspects surrounding the lives of characters.
AG o thic story is set within the carefully created atmosphere of
horror and suspense. The development of these genres was
according to need and temper of the age.
1.5QUESTIONS
Explain in detail, following terms.
i.Bildun gsroman
ii.Picaresque
iii.Sentimental Novel
iv.Historical Novel
v.Gothic Novelmunotes.in

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121.6 REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bildungsroman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picaresque_novel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentimental_novel
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.201108
03100455492
https://public.wsu.edu/~ca mpbelld/amlit/domestic.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.201108
03095901381

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Unit-2
LAST FIVE LITERARY TERMS PART II
Unit Structure:
2.0. Objectives
2.1. Epistolary Novel
2.2. Sociological Novel
2.3. Realistic Novel
2.4. Satirical Novel
2.5. Romantic Novel
2.6. Let’s Sum Up
2.7. Questions
2.8. Reference s
2.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit, the students are going to learn the concept so f
five different types of novels which will enable them to critically
understand and interpret the prescribed novels for their study.
2.1 EPISTOLARY NOVEL
The epistolary novel is a specific literary genre that was
particularly loved by European author sd u r i n gt h eE i g h t e e n t h
century. The genre first appear edin England and France and, later,
in Germany. In fact, the epistolary novel is a millennium old if we
consider that one of the first examples is Heroines by Ovid who
reproduce dt h e fictional corresp ondence between two lovers .
Except for thethree letters produced by men, all the women write to
absent husbands and lov ers, who apparently have other things to
do. During the Middle -Ages and the Modern Age several real
epistolary exchanges (Saint Catherin ef r o mS i e n a ,E r a s m u s ,
Cromwell and Madamede Sévigné) were published and read by a
large audience. But it’s especially the rediscovery of Ovid’s
workduring the Renaissance that s awan increase in the number of
readers of those letters ;a n dt h i sh a sp u tt h eirauthenticity
isquestion. However, the first epistolary French novel ,Astrée by
Honoré d’Urfé was published at the beginning of the seventeenth
century (between 1607 and 1627). But the epistolary novel bec ame
very popular only inthe second half of the seventeenth century ,
after the publication of Lettres portugaises (1669) by Guilleragues
(1669). The novel is focused on Marianne’s suffering: the girl, whomunotes.in

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is abandoned by a young and charming French officer, writes a
series of letters in which she expresses her grief after her lover’s
escape. The technique is not innovative because it is inspired by
Saint Augustine’s Confessions. However, Marianne describes her
interior struggle as being characterized by flux and reflux between
reminiscences and dreams, judgements andemotions, questions
and answers, decision and irresolution, regret and desperation
(Jost, 1996: 412). And yet, Lettres portugaises represents the first
example of an epistolary novel with one voice centered on feelings
and it inaugurates a long tradition according to the Portuguese
model. Among different writers using the epistolary technique,
Laclos is the only one able to personalize the epistolary novel
transforming it into a war bulletin in which characters confess to
each other their battle plans and strategic lies.
Thus, the fictional epistolary novel is one in which the author
conveys the story through documents. In the most traditional
understanding, epistolary novels are series of letters. Some authors
expand their novels to include newspaper clippings, diary entries,
and articles. For the purposes of this memo and all others relating
to this topic, we include novels which use documents other than
letters, but borrow Janet Altman’s clarifica tion that the “letter's
formal properties… create meaning’ (4)” (qtd. in Keskinen 384).
Altman also states that letters addressed to confidants of the writer
are “the fundamental vehicles of epistolary narrative” (48). Letters
that advance the story or plo t must be included for the novel to be
considered epistolary.
In conclusion, “The term Epistolary novel refers to the works
of fiction that are returned in the form of letters or other document.”
‘Epistolary ’is simply an adjective form of the noun, ‘epi stle’
from the Latin word for letter. The epistolary novel really came into
its own with the immense lypopular novels of Samuel Richardson in
the mid -18th century Pamela in 1740. Previously in the epistolary
novel only major two or three characters were shown in writing the
letters throughout the story. But in later stage in many epistolary
novels a wide range of characters wrote letters to each other.
Characteristics includes that the genre emerged in 16th and
17th century, readers have chance to hear f rom characters, it
explores multiple forms, it makes it feel authentic and natural, it is
unique form of novel and it is having psychological aspect.
The reader comes to know the whole story of the novel only
through the letters or Diaries or other documents presented by the
novelist with the medium of characters. The epistolary novel can
add greater realism to a story, because it mimics the actual life
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forms of novel to be developed and remained one of the most
popular genres up to the 19th century. In its modern form it can be
any series of documents including letter, telegrams, Diaries , emails,
Newspaper, clippings and other. Following are some examples -
Pamela -Samuel Richardson, The Diary of a Young Girl -Anne
Frank, The Color Purple -Alice Walker, The White Tiger -Aravind
Adiga.
2.2 SOCIOLOGICAL NOVEL
“Social novel is a work of fi ction in which a prevailing social
problem isdramatized through its effect on the characters of a
novel.” The Social novel is also known as the social problem novel.
Mostly social novels are based on social issues. These novels are
realistic in manners. They tr yto cover all important social issues.
Social novelist possessed with the depiction of social problems.
Their work exposed the social injustice which affected the workers
and poor class people. Social novels deal with the relations
between employer s and workers.
Its narrative adopted the view of the miserable life and
exploitation of poor class. Sometimes they depicted poverty, the
unhealthy living conditions, and exploitation of workers by money
lenders, the corruption of the legal system etc. The y tried to touch
most of the political and social issues of the society. One can
easily find out the keen observer and very m inute detailing of the
life of middle class and lower -class people. Following are some of
theexamples of social novel: Hard tim es, Oliver Twist -Charles
Dickens, Amelia -Henry Fielding, War and Peace -Leo Tolstoy,
Jane Eyre -Charlotte Bronte etc.
The term ‘social novel’ was used by Louis Cazamian in Le
Roman social en Angleterre ([1903] 1973) to identify a body of
fiction wri tten on urban and industrial issues, and published
between 1830 and 1850. This essay shares his focus, although the
definition is to some extent an arbitrary one. As Robert Colby has
demonstrated in Fiction with a Purpose (1967), the English novel
from the 1840s to the 1860s was characteristically concerned with
social and moral issues. Further, the term ‘social’ could be applied
to many later novels, through to such works as Robert Tressell’s
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (1918) in the twentieth
century.
Cazamian’s definition is, however, useful. It not only brings
together a group of works with a shared concern but different
emphases, including ‘the condition of England’, ‘the industrial’ and
‘the social problem’ novel, it also identifies the way i n which they
approached their subject. The ‘social novel’ as Cazamian explored
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brought about by the urban and industrial changes at the beginning
of the nineteenth century. The genre lost its i mpetus as this
concern merged into an acceptance of sociological forces which
denied the individual capacity for moral action. For a matter of
some thirty years the novel became an imaginative arena in which
human issues could be argued. By the time George Gissing and
Arthur Morrison wrote, characters in ‘social’ fiction had become
helpless victims in the web of social evolution. The novel had lost
its role as an area of significant debate. Further, the growing
concern with ‘realism’ from the 1860s paradoxi cally limited the
novel’s ability to explore social issues, for the focus on accuracy of
description, the emphasis on ‘objective truth’, emptied the subject
of its symbolic and metonymic significance.
Since Cazamian wrote his study, different approaches t ot h e
subject have evolved. It is therefore useful to preface a brief
account of the genre itself with some notice of the ways in which
the subject has been analyzed since 1903. For Cazamian, the
‘social novel’ was a historical fact, a group of fictional w orks
growing from and influencing the Victorian period. In form, it
combined the arts of reportage and literature, and was affected by
biographical and historical factors. This approach is well illustrated
in Kathleen Tillotson’s Novels of the Eighteen -Forties(1954).
By the 1950s current criticism was being challenged by
Leavis’s focus on reader response to the ‘life -enhancing’ values of
literature (his study of the novel, The Great Tradition, had appeared
in 1948) and from the insights of Marxism. Georg Lukács’s The
Historical Novel was written as early as 1936 –7, but it was
published in England only in 1962. Marxist influence on British and
American novel criticism has been late, indirect and generalized.
Nevertheless, Arnold Kettle’s Introduction to the English Novel
(1951 –3) and Raymond Williams’s Culture and Society 1780 –1950
(1958) brought socialist perspectives to bear on the subject as
have, more recently, such works as David Craig’s The Real
Foundations: Literature and Social Change (1974) and Igor Webb’s
From Custom to Capital: The English Novel and the Industrial
Revolution (1981). Although not specifically on the ‘social novel’,
Terry Eagleton’s Marxist study of the Brontës, Myths of Power
(1975), has also been influential. It is now difficult to consider the
novel without an awareness of class perspectives.
This includes considering the audience for which the fiction
was written. The Victorian novel as conventionally identified was i n
fact read by a small minority of the Victorian public: as Gertrude
Himmelfarb has noted (1984, p. 435), the ‘social novels’ most
Victorians read were not by George Eliot or even by Dickens, but
by an author few academic critics have noticed, such as G. W .M .
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such as Reynolds’s The Mysteries of London (1845 –8), or those
read by Radical working -class readers as sampled in Y. V.
Kovalev’s An Anthology of Chartist Literature (1956), still await
extended study. As the implied reader has been given greater
consideration in interpreting the text, the focus has shifted from the
fiction as documentary evidence to examination of the discourse of
the ‘social novel’ itself. Particular attention has been pa id to the ‘the
poor’, which has become recognized as a symbol rather than an
objective reality.
Sheila Smith’s ,The Other Nation: The Poor in English
Novels of the 1840s and 1850s (1980) approached the issue
through a multidisciplinary approach, exploring the transformations
of ‘reality’ that occur between fiction and the visual arts, and
parliamentary reports and journalism. Gertrude Himmelfarb in her
massively researched study The Idea of Poverty (1984 )took a more
directly historical approach.
Starting her investigation with the political economy of Adam
Smith and Malthus, she examined the different modes in which the
poor were portrayed. These include the various images in Dickens,
the ‘Gothic Poor’ of G. W. M. Reynolds, Mayhew’s journalism, and
the ‘In dustrial Poor’. Thus, a genre which Cazamian saw as a
reflection of the times, now focuses a debate concerning the way
the novel shapes and refashions history. This approach is implicit in
Kate Flint’s anthology of source materials for use in studying the
fiction, The Victorian Novelist: Social Problems and Social Change
(1987).
Finally, contemporary theory has considered the way the
rhetoric of discourse through which the novel is told themselves
have social significance . Although he died in Russia in 1975, the
impact of M.M. Bakhtin in the West has come largely in the 1980s.
His work The Dialogic Imagination (trans. 1981) contains little
specific criticism of the Victorian social novel, but its ideas have
influenced work in the field. (From Coyle et al. Encyclopedia of
Literature and Criticism. Cardiff: University of Wales)
2.3 REALISTIC NOVEL
A type of novel that places a strong emphasis on the truthful
representation of the actual in fiction. Generally, the realist i sa
believer in pragmatism, and the truth he seeks to find and express
is a relativistic truth, associated with discernible consequences and
verifiable by experience. Arealist is a believer in democracy, and
the materials he elects to describe are the common, the average,
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A type of novel characterized as the fictional attempt to give
the effect of realism by representing complex characters with mixed
motives who are rooted in a social class, operate in a highly
developed social structure, interact with many other characters, and
undergo plausible and everyday modes of experience. --Abrams'
Glossary of Literary Term.
One of the difficulties of any discussion about realism is the
lack of any really effective vocabulary with which to discuss the
topic. Most discussions turn on the problems of the production of
discourse which will fully adequate the real. This notion of
adeq uacy is accepted both by the realists and by the anti -realists1.
The notion of the real is a notion, which is tied to a particular type of
literary production -the nineteenth century realist novel. The
dominance of this novel form is such that people stil lt e n dt o
confuse the general question of realism with the particular forms of
the nineteenth century realist novel.
Realism is an issue not only for literature: it is a major
political, philosophical and practical issue and must be handled and
explained as such -as a matter of general human interest2
Realistic fiction is totally different from “romantic fiction”. Realism is
to present an accurate picture of life as it is. The realist is selective
in his material.
He prefers as protagonist an ordinary ci tizen, engaged in the
real estate business. The technical term ‘realistic novel’ is usually
applied to works, which are realistic both in subject and manner.
The centenary of ‘realism’ as an English critical term occurred but
was not celebrated in 1956. It s history has been so vast, so
complicated and so bitter that any celebration would in fact have
turned into a brawl. Yet realism is not object to be identified or
appropriated. It is a way of describing certain methods and attitudes
and the descriptions, quite naturally, have varied in the ordinary
exchange and development of experience.
There has been a simple technical use of ‘realism’ to
describe the precision and vividness of a rendering in art of some
observed detail. The most ordinary definition was in terms of an
ordinary, traditionally heroic, romantic or legendary subjects.
In the period since the Renaissance ,the advocacy and
support of this ‘ordinary, everyday contemporary reality have been
normally associated with the rising middle class, the bourgeoisie.
Such material was called ‘realistic’ and the connections are clear. A
common adjective used with ‘realism’ was ‘startling’ and ‘within the
main stream of ordinary, contemporary, everyday reality’ a
particular current of attention to the unplea sant, the exposed, the
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Realism thus appeared as in part a revolt against the
ordinary bourgeois view of the world; the realists were making a
further selection of ordinary material, which the majority of
bourgeois artists pr eferred to ignore.
Engels defined ‘realism’ as ‘typical characters in typical
situations’, which would pass in a quite ordinary sense, but which in
this case has behind it the body of ‘Marxist thinking.’ The major
tradition of European fiction in the nine teenth century, is commonly
described as a tradition of ‘realism’, and it is equally assumed that,
inthe West at any rate, this particular tradition has ended.
According to Wallace Stevens ‘Realism is a corruption of
reality’ Henry James claimed, ‘ the novel remains still under the right
persuasion, the most independent, most elastic, most prodigious of
literary forms’5 then the word ‘realism’ must surely be the most
independent, most elastic, most prodigious of critical terms.
One can sympathize wi th George J. Becker’s mild
suggestion that ‘it would add to ease of discourse in the future if
what ever happens next would be given a new name and not be
tagged by some variant or permutation of the word “realism”. Also,
with the practicing critic who rem inds us that ‘realism is a
notoriously treacherous concept’ perhaps with some impatience -‘I
do not want to get bogged down in definitions of the word
‘realism’.8 Roland Stromberg authorizes this skepticism of theory
when he says that ‘realism and natural ismmust be defined by their
historical content. The terms were shorthand for certain cultural
phenomena of the times and can be grasped only through a study
of this phenomena’. Rene Wellek deliberately avoids what he sees
as ‘the whole fundamental epistem ological problem... of the relation
of art to reality.
Realism is a critical term only by adoption from philosophy: it
comes weakened from loss of blood in earlier battles and one
needs atleast to be able to distinguish the opposing sides before
one can decide which advanced.
It was in the eighteenth century with Thomas Reid’s
‘commonsense school’ that realism assumed in philosophy the
sharply different sense which was to have such a fatal attraction for
writers, critics and theorist in literature.
With its loyalties divided between idealism and materialism it
may seem that realism is forgotten its duty to reality itself. Philip
Rahv observes that it is no longer possible that to use realistic
methods ‘without taking reality for granted’ -and this is pr ecisely
what artists cannot now do: ‘it is reality itself which they bring into
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It is impossible to avoid the charge of equivocation in using
thenoun ‘reality’ or the adjective ‘real’ at all. Vladimir Nabokov
exercises the same question with ‘r eality’ as Ortega does with
‘realism’: he says in his postscript to Lolita that it is one of the few
words which can mean nothing without quotes.’ ‘As to what reality
is, I take no great interest,’ said the new realist E. B. Holt.13
Reality is not only lo cated in mind but is at the mercy of the
moods and caprices of that mind, dilates and contracts with the
degree of activity of the consciousness. Reality is ‘for the time
being’. Here is no path for the philosopher or theorist to follow.
Reality runs befor et h em i n d .
Reality is like a float that rides all efforts of the irritated mind
to fame its definition: or a fish, that swallows up all other forms of
life and then drinks off the sea in which it swims. Am o r e
sophisticated theory sees language not simpl ya sa n image of
reality but as an instrument in terms of which reality is realized
made real; carrying within its own declarative structure the material
of truth, so that there can be no appeal made outside the inclusive
conventions of this system to the dumb materiality of the world of
things. Truth and falsehood become properties of language alone,
to which ‘reality’ -that impossible hypothesis -and both indifferent
and irrelevant.
It is in the spirit of this realism that literature seeks to deliver
itself up to the real word, to open its gates submissively to the
horses of the instruction; to ballust its giddy imagination with the
weight of truth and submit its forms, conventions and consecrated
attitudes to purifying ravishment of fact. This realism i st h e‘ a p p e a l
open for criticism to nature’, which Johnson allows in his ‘Preface to
Shakespeare.’
In philosophy, realism means an interpretation of life as
opposed to idealism. It involves the beliefs that time, space and
their attributes are real (Trans cendental realism), that phenomena
exist apart from our consciousness or conception (Empirical
Realism), and that our perception of then is governed by direct
intuitive cognition, not by the mediate process of representative
ideas. It has figured in philos ophy from the beginning, e.g., in
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. During the middle ages the term
‘realism’ was used in scholastic philosophy to denote the teaching
of the ‘reality’ of the universal ideas.
The term ‘realism’ as used in literature also originated in an
anti-idealistic reaction, as in the anti -romanticism of Flaubert’s
Madam Bovarv . Hence realistic literature has tended to concentrate
onevery day’s life and roles of sex, money etc. rather than ideals.
Though occasionally appearing in the visual arts (e.g., in Vanmunotes.in

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Gogh’s early works )realism has been most successful in the novel,
its exponents ranging from Tolstoy, Hardy and Dreiser to
Sholokhov and Solzhenitsyn. In a would -be scientific form
popularized by Zola , it is known as naturalism.
In conclusion, Realistic novels were created specifically
about the common man and struggles of the lower class. Earlier in
the romantic period the most popular form of the Literature was
poetry and realistic novel changed th at tendency. Realistic novel
used journalistic techniques in order to make the literature closer to
real life by using facts and general depiction of the details of human
life. The notable thing is that the purpose of the realistic novel is to
just report the facts and not commenting or judging on the scene or
characters.
With the development and industrialization of Victorian Era
as well as innovations in the printing, many newspapers, journals,
periodicals and magazines were easily accessible to all the
common people. People began to take interest in reading novel
which was the realistic depiction of their own life. Realistic novel
accurately interprets and represent the reality. Different narrative
techniques like sometimes by hiding some truths from th er e a d e r ,
narrator deliberately created the suspense. Instead of accepting the
imagination and dreamy ideas, realistic novels adapted realism.
They used Different techniques of characterization to make their
plots complex. Following are some examples: Jane Eyre by
Charlotte Bronte, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and
Jude the obscure by Thomas Hardy.
2.4 SATIRICAL NOVEL
Satire is loosely defined as art that ridicules a specific topic
in order to provoke readers into changing their opinion of it. By
attacking what they see as human folly, satirists usually imply their
own opinions on how the thing being attacked can be imp roved.
Perhaps the most famous work of British satire is Jonathan
Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726), where the inhabitants of the
different lands Gulliver visits embody what Swift saw as the
prominent vices and corruptions of his time.
Like Gulliver's Tr avels, George Orwell's Animal Farm is a
satirical novel in which Orwell, like Swift, attacks what he saw as
some of the prominent follies of his time. Broadly speaking, Animal
Farm satirizes politicians, specifically their rhetoric, ability to
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“Satirical novel is a literary genre in which follies abuses and
shortcomings are depicted ridiculously in order to criticize
individual s,corporations ,government or society.”
It is loosely defined as that ridiculous specific topic i no r d e r
to provoke the readers into changing their opinion of it. By attacking
what they see as human Folly that it is usually imply their own
opinions on how the thing being attacked can be improved. there
are two major types of satirical novel
Horatioa nS a t i r e -tolerant stopped in the language with voice and
self-effacing kind of genre for example Gulliver's Travels by
Jonathan Swift
Juvenalian satire -it is angry in mood Harsh in language caustic
recent full and personal. For example, Animal Farm of George
Orwell .In this type of novel, they creat eabsurdities in the plot via
conversations in the characters and they compare the readers to
feel the purpose of their absurdity. They present the things
exaggeratedly in order to achieve absurd length. They deliberately
creat ethe humor by arranging funny scenes and dialogues. They
use parody to attack on the society by mocking imitations.
Sometimes they use irony to convey the opposite meaning of what
is expected. Following are some examples: Gulliver' s Travels by
Jonathan Swift, Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Satire is the mind/wits; irony is the reasoning/rhetorical tool;
humor is the substance. Satire is a genre of literature, and
sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies,
abuse s, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the
intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement.
Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is
often constructive social criticism, using wit as a weap on and as a
tool to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in society.
A common feature of satire is strong irony and sarcasm -"in satire,
irony is militant" -but parody, burlesque, exaggeration,
juxtaposition, comparison, analogy, and double entendre are all
frequently used in satirical speech and writing. This "militant" irony
or sarcasm often professes to approve of (or at least accept as
natural) the very things thesatirist wishes to attack. Satire is
nowadays found in many artistic forms of expression, including
literature, plays, commentary, television shows, and media such as
lyrics.
Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and
criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by
using humor, irony, exaggerat ion or ridicule. It intends to improve
the humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles. A writer in a satire
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condemn their corruption. A writer may point a satire toward a
person, a c ountry or even the entire world. Usually, a satire is a
comical piece of writing which makes fun of an individual or a
society to expose its stupidity and shortcomings. In addition, he
expects that whosoever he criticizes improves his character by
overcomi ng his weaknesses.
Satire and irony are interlinked. Irony is the difference
between what is said or done and what is actually meant.
Therefore, writers frequently employ satire to point at the
dishonesty and silliness of individuals and society and criti cize them
by ridiculing them. Most political cartoons which we witness every
day in newspapers and magazines are examples of satire. These
cartoons criticize some recent actions of political figures in a
comical way. Some shows on television are examples o f satire like
“The Daily Show”, “The Colbert Report”, and “The Larry Sanders
Show”. These shows claim to target what they think are stupid
political and social viewpoints. There are numerous examples of
satire in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn . He uses sati re as a tool to
share his ideas and opinion on slavery, human nature and many
other issues that afflicted American society at that time. Alexander
Pope’s ,The Rape of the Lock is an example of poetic satire in
which he has satirized the upper middle class of eighteenth -century
England. It exposes the vanity of young fashionable ladies and
gentlemen and frivolity of their actions. For example, Pope says
about Belinda after losin g her lock of hair:
“Whether the nymph shall break Diana’s law,
Or some frail china jar receive a flaw,
Or stain her honor, or her new brocade”
The line mocks at the values of the fashionable class of that
age. The trivial things were thought of equal to significant things.
For Belinda, loss of her virtue becomes equal to a China jar being
cracked. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver Travels is one the finest satirical
works in English Literature. Swift relentlessly satirizes politics,
religion, and Western Culture .
The role of satire is to ridicule or criticize those vices in the
society, which the writer considers a threat to the civilization. The
writer considers it his obligation to expose these vices for the
betterment of humanity. Therefore, the function of s atire is not to
make others laugh at persons or ideas they make fun of. It intends
at warning public against and changing their opinions about the
prevailing corruption in the society. Outstanding among the
classical satirists was the Greek dramatist Arist ophanes, whose
play The Clouds (423 BC) satirizes Socrates as the embodiment of
atheism and sophistry, while The Wasps (422) satirizes the
Athenian court system. The satiric styles of two Roman poets,munotes.in

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Horace and Juvenal, became models for writers of later ages. The
satire of Horace is mild, gently amused, yet sophisticated, whereas
that of Juvenal is vitriolic and replete with moral indignation.
Shakespeare later wrote Horatian satire and Jonathan Swift wrote
Juvenalian satire.
From the beast fables, fabli aux, and Chaucerian caricatures
to the extended treatments of John Skelton, Shakespeare, Ben
Jonson, Erasmus, and Cervantes, the satirical tradition flourished
throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, culminating in
the golden age of satire in the l ate 17thand early 18th centuries. The
familiar names of Swift, Samuel Butler, John Dryden, Alexander
Pope, Richard Steele, Henry Fielding, and William Hogarth, in
England, and of Nicolas Boileau -Despréaux, La Fontaine, Molière,
and Voltaire, in France, sug gest not only the nature of the
controversies that provided a target for the satirist's darts in both
nations, but also the rediscovery and consequent adaptation of the
classical models to individual talents.
In the 19thcentury, satire gave way to a gent ler form of
criticism. Manners and morals were still ridiculed but usually in the
framework of a longer work, such as a novel. However, satire can
be found in the poems of Lord Byron, in the librettos of William S.
Gilbert, in the plays of Oscar Wilde and G. B. Shaw, and in the
fiction of W. M. Thackeray, Charles Dickens, Samuel Butler, and
many others. American satirists of the period include Washington
Irving, James Russell Lowell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Mark
Twain.
Although 20th -century satire conti nues to register Horatian
or Juvenalian reactions to the enormities of an age dominated by
fear of the atom bomb and plagued by pollution, racism, drugs,
planned obsolescence, and the abuse of power, critics have
discerned some shifts in its source. In some instances, the satirist
is the audience rather than the artist. The so -called put -on, whether
a play (Samuel Beckett's Breath, in which breathing is heard on a
blacked -out stage), a joke (Len ny Bruce's nightclub routines), or an
artifact (John Chamberlain's smashed -up cars), seeks to confuse
its audience by presenting the fraudulent as a true work of art, thus
rendering the whole concept of "art" questionable. More
conventional contemporary sa tirists of note are Sinclair Lewis,
James Thurber, Aldous Huxley, Evelyn Waugh, W. H. Auden, Philip
Roth, and Joseph Heller. George Orwell, Candide by Voltire others,
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2.5 ROMANTIC NOVEL
“Romantic no vel or romance novel is a genre of literature
which depicts the feelings and behavior of two people who are in
loving and sexual relationship with each other.”
The first romantic novel, The Black moth was written by
George Heyer published in 1751. The mai nt h e m eo ft h er o m a n t i c
novel is human feeling. Mostly these novelists lived as emotional
being. They tried to depict natural human emotions of characters.
The main focus of emotions and sensual relations can easily
achieve the highest peak of feelings of reader. They created many
characters but focused on two major relations. Their plots are
actually structured according to the emotions.
Characteristics includes Primary focus on the relationship
and romantic love, depiction of natural human emotions, com plex
plot and characters, a romance novel can be set in any time period
and in any location, new style of historical romance, heroines were
independent and strong -willed and etc.
It can be set in any time period and in any location. Their
Heroine has bee n showing as an independent and strong -willed
woman. These novels are the best platform of feminism. They tried
to depict women equally are stronger than male characters. Mostly
they interested in showing women’s feelings. Following are some
examples of ro mantic novel: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen,
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
etc.
Thus, a romance novel is a work of extended prose fiction
with a theme of love. A romance novel focuses on the development
of a roman tic relationship between two people, and contains an
emotional through line with a build toward an optimistic conclusion.
2.6 LET’S SUM UP
This unit, we have tried to understand five types of novels ;
Epistolary, Sociological, Realistic, Satirical, and Ro mantic.
Epistolary novel is one in which the author conveys the story
through aseries of letters , creating authentic and natural feel in the
text. A lso known as the social problem novel ,aS ocial novel is a
work of fiction that is based on social issues andin which a
prevailing social problem isdramatized through its effect on the
characters of a novel. Realistic fiction is one that emphas izes on
the truthful representation of the real life of ordinary people, and
their struggles in life. A Satirical gen reridicules human shortcoming
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focuses on the relationship between lovers and the romantic love
that builds towards the optimistic conclusion.
2.7QUESTIONS
Explain in detail, following terms.
i.Epistolary Novel
ii.Socialistic Novel
iii.Realistic Novel
iv.Satirical Novel
v.Romantic Novel
2.8REFERENCE S
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistolary_novel#:~:text=An%20epistol
ary%20novel%20is%20a,have%20also%20come%20into%20use .
https://www.britannica.com/art/social -problem -novel
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/cliffsnotes/subjects/literature/what -is-a-
satirical -novel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_novel

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STUDY OF TOBIAS SMOLLETT’S
HUMPHREY CLINKER -PART –I,
Unit Structure:
3.0 Objective
3.1 Introduction to the Form of Epistolary Novel
3.2 Introduction to the Form of Picaresque Novel
3.3 Tobias George Smollett : A Short Biographical Sketch
3.4 The Political Background
3.5 The Social Milieu
3.6 Literary Ethos of the Era: The Rise of the Novel
3.7 The Mid –Eighteenth Century Novel –‘The New Species’
3.8 Let’s Sum Up
3.9 Questions
3.10 References
3.0 OBJECTIVES
The unit attempts to look at the various factors responsible
for a creative writer. The students would understand here an author
and appreciate his literary feasts in a given period of time. A writer
is the product of his time and so it becomes important to have a
prior knowledge of t he age in which he or she was born. Therefore,
this unit will focus on the social, political and literary ethos of the
times in which the prescribed author was born along with the
dominant literary forms of the era so that a better understanding
can be fos tered.
3.1INTRODUCTION TO THE FORM OF EPISTOLARY
NOVEL
The 18thcentury saw rapid expansions of the postal routes
and literacy. This led to associate the age with the prolificacy of
letter writing where the individual used to form to explore and
describ e the self and the everyday experience. As a consequence
of the familiarity of the form, epistolary novel emerged as a
tremendously successful genre.munotes.in

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28Epistolary Novel is a form of writing where the narrative
advances through the exchange of letters betw een the
characters. The form was specifically suitable to the 18thcentury
writers and readers in their pursuit of writing realistic novel. As Dr.
Jonson while defining novel in 1950 in ‘ The Rambler ’ said that it
‘exhibits of life in its true state, divers ified only by accidents that
daily happen in the world.’ Jonson’s focus here was on the death of
the heroic ‘romance’ and the preference for a newer, more realistic
form which was called as the ‘novel’. So, realism was the
distinguishing factor of novel fr om the French ‘romances.
Epistolary novel with its capacity to mimic the workings of life and
with its capacity to lend credibility through the first -person narrative
mode offered wonderful prospect for delivering realism.
Another important strategic de vice in the epistolary novel for
creating the authenticity of the letters is the fictional editor that
serves to organize and comment on the letters. All of Richardson’s
novels hold testimony to this fact.
Ambiguously sitting between two different worlds -the private
and the public -the domestic seclusion and public self -appearance,
the letters offer an enticing glimpse into the innermost thoughts and
feelings of another person.
For the first time, the so called ‘private letters’ were
published in this per iod just to promote and sustain literary
celebrity. The 18thcentury figures carefully constructed themselves
through these letters for particular audiencekeen to read this kind of
works just like social media constructions today. These personal
letters we re connected with the ideas of sincerity and truth in the
18thcentury. As Addison and Steele mentioned in their popular
periodical –The Spectator , that ‘there is nothing that discovers the
true temper of a person so much as his letters’.
The epistolary form was also subject to much ridicule in the
18thcentury, resulting in a number of savage burlesques .O n eo f
the most notable examples of these was Henry
Fielding 'sShamela (1741). Written as a parody of Richardson’s
most popular novel Pamela ,Shamela depicts the female narrator of
the novel using her pen and dashing off her di ary entries under the
most dramatic and unlikely of circumstances.
The form slowly died by the late 18thcentury although we get
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293.2INTRODUCTION TO THE FORM OF PICARESQUE
NOVEL
The picare sque form is another suitable and most
experimented form in the 18thcentury. The traveling in the
picaresque style is equipped to offer a swiping panorama of the
society that could be depicted in the fiction to render realism.
The word picaresque comes f rom the Spanish
word ‘picaresca’, and then ‘pícaro’, meaning a " rogue " or a "rascal".
The form embodies the adventures or misadventur es of a ‘roguish’
but ‘appealing hero’ usually belonging to a low social class .T h e
hero lives in a corrupt society by his wit. The form typically adopts a
realistic style. The form originated in Sp ain in 1554 and flourished
for at least 200 years throughout Europe. The term picaresque was
comparatively new as it was coined only in 1810 although the form
was existent since the 16thcentury. Cervantes' Don Quixote is often
included under the popular picaresque novels but it actually
contains only some of the genre’s elements. Charles
Dicken’s Pickwick Papers also contain some of this p opular genre.
The picaresque style is specifically suitable for social satire
as the travelling hero has the liberty to see and experience life in all
spheres of society. The realistic descriptions of the low life provide
the genre its popularity during a time when moral instruction was
made primary in any kind of writing.
Henry Fielding in the mid -18thcentury, proved his mastery of
this artistic genre in Joseph Andrews (1742), The Life and Death of
Jonathan Wild, the Great (1743) and The History of Tom Jones, a
Foundling (1749), though Fielding attributed his style to an
"imitation of the manner of Cervantes ,a u t h o ro f Don Quixote ".
3.3TOBIAS SMOLLETT: A SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH
Associated primarily with his picaresque novels, Tobias
George Smollett (1721 -1771) was one of the major literary figures
of eighteenth century but he remained quite underrated among the
canonical writers of his time. One attribute of this is that the critics
found his earlier picaresque novels -Roderick Random (1748) ,
Peregrine Pickle (1751), Ferdinand Count Fathom (1753) and Sir
Launcelot Greaves (1760) to be too vi olent in terms of the content
and too satirical to be dealt in a picaresque novel. But, his last
novel, published few months before his death in 1771, The
Expedition of Humphrey Clinker, quickly became one of the most
successful British epistolary novels a nd brought the much
deserving canonical status to the author.munotes.in

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30Smollett was born in Dunbartonshire, Scotland on March 19,
1721. After graduating from Dunbarton Grammar School, he went
to Glasgow University to study medicine but he did not receive any
formal medical degree from Marischal College, Aberdeen, until
1750. So, he took up an apprenticeship as a surgeon in Glasgow.
After a brief span of three years of his apprenticeship, he went to
London. In December 1739, he cleared his final examination
qualifyin g him to practice as a surgeon. In 1740, he took up a post
as surgeon’s mate aboard on the warship of H.M.S. Chichester of
the British Royal Navy.This job exposed him to the grim realities in
the Royal Navy and supplied him with the raw material for his vi vid
scenes of life at sea that he incorporated into Roderick
Random and other novels.
In 1743, Smollett sailed to Jamaica where he met and
married Anne Lassalls. Smollett came back to London in 1744 and
began to write. He displayed great talent for satire and farce but
failed in his tragic plays. He started to translate Lesage’s Gil
Blas from French, and in the process the young surgeon -writer was
inspired to write and publish his first, strongly autobiographical,
picaresque novel: The Adventures of Roderi ck Random in 1749.
Eventually writing began to take the front seat. In fact, his
livelihood rested mainly on writing rather than on his medical
practice. This period in his life saw Smollett writing satires on
Fielding, on contemporary personal hygiene, and another
picaresque: The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom (1753) -the
fierce story of a rogue finally brought back to the path of virtue.
The next seven years (1748 -55) were spent on translating
Cervantes’s Don Quixote and after that he took up to w rite
Complete History of England . The year 1756 was crucial as it was
the most productive phase of his career. He co -founded the Critical
Review in 1756 and it marks the beginning of Smollett’s creative
fecundity. An unrestrained, savage attack on Admiral Knowles in
his paper in Critical Review landed him into prison for libel from
November 1760 to February 1761.
The changing political scenario had an impact too on
Smollett. In 1760, George II’s grandson succeeded to the throne as
George III. In 1761, the cabinet reshuffled and the Stuart Lord Bute,
the king’s friend and substitute father, became the secretary of
state. Smollett extended his support to his fellow Scot who wanted
to end the seven years long, on -going war with France. Since 1756,
the war had been proving devastating in terms of bloodshed as well
as in terms of loss of wealth.
He founded a weekly for this purpose: The Briton .B u t ,a sa n
immediate consequence, Smollett found himself in the middle of anmunotes.in

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31extremely fierce ideological struggle. Hi s primary rival was John
Wilkes ( The North Briton ), who finally was bound to leave the
country. The pressure took a toll on Smollett’s health and also on
Bute’s position. In June 1763, he gave up The Briton after he lost
his only child Elizabeth at the age of fifteen. Peace was restored by
this time and he could thus leave his project. He went to France
and Italy with his wife but soon returned to Britain. He resided in
London and Bath alternately and also kept visiting Scotland. When
he was living in Italy , he had already embarked on presumably his
favourite project -The Expedition of Humphry Clinker.
Immediately after the enthusiastic welcome by the public and
the critics, Tobias George Smollett succumbed to death. Smollett
had remained a devoted Tory thr oughout his life. He maintained a
very pronounced opinion about what society should be like. He saw
order and peace in the traditional system of monarchy and
therefore always approved for a strong, robust ‘home -grown’
monarch in Britain’s balanced constitu tion.
Charity for him was nothing less than public welfare but it
was to be paid for and returned with thankfulness and loyalty by the
receivers. The receivers, in Smollett’s vision of the world, were the
‘inferiors’ in their social position. These views, of course, inform his
satires and are integral parts of his fiction and his historical, as well
as critical, work.
The wide exposure to the diverse fields of life has equipped
Tobias Smollett with a kind of insight that led him to scatter in his
writing a kind of raw humour that was not easy for the
contemporaries to digest easily. His phlegmatic Scottish nature, the
grossness and sting of his satires, the gusto of his caricatures lent
the uniqueness to his woks. The depiction of the shocking violence
and brutality and the coarseness of language that Smollett
incorporated into his novels set him apart from the three other
major English novelists of the mid -18th century: Samuel
Richardson, Henry Fielding and fellow physician Oliver Goldsmith.
3.4 THE POLI TICAL BACKGROUND
The reign of George II from 1727 to 1760, was marked by
temporary peace after the political and religious strife that
brutalized the country. The short and bloody interlude of Cromwell’s
Commonwealth, the much less bloody Glorious Revolu tion of 1688,
the Jacobite Invasion of 1715, the change in the dynasty of 1714
and Jacobite Rising of 1745 were the distressing precedence of the
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32Sir Robert Walpole ,a Whig statesman, holds the record of
serving exceedingly long leaders hip from 1721 -1742in the cabinet
of Great Britain. Therefore, the period of George II was also the
period of the rise of the Whigs in power. The Whigs were a political
offshoot first and then a party in the parliament in the U.K. The
Whigs believed in ‘ constitutional monarchism’ and opposition to
absolute monarchy. The Tories were the oppositional force who
believed in the traditional and conservative system of monarchy .
Whigs contested the Tories between 1660 to1850.In 1850s, the
Whigs merged into the new Liberal Party. The Whig ideology
played a central role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. They were
the prime enemies of the Roman Catholic Stuart kings. The Whigs
came to full power in 1715 after the Hanoverian succession of
George I in 1714 and remained in power till George III ascended
the throne in 1760.
George III was responsible for bringing the Tories back in
power. Frederick, the Prince of Wales, was the eldest but
estranged son of King George II and the father to George III. He
was the apparent heir to the British throne from 1727 until his
sudden death at the age of 44 due to lung injury. His sudden death
brought his twelve years old son George III to be the successor to
the throne . He was impressionable, naïve and immature to rule the
kingdom. He inherited the views of his father Frederick who did not
have a good relation with his father -the king, George II. Without
even understanding that the opposing views of his father were only
the ways to tire and harass the old king, George III went on holding
on to the opinion of his father. To rule the administration, he chose
John Stuart Lord Bute as his guide. Lord Bute was a family friend
and alleged lover of his mother. Lord Bute never a ctually was the
mighty knight in shiny armour George thought he was and George
himself was never fit to be the head of the Empire of Scotland and
Wales. In 1760, when George III succeeded his grandfather, he
wanted to slay dragons just like the patron sain t of England whose
name he bore. His dragons were corruption, sloth and vice.
Unfortunately, he did not understand the complex relations between
a parliamentary government and the accompanying ideologies. As
a result, his first decade in office was a perpe tual crisis of
government, and in the second decade the American settlers’
colonies claimed and won their independence. Analysing the
regime of George III, the British journalist Walter Bagehot stated
that a British monarch should leave politics to the pol iticians.
Having an inefficient boyas the King, his grandfather’s and
William Pitt’s government was at the brink of collapse. They had to
agree to the alignment of Bute in the government. From 1760 -61,
Bute achieved very quickly a very important position in the
parliament. By this time, his disciple George had inherited the
throne as George III. Bute had a fantastic fortune and themunotes.in

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33leadership of the Scottish parliamentary group. Now he, politically
little experienced, was the key figure in the government. But the
phase did not last long. Pitt had urged to expand the on -going war
with France to Spain before the treasure fleet from her colonies
arrived. Bute, supported by Smollett’s Briton , had tried to stop the
war. Pitt had resigned by this time. On January 4, 1762, Spain
entered the war. During the year 1756, Britain’s colonial
possessions were at the top and also a national debt
unprecedented in history. Spain had aligned with France. Their fleet
had arrived and made Spain a much more dangerous enemy to
England. Peace talks were kept up, but their final success alienated
England’s only Continental ally Prussia.
Britain was completely isolated in Europe after the war was
over in 1763 but still remained the most powerful colonial power.
The American settlers already started to create nuisance. Slowly
minor problems turned to be major crisis in the government. The
king failed to reconcile with the warring parties. The superficially
radical populist John Wilkes started an organization called Society
for the Def ence of the Bill of Rights in 1769, which resembled a
political party.
In 1768, Smollett’s and Bute’s nemesis John Wilkes came
back from his French exile to take his personal revenge as he was
forced to leave the country years before for the legal troubl e. He
tried to bring a revolution or create a civil war like situation in
England. At the same time an anonymous writer who called himself
Junius and Philip Francis, an officer in the War Office, conducted a
slander campaign that added to the general insta bility.
Later, only in 1770, when the government collapsed, the
stability began in the kingdom which lasted for twelve years.
This was the political landscape Matthew Bramble, the
sarcastic protagonist of Smollett’s novel The Expedition of Humphry
Clinke rhas been living with for a few years when he does his tour
of Britain.
3.5THE SOCIAL MILIEU
The social structure during the mid -eighteenth century was
totally hierarchical. In fact, as Watson calls it, the society followed a
‘squirearchy’ implying the dominance of the squires -the rich and the
aristocratic gentry. The local landlords were the focal figures in the
political and economic life. This economic and political power gave
them the liberty to monopolise all branches of the legal profession.
Even to become a ‘Justice of Peace’ (JP), it was important to be a
landowner in most part of Britain. In the area of Middlesex, themunotes.in

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34tasks of the JPs were carried out by ‘mercenary JPs’ –men who
were not gentlemen but lived on the fees they received in return of
their services. Most of the time, these mercenary JPs were corrupt.
Even to vote, a man had to own, not rent, an estate worth 40
pounds a year. The local government of any provincial region was
made up of its JPs. It was almost impossible to appeal agai nst the
verdict of the JP.
The irritable protagonist of the novel -‘Humphry Clinker’ -
Matthew Bramble was a member of his day’s ruling class.
The trade was flourishing in England but most people still
lived on agriculture. The popularity of investing in trade and industry
was growing. Many landlords too began to invest in trade rather
than in agriculture once their land parcel was enclosed.
After the seven years long war with France came to an end,
Britain rose to the largest and most powerful empire ev er. The
importance and prestige of the trade rose subsequently. The status
assigned to the trade was much inflated than was in real. Wealth
began to pour in from the new colonies and it profoundly changed
the social hierarchies. There was the rise of a str ong, self -
conscious urban middle class, the rise of the literacy, and a new
literary genre that by the end of the century was virtually
unanimously referred to as the ‘novel’.
With the wealth pouring in, a bank system began to emerge
and in the 1760s, th e first canals were built. They were the greatest
means of transport till the railway lines were established.
In the field of agriculture, the Green Revolution had taken
place after the introduction of scientific farming. But it required
literacy, capita l and large strips of land. The requirements suggest
that it turned out to be a top -down revolution of leaving many small
farmers landless. The winners again were the big gentlemen
farmers.
The investments extended to the colonies abroad and the
exceedin gly handsome returns concentrated in the city of London
and other cities.
Britain in the second half of 18thcentury was a country in
transition –from a pre -modern, feudalist to an early modern,
capitalistic society. The transition was quick but surprisi ngly
smooth.
Quite unlike France, no revolution took place in Britain. The
reason can be attributed partly to the new religious movement like
Wesley’s Methodism and partly to the fact that the gentrymunotes.in

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35understood that there was money in new technologies an dt r a d e .
Sir Watt’s invention of the electric bulb was financed by a squire -
turned fabricant and it was the Duke of Bridgewater who got the
first canals built from the Worsley coal fields to Manchester.
Amidst these glorious economic developments, there w as
another development taking place -the crime. Crime was one of
the major diseases that the society was inflicted with. The
dimensions of the crime were impressive and the ineffective judicial
system rather than solving the issues, created more scope for
further crimes. Stealing a loaf of bread and a pint of ale was
enough to be hanged. It made punishment appear like a particularly
hard fate, since hardly any criminal was ever caught. The people on
the gallows were mainly clumsy hungry paupers who did not run
quick enough. Many judges were corrupt, and virtually no one was
qualified.
From Defoe to Dickens, the novels of the time portrayed
vividly the failure of the judicial system. Humphry’s juristic problems
in London are untypical only insofar as he has ag e n t l e m a np a t r o n
to help him out.
3.6 LITERARY ETHOS OF THE ERA :THE RISE OF
THE NOVEL
The 18thCentury, known as the Age of Reason, saw quick
transitions in terms of social, economic, political and scientific
dimensions. Although to call the 18thcentury as the Age of Reason
would be primarily flawed, but the term offers a wonderful functional
validity as reason remained an ideal passionate aspiration. Of
course, the term fails to acknowledge the other undercurrents
existent in the time and primacy of reason was glorified in other
historical period also, but, it efficiently captures the goal of every
aspect of life in the eighteenth century. The innovations in science
had given a carefully reasoned theoretical framework on which
other theories could be hung.
Two basic impulses dominated the age -Reason and
Passion. The reverence paid to reason was seen in the pursuit of
order, symmetry, decorum , and scientific knowledge. One cannot
ignore the passion with which reason was pursued. The passion of
the era can be seen in the cultivation of enthused philanthropy,
adulation of personal relationships, religious fervour, and the cult
ofsentiment or sensibility.
With the exaltation of wit and reason, satire, in the 18th
century received very special position dominating almost every
form of writing. The Horatian and Juvenalian satires of the popularmunotes.in

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36classical writers were re -read and the form was to be used by the
greatest poets of the era. Thro ugh keen observation and sharp
sprightliness, the follies and moral corruption of the society were
exposed. Beneath the ideals of rationality, order and knowledge,
society embraced a pervasive obsession with ‘decorum’, -a cloak of
established traditions and vanities of an elite class and a sense of
moral and political supremacy. These short coming and hypocrisies
of the society were exposed and chastised through the satires of
the time.
Satire as a mode flourished not only in poetry but also in the
new for m. The prime purpose of satire is moral instruction through
constructive social criticism offered in a humorous way. Wit was the
vehicle to draw attention to both particular and wider issues in
society.
Irony and sarcasm are the features of a satire. As N orthrup
Frye says -‘In satire, irony is militant.’
The pursuit of Reason, intellect, correctness and the moral
responsibility for instruction and censure through the satirical spirit
dominated the prose, poetry drama and the newly emerging genre -
the novel . Drama saw a steady decline and the novel reached its
highest literary point. The cult of wit, satire, and argument is evident
in England in the writings of Alexander Pope ,Jonathan Swift ,
andSamuel Johnson , continuing the tradition of Dryden from the
17thcentury.
With the rise of the middle class, the novel slowly
established itself as a major art form in English literature .T h e
rational appeal shown by realism was perhaps a gr eat attraction to
the new form. The realistic appeal that the epistolary and
picaresque form offered to the writers made them to be the most
experimented forms of the eighteenth century. The works
ofRichardson, Henry Fielding ,Daniel Defoe ,a n d Tobias
Smollett opened widely an intensive prospect for the new ge nre.
The other subgenres of the novel during the 18th century were the
sentimental novels, historical novels, the gothic novel and the
libertine novel. The 18th Century Europe started in the Age of
Enlightenment and gradually moved towards Romanticism .
3.7THE MID -EIGHTEENTH CENTURY NOVEL -‘THE
NEW SPECIES’
Daniel Defoe had already established a model of
autobiographical writing and the subsequent writers of the century
did not exactly reject the trend. They rather amplified and finally
superseded the form postulated by Defoe. Dr. Jonson wrote inmunotes.in

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371950 in ‘ The Rambler ’ about the work of fiction as ‘exhibits of life in
its true state, diversified only by accidents that daily happen in the
world.’ Jonson implied here the death of the heroic ‘romance’ and
the p reference for a newer, more realistic form. The fiction of the
1940s was ample proof to his statement. The phenomenal
popularity of Richardson’s and Fielding’s novels not only in Britain
but abroad is well attested.
Richardson’s Pamela is written in the f orm of a
correspondence between its main characters. Richardson’s own
voices acts as the editor compiling and arranging these letters. Like
Defoe, Richardson insisted on mingling aesthetic pleasure with
moral instruction but some critics found some episode so ft h en o v e l
to be immoral and to be too obsessed with economic class. His
subsequent novels Clarissa and ‘ The History of Sir Charles
Grandison’ remained equally popular. In the subsequent years,
Henry Fielding appeared with his equally successful parody
‘Shamela’. Fielding’s reputation also continued to grow with his
masterpiece -The History of Tom Jones ,AF o u n d l i n g .T h i s i s a
boisterous story in which Jones makes his way in the world through
a series of misadventures and romances portrayed in a light but
often erotic way. But even these erotic scenes had an infusion of
moral purpose. The novel concludes with the hero renouncing his
wayward past, marries, and settles down into a more decent,
sensible life.
The search for a more realistic form gave ris et ot h e
epistolary novel as they lend a kind of first -person voice associated
with more credibility. That explains the rise of the epistolary novel in
the mid -eighteenth century. The travel form or the picaresque style
is equipped with the capacity to off er a swiping panorama of the
society that could be depicted in the fiction to render realism.
Fielding used the form to an impressive success. Smollett, in his
most famous novel blended well both these popular forms of the
eighteenth century.
3.8LET’S SUM UP
The splendid scientific discoveries and innovations of the
eighteenth century paved the way for a spirit of rationality and
exploration in all spheres of life. The new money poured in from the
colonies and the scientific spirit infused a kind of confi dence to
experiment. The new writers emerged who tried various forms from
‘letters’ to the new ‘novel’. Against this backdrop of scientific
temper, rationality, pressing need felt by the writers for social
reforms, Tobias Smollett came out with his most po pular novel –
‘Humphrey Clinker’ a novel uniquely experimental and innovative in
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383.9 QUESTIONS
1.Throw light on the life and work of Tobias Smollett.
2.Write a note on the political scenario of the time of Smollett.
3.How was society in the time when Smollett wrote? Write a short
note focusing on the social scenario.
4.Write a short note on the literary ethos of 18thCentury
5.What were the factors responsible for the rise of the novel?
What were the distinguishing factors of a no vel from a
romance?
6.Write short notes on -
a)Epistolary novel and he 18thcentury
b)Picaresque novel and the 18thcentury.
3.10 REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/The_Expedition_of_Humphry_Clinker
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Humphry -Clinker -fictional -
character
https://www.english -heritage.org.uk/learn/story -of-
england/georgians/power -and-politics/
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39
Unit-4
STUDY OF HUMPHREY CLINKER -
PARTII
Unit structure :
4.0 Objective
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Plot Overview
4.3 Characters
4.4 Themes
4.5 Satire in the Novel
4.6 Humor in the Novel
4.7 Critical Assessment of the Novel
4.8 Let’s Sum Up
4.9 Questions
4.10 References
4.0OBJECTIVES
The objective of this unit is to offer in a nutshell the various
aspects of the novel ‘ The Expedition of Humphry Clinker’ that can
be unlocked for thorough study and analysis. Therefore, the
students are advised to study the text for appreciating the humour,
satire and the simple pleasure of the travelogue and also other
material to prepare better for the examination.
4.1. INTRODUCTION
Blending two most popular forms of novel writing in the
eighteenth century –the epistolary and the picaresque -Tobias
Smollett has finally given the world his most satisfying novel ‘ The
Expedition of Humphry Clinker’. Published few months before his
death in 1771, the novel depicts a family journey from the estates of
Matthew Bramble in Wales, through eastern England to London
and then northwards to Smollett’s native Scotland.
The n arrative is told through a series of eighty -two letters
exchanged between six characters: Matthew Bramble, a Welsh
Squire; his sister Tabitha; their niece Lydia and nephew Jeremy
Melford; Tabitha's maid Winifred Jenkins; and Lydia's suitormunotes.in

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40
Wilson. Twenty -seven of these letters are written by the elderly,
petulant protagonist Matthew Bramble.
The title character Humphry Clinker does not appear until
letter 28. Humphryis poverty stricken; naïve servant picked up
during the journey who later turns out to be t he son of the
protagonist Mathew Bramble.
The travelogue form offered a swiping panoramic view of the
society and its flaws to the author. His portrayal of the people,
places and events of the time remained admirably real. Smollett’s
own stay in France, Italy and Scotland, his varied experiences at
the sea as an assistant surgeon provided much of the raw material
for the truthful depiction of the situations. Andrew Sanders in his
History of English Literature says that -‘The topographical
exactness and the sharp, succinct observations of social and
geographical whims, particularly those of Bath, seem to have been
calculated to appeal to an audience alert to the literary attractions
of sentimental journeys’.
The epistolar y form also allowed wonderful freedom for the
plurality of voices. The letters helped for an overlap in the narration
of the events, people and places encountered during the journey
and for a multiplicity of opinions and viewpoints along with different
epistolary styles representing the temperament of each character.
The canvas of the novel tracing various places was enormously
wide. The form helped to shape the haphazardness of the ‘large
diffused picture’.
The fun and the humor arise from the differences in the
descriptions of the same events and places encountered in the
course of the journey by the participants. All the characters have
different motives to undertake the journey. The wild variations in the
motives and descriptions of the behavior of the characters add to
the subtle humor of the novel.
Smollett’s setting of his novel amidst the high -society spa
towns , inns, and seaside resorts of the 18th century provides him
with the opportunities for derision and ridicule of the English and
Scottish social and political life and manners.
The novel also offers an unusual Celtic flavour. The Welsh
origin of the family undertaking the journey, portrayal of Edinburgh’s
significance as an archetypal ‘big city’ and many descriptions
reveals the pull of the author’s own Scottish -ness. The novel,
typical of its time offers ridiculous coincidences, snobbish gentries,
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4.2PLOT OVERVIEW
The plot involves delightful romances, an illegitimate child
and entertaining quixotic character Lieutenant Obadiah Lismahago
and most importantly the moral instructions -the inevitable 18th
century spirit. The novel brings in all the ‘good things’ as
recommended by Sir Walter Scott's dictum "what the deuce is a
plot for except to bring in good things?" There are long discussions
and deliberations on the Enlightenment, Methodism, the Union and
the Freedom of the Press. Besides, numerous accounts of the
different forms of hospitality available in each place, also add to the
good things that his audience would enjoy.
The plot prim arily depends on the voyage Mathew Bramble
and his family undertakes through England and Scotland. The
primary motivation for the expedition is to restore the health of gout -
ridden Matthew Bramble. Matthew Bramble is the splendid
patriarch of the family. M atthew Bramble constantly writes to his
doctor Dr. Lewis complaining about his ailments. The journey is
undertaken as the visiting places holds prospects of improving his
health. He is accompanied by his family members -his sister
Tabitha; their niece Lyd ia and nephew Jeremy Melford; Tabitha's
maid Winifred Jenkins; and Lydia's suitor Wilson. B ut each member
of the family has their own personal motif to undertake the journey.
They leave Bramble's estate, the Brambleton Hall, in the south -
western corner of England passing through many cities. The family
makes either long or significant stops at many cities like
Gloucester, Bath ,L o n d o n ,H a r r o g a t e , Scarborough and Edinburgh .
Bramble begins to hate Bath the moment he arrives there
but his younger companions love it. Tabit ha Bramble hunts for a
husband and manages to interest an Irish Night in spite of her rare
charms. But he immediately is disenchanted when Mr. Bramble
opens his eyes to his sister’s actual financial condition.
After the spell of the fashionable city ofBath, Matthew
Bramble moves his journey to London. Lydia, young niece with her
romantic disposition had never seen the Big City –the hub of
England’s political, economic and social life. If Bramble hated Bath,
he detested London even more. The city meant fo rh i mt ob et h e
epitome of corruption of the age with the fading class distinction
and the rising political power of the layman.
While travelling to London, the family meets a young
peasant called Humphry Clinker. Humphry’s help to the family after
a mish ap wins the heart of Matthew Bramble. Bramble dismisses
both his coachman and his valet and appoints Humphry as the new
coach man . Being thankful at the charity shown by Matthew
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Humphry offers hims elf to be the coachman for the next trip for
free. Humphry had problems with a corrupt judge in the City and
having a charitable master, he moved ahead with the family to
Scotland. He saves Win Jenkins, Tabitha Bramble’s maid from
rape. He also reveals his devotion, enthusiasm and a natural talent
for preaching his Methodist ideology -much to Bramble’s dislike.
Bramble’s ceaseless criticism of the society goes on making
him sick. Jery learns to enjoy looking beyond his uncle’s
Grumpiness and hypochondria and appreciating his sense of
observation and sympathy. Tabitha’s bitterness keeps on growing
as her hunt for a husband and Lydia keeps dreaming of Wilson.
Win Jenkins feels affectionate towards Jery’s dandy footman
Humphry but not sure whether to display her feelings to him.
Humphry proves to be tremendously useful but sometimes over -
zealous. While approaching the Scottish border, the company
meets Obadiah Lismahago, a Scottish veteran and retired
lieutenant who had worse time in America.
In Scotland, Bramble recovers his health and returns to
England as a dynamic, strong and optimistic -a changed man.
Matthew Bramble gets sufficient opportunities to display his
renewed energy on the way back home to Wales. Lismahago, re -
joins the company on English ground and wins Tabitha’s heart,
making an end to hermisery and distress with Bramble consenting
for the happy union.
Bramble displays o fh i sn e w -found energy in restoring the
estates of an old friend ,ruined primarily by the corruption of the
age-the negative influence of a snobbish woman addicted to
luxurious indulgences and extreme display of wealth almost to the
point of its destructio n.
Bramble meets a college friend on the way back home and
some shocking but happy revelations takes place. Lydia’s love
interest Wilson turns out to be the son of his college friend and
Humphry turns out to be the illegitimate son of Matthew Bramble
from a relationship with a barmaid during his wilder university days.
Thus, two of the characters are uplifted to the position of gentlemen
to restore traditional order and happiness in the narrative.
Tabitha won Lismahago, Lydia her ‘Wilson’ who is now
George Dennison, Win Jenkins her Humphry and last but not the
least Mathew his Loyd. Three marriages of the younger ones take
place before Matthew Bramble marries his love Loyd. Mr. and Mrs.
Lismahago return to Brambleton Hall and the youngsters are drawn
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The novel has a conventional, romance like happy ending.
The voyage in the novel is used as a chance to change Bramble
and his companions realise their prejudices against the Scots in
particular in their Caledonian trip and anyone different in general. It
was a bold political endeavour. While Smollett was supporting his
fellow Scot Bute in the parliament of George III through his weekly
‘The Briton’, John Wilkes, his dreadful political opponent was
strengthening up anti -Scottish feeling in the pages of the North
Briton .Onanother side, Horace Walpole had claimed that Smollett
was trying to create sympathy for the Scots. Walpole commented
that ‘Humphry Clinker’ was "the profligate hirel ing Smollett"
attempting to "vindicate the Scots".
4.3CHARACTERS
1. Matthew Bramble
Matthew Bramble, the misanthropic protagonist in his fifties,
is a Welsh archetypal country squire. His correspondence is
primarily with his physician, Dr. Lewis. It is through his
correspondence to Dr. Lewis and those of Jeremy, the reader
comes to know t hat Bramble is misanthropic and a hypochondriac.
He appears largely reasonable and extremely charitable to the
people he meets on his travels as well as to his servants. It is his
letters that introduce the readers with the significant eighteenth -
century c oncerns like medicine, the growth of urban life, class, the
growth of the periodical press and the public sphere making a
cynical ridicule of them at the same time .His disillusio nment at the
rapidly changing moral and social landscape of England not only
reveals his conservative outlook but also expose the absurdities of
contemporary British culture.
He functions as the satiric spokesperson of Smollett on the
ills of civilisatio n of his time. Obsessed with his health, the patriarch
of the family is in constant quest of his lost health. He frequently
writes to his doctor Dr. Lewis complaining about his ill health and is
seeking panacea for his problem. Jeremy Melford, his young
nephew describes him as hypochondriac and worrisome but
essentially playful and good humoured –
"Those follies, that move my uncle's spleen, excite my
laughter. He is as tender as a man without a skin; who cannot bear
the slightest touch without flinching. What tickles another would
give him torment; and yet he has what we may call lucid intervals,
when he is remarkably facetious -Indeed, I never knew a
hypochondriac so apt to be infected with good -hum our. . .. A lucky
joke, or any ludicrous incident, will set him a -laughing
immoderately, even in one of his most gloomy paroxysms..." (April
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Bramble returns to England as a changed man -his health is
restored and thus with it isrestored hisoptimism.
2. Jeremy Melford
Jeremy Melford, the young nephew of Matthew Bramble and
an Oxford graduate, presents himself as a complete contrast to his
uncle. In contrast to Matthew Bramble who perceives the world as
degenerate and raucous overcrowding, Jeremy is always in search
of amusement everywhere. He undertakes the journey too as an
amusement project. He writes primarily toSir Watkin Phillips
ofJesus College ,Oxford .A l t h o u g h Jery also focuses upon the
same issues his uncle chooses to focus, the approach and the
perspectives are totally different. The difference brings in the
difference of two generations -the outlook of the young and the old.
Jeremy turns out to be t he mouthpiece for a more progressive
generation with progressive outlook than that of his rather
traditional uncle. But, in spite of his liberal and democratic opinions
and incisive observations of the hypocrisy and absurdity of others,
he appears to be im pulsive and ‘hot -headed’ through the letters of
his uncle.
3. Tabitha Bramble
Tabitha Bramble, Matthew Bramble’ s unmarried sister
displays her bitterness in life through her selfish and malicious
dealings with the poor and the needy. The bitterness that her
brother Matthew Bramble displays at the socio -political ills of the
society is well balanced by his essential ly helpful, sympathetic
nature and his desire to bring back order and health to the society;
the bitterness of Tabitha Bramble remains too personal and
unjustified. She reveals her temperament and selfishness through
her correspondences with Mrs. Gwyllim, the house -keeper at
Brambleton Hall. She is cold and lacks sympathy and generosity
towards servants and the needy. Her snobbishness and her social
pretensions along with her frequent misunderstandings, misuse of
common idioms and terrible spellings are the stock of scornful
laughter. She is unattractive -
"Mrs. Tabitha Bramble is a maiden of forty -five. In her
person, she is tall, raw -boned, awkward, flat -chested, and stooping;
her complexion is sallow and freckled; her eyes are not grey, but
greenish, lik e those of a cat, and generally inflamed; her hair is of a
sandy, or rather dusty hue; her forehead low; her nose long, sharp,
and towards the extremity, always red in cool weather; her lips
skinny, her mouth extensive, her teeth straggling and loose, of
various colours and conformation; and her long neck shrivelled into
a thousand wrinkles" (May 6).
Her nephew Jery explains the reason behind her malice in
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"In her temper, she is proud, stiff, vain, imperious, prying,
malicious, greedy, and uncha ritable. In all likelihood, her natural
austerity has been soured by disappointment in love; for her long
celibacy is by no means owing to her dislike of matrimony" (May 6).
4. Winifred Jenkins Winifred Jenkins or Win Jenkins is Tabitha’ s
servant and makes correspondence with the other servants at
Brambleton Hall. It is only his letters that are not related to Matthew
Bramble and offers a sympathetic and humorous perspective on
the family and their travels. He appears as the comic foil to Tabitha
Bramble. It is Jenkins who shares the innumerable misspellings
and malapropisms of Tabitha Bramble.
5. Lydia Melford
Lydia Melford, another significant character in the novel is
Matthew Bramble’s niece. She is young and only seventeen years
old w ith romantic disposition. She chooses to make the journey to
overcome her unhappy romantic entanglement with a stage actor
named Wilson. Wilson later turns out to be a gentleman named
George Dennison. Lydia corresponds with Miss Letitia Willis, her
friend at Gloucester. Her letters reveal her dilemma. She is stuck
between familial duty and her affection for Wilson. Style, fashion,
upper class society, and young men fascinate her. While Matthew
Bramble detested Bath, Lydia appreciated it romantically. She
writes to her friend about the entertainments in Bath:
"Hard by the Pump -room, is a coffee -house for the ladies;
but my aunt says, young girls are not admitted, inasmuch as the
conversation turns upon politics, scandal, philosophy, and other
subjects above our capacity; but we are allowed to accompany
them to the booksellers’ shops, which are charming places of
resort; where we read novels, plays, pamphlets, and news -papers,
for so small a subscription as a crown a quarter" (April 26).
Her discussions on the places she is allowed to visit in Bath
(hitherto considered improper for a young lady), provides a picture
of a society where women were seen as intellectually incapable to
comprehend politics and other serious matters during the 18t h
century.
6.Humphry Clinker
Humphry Clinker, the title character is poor -a stableman at
an inn. He appears quite late in the story -after letter 28. He is
picked up by Matthew Bramble and his family as their servant while
they are traveling towards London. Humphry Clinker, although
primarily appears to be foolish, earns the esteem of Matthew
Bramble through his good -natured earnestness. He offends Tabitha
but amuses Matthew Bramble. He is presented mainly through the
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his regular misunderstandings; he is portrayed as a passionate,
talented and gifted orator. The readers can see him attracting a
devoted following of parishioners during a brief oratorical stint in
London. Soon after some var ied romantic interludes, Humphry
suffers imprisonment on a false accusation of being a highway
robber. None the less, he retains the confident support of Matthew
Bramble and his family. He is finally freed and returned to his
sweetheart, the maid Winifred Jenkins. Eventually, the exposer
takes place that Humphry is Mr. Bramble's illegitimate son from a
relationship with a barmaid during his wilder university days.
4.4THEMES
1.Social Class and Manners
Social class and manners are one of the most obvious
themes noticeable in the novel. When Mrs. Bramble meets
Humphry Clinker for the first time, she is repulsed by his clothing
choices. Clinker is poverty stricken and cannot afford a shirt. His
loose pants , too big for his thin and shrunken body, begin to slip
down his backside. Mrs Bumble assumes herself to be a lady with
highly refined manners belonging to the gentry and cannot put -up
with her carriage driver Clinker who for her, was a ‘beggarly rascal,
that he had ne'er a shirt to his back; and had the impudence to
shock her sight by shewing his bare posteriors’ (May 24). Here,
Mrs. Bramble appears to be more concerned with what other
people might think about herown status for having a half -naked
man as her driver rather than understanding and helping the poor.
2.Parliamentary Politics
Smollett’s Matthew Bramble is politically a Tory, much like
the author in real life. Tories were the group of people who
supported conservative politics against the dominant Whig ideology
upholding ‘constitutional rule’ in place of absolute monarchy.
Typical of a Tory, Matthew Bramble displays his displeasure at the
chaos created in the city because of the fusion of the classes and
the lack of hierarchy. But we have to rememb er that political parties
were not as clearly formed and organised in the eighteenth century
as it is today. The Whigs and Tories then, were not absolutely
distinct tendencies in the political class then. Watson writes –‘[…] it
may be said that anyone call ing himself a tory was glorying his lack
of political common sense and lack of ambition for office. Whigs
were those who aspired to ministerial status, but also included
those who –even if as anti -court as any tory -gladly accepted the
existing order […] T he country Whigs cannot be logically
distinguished from the Tories.’
Mr.Bramble feels that the fusion of the classes and the lack
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city. As an antidote to the problem, Mr. Bramble offers a model for
rewarding rural environment of the Highlanders of Cameron:
"Landers of Cameron: "The connection between the clan
and the chiefs is, without all doubt patriarchal. It is founded on
hereditary regard and affection, cherished through a long
succes sion of ages. The clan consider the chief as their father. they
obey him as their lord all while he exerts a paternal authority,
commanding, chastising, rewarding, protecting, and maintaining
them as his own children." (Latter dated September 30)
3.Medici ne
While providing a realist portrayal of the ills of civilisation of
the eighteenth century, the novel pervades into the world of
medicine in the most pertinent way. The journey is primarily
undertaken as a quest for regaining the lost health of the gout -
ridden, hypochondriac protagonist Matthew Bramble. Bramble’s
quest for health can also be read as a co -related quest for the
panacea for the ills of the Nation. England’s social, political and
cultural conditions are also diseased in his perception and nee ded
cure. As the Bramble family moves from one place of healing to the
next, Brambles tries a wide range of cures and meets different
people suffering from other different diseases. He considers his
doctor as his friend and companion. Smollett’s own experi ence in
the field had given him the skill to describe the medical concepts of
the period. Even for the socio -cultural and political ills, Bramble
always offers a model which he feels to be the cure for the
problems at his own homeland.
4.Religion
Although n ot central to the tone and outlook of the novel,
cynical observations on the religious changes of the time is well
strewn over the passages of the novel. Smollett’s satire is primarily
lashed upon the social and political activities of his time but he
doesn’t forget to bring in this important aspect of life also to his
massive social saga.
The novel doesn’ t say much about the established Anglican
Church but what it says about its clergy is definitely not flattering.
The glimpses that reader gets about the clerical system are that the
most of the work at the grass -root level were carried out by the
underpaid drudges and the well -paid senior clergies involved
themselves with all the luxuries of a secular aristocracy. The pre -
occupation of the clergy with worldly comfort and their skill in taking
advantage of the spiritual position is described well when Matth ew
Bramble describes their presence in the luxury spas in Bath -‘there
is always a great shew of the clergy at Bath: none of your thin,
puny, yellow, hectic figures exhausted with abstinence and hard
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dignitaries and rectors, with rubicund noses and gouty ancles or
broad bloated faces, dragging along great swag bellies, the
emblems of sloth and indigestion’ (JM May 17).
The caricature of the luxury -loving, ambitious, worldly clerics
is enhanced with the immediately following account of the duel
through which the corrupt activities of Tom Eastgate is revealed.
Tom Eastgate, apparently unlikely candidate for spiritual honour
and a man of worldly pleasures, extorts his well -paying clerical
living f rom his erstwhile patron George Prankley. Later in the novel,
both Jery Melford and Matthew Bramble observe the absence of
the clergy when they attend a levee of the Duke of Newcastle after
the duke’s loss to the parliament.
Smollett’s most significant pr esentation in the novel about
the religious cross currents of 18thcentury England is given through
his more directly condemnatory look at the Methodist Movement of
the time. Methodism or Methodist movement referred to a
historically related group of Prote stant Christianity who followed the
doctrine and ideals of Social Gospel given by John Wesley. They
emphasised charity and support for the poor and the sick.
Methodism for Smollett was against order and reason. It faced two
main charges during its time –‘enthusiasm’ and ‘hypocrisy’ and the
novel illustrates these charges thorough the character of Humphry
Clinker. Humphry’s enthusiasm to preach wherever he gets a
chance is caricatured effectively in the novel.
4.5SATIRE IN THE NOVEL
Satire was the distinctive attribute of the 18thcentury literary
ethos and typically representing the temperament of his age,
Tobias Smollett in his ‘The Expedition of Humphry Clinker’ lashes
out strongly at the ills of civilisation observed by him.
Matthew Bramble, the cynical hypochondriac protagonist of
the novel functions as the satiric spokesperson on the ‘unfortunate
transfusion of values’ in the socio -political scenario of Smollett’s
time. But Smollett doesn’t limit his powerful satire only to a c riticism
of the ills of the society but also provides an alternative model of
the opposite virtues as the much -required cure. The model
provided serves as the standard of imitation so that the ailing nation
can heal itself. All the models that Bramble prov ides as the
panacea signify a reaffirmation and commitment to the old moral
standards -typical of Smollett’s own ideology.
Bramble’s satire becomes all the more bitter and serious in
the city of Bath. For him -"They look like the wreck of streets and
squar es disjointed by an earthquake, which hath broken the ground
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stuffed them altogether in a bag, and left them to stand higgledy
piggledy, just as chance directed. What sort of a monster Ba th will
become in a few years, with those growing excrescences, may be
easily conceived".
All the criticism that Matthew Bramble makes for the city is
juxtaposed with the applause he makes for the country life. For
example, when he complains Bath as "a compound of villainous
smells," he craves for the "pure, elastic animating air of the Welsh
mountains. He vouches for the returns of the country life in
opposition to the failings of the city life. The "insomnia" in the city
could be replaced by the "refreshing sleep" in the country side and
the simple bread in London could be replaced by a "delet erious
paste."
Matthew Bramble’s position as an educated, upper class,
well-informed, emotional but rational man and his patriotic concerns
for the welfare of his fellow beings qualifies him to criticize the
society in which he lives. In this perspective, Matthew Bramble's
austere criticism on the evils of the society becomes a valid,
justified outburst. His pungent criticism is directed at individual evil
which isthe cause of the social evil.
Smollett has been criticised by Sterne as "Smelfungus" for
his sullen, cynical sarcasm in the novel. Many of the aspects that
Smollett comments in ‘Humphry Clinker’ are concerned with the
changes being fashioned in English society in the 1760s. Amidst
thefast-swelling standards of living, the rise in social status of the
new wealthy class and the urbanization of English life, Smollett
observes the changing scenario in the politics too. The English
populace was gaining political power and the aristocratic w ere
losing control over the government. Like Swift, Pope and Johnson,
Smollett was dismayed to see the tenor and tempo of English life
and was alarmed at the threat posed by Whiggish ideology, middle -
class tampering with tradition and violation of establis hed decorum.
As a satiric spokesperson of Smollett, Matthew Bramble reacts
quite bitterly to these disorders wrought in the society. The picture
of the future foreseen amidst these social chaos and political
anarchy is ghastly. The chaotic, diseased nation needs its cure just
like Matthew Bramble and the cure lies in the establishment of
order and harmony through the old, traditional political and moral
values.
4.6HUMOUR IN THE NOVEL
In spite of the outrageous satire prevalent throughout the
travel narr ative of ‘Humphry Clinker’, it doesn’t fail to entertain the
readers with its zestful humour. Much of the fun and keen humour
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narrations of the same events and places seen through the
variega ted lenses of the characters’ individual perspectives. The
novel provides a charming physical journey through a delightful
cast of characters and locale making it a literary tour of Europe in
the 18thcentury.
Brilliant word plays mingled with the situat ional and
observational humour enriches the appeal of the novel.
The novel provides observational humour through the
character of Matthew Bramble, the witty protagonist. His social
position, education and esse ntially good nature make him reliable
for such observations and assert him as the satiric commentator.
Reference to the bodily functions, taboo language, breaches
of manners across social class boundaries add to the fun and
humour of the novel.
The no vel also provides ample of situational comedy that
depends primarily on the plot elements. While Matthew Bramble
choses to observe and comment on the people and the places of
their journey, his young counterpart Jery Melford choses to focus
on the events a nd the situations of the journey. Situational comedy
relies on the practical jokes, mistaken identity, and physical humour
employed in the text. Jery, an Oxford graduate, focus on the people
of a lower class to generate this kind of humour. While
correspon ding with his peer, Jery refers to the subjects of his letters
as “beasts,” “lessers” and if people of higher classes are involved in
Jery’s stories in any situation, it is always because of the presence
of someone of a lower class. Class distinction comes even in the
generation of humour. The use of hilarious word -plays and bodily
language are employed and targeted at the lower -class.
4.7CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE NOVEL
‘The Expedition of Humphry Clinker’ earns its author his
special place among the can onical writer of the 18thcentury. The
novel attains a unique position because of its unique blend of
epistolary and picaresque elements and the inventive experiments
with form and the themes. But it also retains the essential 18th
century spirit of moral, political and social reformation through
satire.
Unlike Smollett’s earlier novel, Humphry Clinker deviates
from the typical picaresque novel. The protagonist is not a
real ‘picaro’ .Ar e a l‘ picaro ’ is a rogue who makes a living by his
wits and often drawn into violent, grotesque, adventures. Although
we see a Quixotic figure in Obadiah Lismahago, Matthew Bramble,
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into violent adventures. While a real ‘ picaro’ is forced to travel a sa
means to escape the prosecution for a crime committed, Matthew
Bramble undertakes the travel to secure his failing health.
The loosely connected episodic structure of picaresque
novel provides Smollett with the capacity to bring in diverse
elements in to the text of ‘ Humphry Clinker’.
The novel also capitalises the idea of multiple perspectives –
the Bakhtinian polyphonic voices within a novel.
4.8LET’S SUM UP
‘Humphry Clinker’ in its unique experimentation with form
and content, remains one of the significant novels of the 18th
century. The indignant satire on the ills of civilising, although
unsuitable for a ludicrous picaresque form, makes a wonderful
entry into a seemingly pleasant and delightful travelogue. Smollett
has simultaneously used and also deviated from the typical
picaresque and the epistolary form.
4.9QUESTIONS
1.Write a note on the plot -structure of the novel ‘Humphry Clinker’.
2.Discuss the important of the no vel
3.Throw light on the character of Matthew Bramble and his role as
a satiric spokesperson.
4.Write a note on the humour of the novel.
5.Critically evaluate the strength of the novel.
6.Write short notes on the role and character of
a)Matthew Bramble
b)Tabitha Bramble
c)Jeremy Melford
d)Winifred Jenkins
e)Lydia Melford
f)Humphry Clinker
4.10REFERENCES
https://www.enotes.com/topics/expedition -humphry -
clinker/characters
https://ugapress.org/book/9780820315379/the -expedition -of-
humphry -clinker/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/The_Expedition_of_Humphry_Clinker
https://www.enotes.com/topics/expedition -humphry -clinker/themes
munotes.in

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52Unit-5
STUDY OF GULLIVER'S TRAVELS PART I
Unit Structure:
5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 About the Author :Jonathan Swift
5.3 Gulliver’s Travels as a Satire
5.4 Jonathan Swift as a Satirist
5.5 Preface of Gulliver’s Travels
5.6 Gulliver’s First Voyage to Lilliput
5.7 Gulliver’s Second Voyage to Brobdingnag
5.8 Gulliver’s Third Voyage to Laputa
5.9 Gulliver’ sF o u r t hV o y a g et ot h eL a n do fH o u y h n h n m s
5.10 Let’s Sum Up
5.11 Questions
5.12 References
5.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit aims at making the students familiar with:
The author of Gulliver’s Travels -Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift as a Satirist
Gulliver’s T ravels as a Satire
A basic approach to the text of Gulliver’s Travel
5.1INTRODUCTION
Gulliver’s Travels by Jo nathan Swift is one of the finest
examples of satire in English literature. Early eighteen century
England was the golden age of satire. Not only did brilliant minds of
neo-classical age were at work, but the political situation and
development of prose pr oved fertile to the development of satire.
Swift creates the real life like persona of the protagonist
captain Lemuel Gulliver. The book contains four voyages to remote
and strange places that test adaptability, patience, courage and
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535.2ABOUT THE AUTHOR -JONATHAN SWIFT (1667 -
1745)
Among the English writers of the Neo -classical age, no other
writer leaves an indelible impression upon the readers in the genre
of satirical writings as Jonathan Swift. Swift was born in Dublin ,
Ireland, to English Parents in 1667. He lost his father much before
he was born and mother was poor, thus making him reliant upon
the grudging relatives for his upbringing. He studied at Kilkenny
school and later at Dublin University. He detested the cur riculum
there but was compelled to study to receive a degree. Upon
graduation, one of his distant relatives, Sir William Temple, an
English statesman and a diplomat accepted him as his private
secretary, upon the word of his mother. Swift had begun to grow
bitter with the compelling circumstances in his early life. Here, he
came in contact with Esther Johnson, a young family friend of
Temple, with whom he is believed to be in close and ambiguous
lifelong relationship and to whom many of Swift’s poems are
addressed in the name of ‘Stella’
The Battle of the Books , Swift’s first notable satire upon the
two parties indulged in the literary controversy concerning the
comparative merits of the classics and the modern literature gets
written around this time. Hisrelation with Temple influenced him to
develop his love of reading and writing as he was entrusted with the
work of the former’s correspondence and assistance in memoir
writing. Later, upon Temple’s death, he entered the Church of
England. Few years later, he joined the little church of Laracor,
Ireland, which exposed him to prevalence of corrupt practices in the
institution. He was too proud to bring himself to seek any favours
from the authorities but continued to serve the poor masses. He
wrote AT a l eo f aT u b , another scathing satire directed at the
churches of the day during this period, which gets published in
London in 1704, along with The Battle of the Books .H i sw o r k
brought him instant fame as the most powerful satirist of his age.
He became a soug ht-after figure in the world of literary writings.
Swift commanded the respect for writing scathing pamphlets, which
was considered as a powerful political tool in the Neo -classical age.
The Tories celebrated his companionship while the Whigs feared
his sa tirical aim towards them. He soon entered the world of
politics, leaving behind the world of religion, which he was to again
join after the decline of Tory power in politics. He was offered the
position of Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, which h e
bitterly accepted.
It was in Ireland around this phase of his life that his best -
known literary work, Gulliver’s Travels , was being shaped. His
growing bitterness towards humanity gets reflected amply in the
work. It became a celebrated work as s oon as it was publishedmunotes.in

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54(1726) and printed. However, his personal sorrows and frustrations
culminated in the death of Esther Johnson in 1728. Gradually, he
displayed symptoms of a brain disease and towards the end of his
life, he had turned into a maniac. Swift died in 1745, leaving his
property to found St. Patrick’s Asylum for lunatics. Among some of
his other notable literary contributions include Drapier’s Letters
(1724 -25), AModest Proposal (1729) and A Journal to Stella
(1710 -1713)
5.3GULLIVER’ S TRAVELS AS A SATIRE
Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726) has continued to achieve
popularity as a scathing criticism of his contemporary society i.e.,
European society of the Eighteenth century. It is considered a
prime example of satirical works in Englis hL i t e r a t u r ea n d
characteristic of the writing style of its author. Satire becomes a
literary tool in the hands of an author to not only highlight the
existing vices and corruptive practices in human world but attempts
to propose reforms and correctives to overcome the shortcomings.
In his words, “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do
generally discover everybody’s face but their own; which is the
chief reason for that kind of reception it meets in the world, and that
so very few are offended with it” Through Gulliver’s Travels ,S w i f t
tries his hands brilliantly at mocking and undercutting the existing
lofty ideas of human progress with the help of scientific knowledge
and technology. The British eighteenth century is also referred as
‘The Age of E nlightenment’ with its emphasis upon human
rationality and superiority.
The primary structure of the narrative of Gulliver’s Travels ,a t
the onset, mocks the idea of the travelogue writing, which was
much in vogue during the eighteenth century. Swift cri ticises the
veracity of the travelogue narratives of his contemporary times by
making Lemuel Gulliver as an adventurer, traveller and inquisitive
explorer, by structuring the narrative into four different voyages that
he undertakes. It is significant to no te that Gulliver’s Travels does
not become a travel -writing rather, it shapes itself into a satirical
presentation of four different lands. Gulliver is also presented as an
unreliable and gullible narrator in the manner he conducts himself
in these four st range lands.
Through his first voyage to Lilliput, Swift makes the local
political conditions as his object of satire. The technique of satire
employed by the author is irony and ridicule here. The short heights
of the Lilliputians, about six inches longe r evokes a certain
shocking response from Gulliver, who ‘appears’ almost as a giant to
them. Swift makes use of dimensions and proportions to highlight
the irony in the miniature world of Lilliput. He attributes to them his
critical observations and insigh ts which he personally witnessedmunotes.in

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55and experienced in the political atmosphere of England and Ireland.
During the eighteenth century, the politics involved a continued
conflict between two of the major political factions in English
parliament i.e., Whigs and the Tories. The former represented the
liberal ideologies while the latter believed in the conservative
policies. These two factions have been mocked by Swift as in the
way they fought over the height of the heels. Reldresser, the
Secretary of the Private Affairs in Lilliput, introduces Gulliver to the
volumes of books devoted to the controversy which also dealt with
the conflicts based upon religious differences of beliefs. The Big
Endiens and the Little Endiens, who represented the Protestants
and the Ca tholics are criticised in their beliefs regarding the end
from which an egg should be broken. Swift makes a caricature of
the human greed, pride and selfishness through creating the
Lilliputians as only six -inches of height. The lofty ideas inherent in
theworld of Lilliputia nabout pride, authority and display of power
have been reduced by portraying them as insignificant. Though
small in size, the emperor desires to ‘become the sole emperor of
the world’, by defeating his rival nation, Blefuscu, with the
assistance of Gulliver. Swift makes fun of the nations of Europe
who developed rivalries to gain power over one another. The
dousing of the fire by Gulliver through the act of urinating not only
offends the Queen but all his assistance is forgotten and he is given
punishment. With this episode, Swift wants to mock the sudden
changes in the mood of the powerful and mighty, who could punish
the loyalist if offended. This is indicative of Swift’s personal
experience of causing displeasure to the Queen while he protested
to demand certain reforms in the Irish Church. The satire employed
in the first voyage is primarily political. The contemporary readers
must have comprehended the Lilliputians political controversies as
those reflecting the English politics of t he day. Swift’s reduction of
the political ideas of his day equating them to the (in)significance of
height of heels or the manner of eating eggs is a deliberate tool in
the hands of the satirist.
Through his second voyage to the land of Brobdingnag,
Gulliver finds himself amongst the giants, a complete contrast to
the Lilliputians. Here, he becomes a ‘Lilliputian’ for these giants.
The perspectives undergo a radical change. Swift uses irony once
again to caricature the European ideals of human progress an d
development. Gulliver’s learning of the governing principles of
Brobdingnagians makes him perceive the shallowness of the
European mindset, who were proud of their knowledge of using
gunpowder to destroy the enemy nations. The response of the
Emperor to Gulliver while he defends his nation’s governing laws
and principles, is evident in the expression, ‘odious vermins’. The
Europeans are reduced to the stature of the vermins by the
emperor. This is an outsider’s perspective upon the European world
and thou gh quite similar in human figure and behaviour, the giantsmunotes.in

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56display an alternative and moral perspectives, as emphasised by
Swift.
The third voyage of Gulliver takes him to a unique land
called Laputa and related regions. Swift’s satire takes a dig at the
strange principles of living in this land. He has criticised the over -
emphasis of his own age in the learning of the abstract theories
which have no practical values in real life through Gulliver’s journey
to Laputa. Abstract behaviour characterises the La putans at every
walk of their lives and they appear so lost in their own that they
have no time or energy to think about the everyday realities such as
proper clothing, food, relationships etc. Their complete dependence
upon mathematics, philosophy and ast ronomy governed their lives
in every aspect. Laputans were more concerned with the theory
than the practical in their lives. The King himself disapproved of the
intellectual pursuits and concerns that differed from his own nation.
He did not concern himsel fw i t ht h ep u b l i cw e l f a r e .H o w e v e r ,h i s
official seal depicted a picture of a king lifting up a lame beggar
from the earth. Through the controlling means of Flying island, Swift
directs the attention of the readers towards the Anglo -Irish conflict.
Further , his introduction of the character of Munodi has been set up
to bring about the contrast to the people filled with abstract
principles. Munodi comes across as the ‘ideal man’ according to
Swift. He uses his traditional knowledge to develop his estate. On
the other hand, Swift’s descriptions of the grand experiments and
projects in Laputan Island, which result in disasters, is an ironic
view upon the Royal Academy and its intellectual pursuits of his
contemporary times. He criticises the knowledge of such s cience
which is distant from its application in real lives to make it
convenient.
Swift’s gradual reduction of the man as a pigmy, a giant, a
weird scientist/rationalist through the voyages ultimately lead him to
proclaim that animals are much better bein gs than human beings
after he meets the Houyhnhnms in his last voyage. His satire
adopts the crudest form in the last voyage which makes him totally
disillusioned with the man. He rejects the company of men when he
returns home in England. He finds the civ ilised behaviour of the
horses far better than the so called ‘perfect’ humans. He prefers to
depict the men as Yahoos, the degraded creatures in the land of
the horses, who controlled the former. Swift’s invective against
mankind is evident when he compare s the simple yet innocent
world of animals against the powerful, controlling, biased and
greedy human world. Swift’s technique of satire not only targets the
local but the global as well. The entire mankind becomes his target
inGulliver’s Travels.
The vo yages of Gulliver satirise different aspects of the
eighteenth -century English society in terms of its politics, wars withmunotes.in

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57neighbouring nations, emphasis upon newer knowledges in fields of
science and technology etc. Among the three primary kinds of
satire , Swift makes use of the Menippean satire, which is not very
harsh but has no fixed one target. As Gulliver’s Travels depict, Swift
targets various ideas including the human society in general. The
effectiveness of Gulliver’s Travels as a satire lends it a popular
reading across readers of all ages.
5.4JONATHAN SWIFT AS A SATIRIST
Swift is universally recognised as predominantly a great
writer of satire in Neo -classical age of English literature. He
represents the popular genre of literary writing of the eighteenth -
century England. The century is often referred to as the golden age
of satire and the politics found itself the subject of popular satire in
the age. Among his well -known prose writings include The Battle of
the Books (1704); The Tale of aT u b (1704); Predictions for the
Ensuing Year (1708); The Drapier’s Letters (1724); Gulliver’s
Travels (1726) and A Modest Proposal (1729)
The satire of Swift is sprinkled with irony and an attitude of
mockery towards the subject. In one of his letters addressed to
Alexander Pope, he makes it clear, “I hate and detest that animal
called man, although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas and so
forth” His target is not an individual or specific vice but humanity in
general. It assumes the nature of satire aimed at human nature and
not a single person. This is evident in the fourth voyage in Gulliver’s
Travels .
The Battle of the Books had been a result of a popular
controversial discourse in the contemporary period. The
controversy related to the dispute ab out the comparative merits of
Ancient and Modern literature. Swift was drawn into the controversy
on account of his relative and patron, Sir William Temple, who had
earlier written an essay on the topic in which he had praised the
spurious Epistles of Phal aris. He was severely criticised by William
Wotton and Bentley. As a ‘good -humoured’ response to them, Swift
wrote The Battle of the Books . He describes the battle in a symbolic
manner which emerges out of the request by the moderns that the
Ancients shoul d evacuate the higher of the two peaks of Mount
Parnassus. The Ancients include Plato, Aristotle, Pindar, Homer
and others, who are led by Sir William Temple while the Moderns
have a team including Milton, Dryden, Hobbes and others, assisted
by Momus, a de ity of ridicule and Criticism, a malignant deity. Later,
a peace talk ensues and the book leaves the subject undecided.
AT a l eo faT u b is an allegorical satirical tale that revolves
around the question of religion and state. Swift weaves a tale to
bring home the point. It is a tale of a father who leaves a coat formunotes.in

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58each of his son, with directions that it should be never altered by
them. The three sons symbolise the different sects of religion
practiced in England in Swift’s time. Peter symbolises Roman
Catholic Church, Martin represents the Anglican Church while Jack
symbolises the Puritan Church. The sons disobey their father and
change their coats as per the current fashion of the day.
Subsequently, over a period of time, Martin and Jack quarrel with
Peter (most arrogant) but in some time, they fight with each other
and finally separate.
A Modest Proposal is Swift’s is most popular scathingly
satirical tracts on state of affairs of Ireland. It is a mocking proposal
written in protest against the indiffe rence of English politicians
towards the sufferings and demands of the Irish people.
The Drapier’s Letters were written in response to the
introduction of false half -pennies in Ireland by William Wood. Swift’ s
forceful arguments prophesised the ruin of Irish economy if they
were introduced into circulation. The government realised the
adverse effects of the policy and was forced to abandon the mighty
project.
Predictions for the Ensuing Year isanother signif icant satire
on a cobbler, John Partridge, who claimed to be an astrologer and
had published predictions in the manner of almanac. Through the
satire, Swift offers a parody in the name of Isaac Bickerstaff, who
foretells the death of Partridge on 29thMarc h, 1708. The very next
day, he published a letter describing the death of Partridge and the
next day, an ‘Elegy of Mr Partridge’. When the real Partridge
protested, Swift wrote a vindication claiming the veracity of the
astrological rules which proved his death and the fact that the
person claiming to be Mr Partridge is a fake one.
5.5PREFACE OF GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
Gulliver’s Travels begins with the inclusion of two letters,
much before the travelogue narrative begins. Swift uses the
strategy of penning these letters to give the appearance of the book
as a true travel account. The letter titled ‘The Publisher to the
Reader’ is written by the imaginary publisher of the text, Mr.
Richard Sympson and it shares with the readers the information
about the autho r of the text, Mr. Lemuel Gulliver and his supposed
background. The letter is an attempt by Swift (the real author) to
build up a persona of Gulliver (the protagonist) as a genuine person
and to vouch the truthfulness of the voyages, which the readers
migh t read as mere tales of fantasies.
The blurring of reality and fantasy prevails over throughout
the two prefaces. The furious reply of Capt onGulliver to Mr.munotes.in

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59Sympson forms the content of the second preface. Gulliver is angry
for certain omissions as well as insertions of texts without seeking
his approval and goes on to describe sarcastically his opinion on
humankind. Referring to humans in degrading terms as ‘Yahoos’
and the entire humankind as ‘Herd’, he condemns them as he finds
no ‘reformation’ in the ir conduct after reading his book. Listing out a
number of grave and irreparable faults in mankind, he distances
himself from them. Swift makes a clever use of overlapping of
reality with illusion to lend the text a real presence.
5.6GULLIVER’S FIRST VOY AGE TO LILLIPUT
Swift introduces the character of Lemuel Gulliver to the
readers by presenting his past background in detail. Gulliver, the
narrator of the travels, recounts his past and family history. He hails
from a humble background, born in Nottingha mshire. His family
was poor so he was sent to London to be a surgeon’s
apprenticeship after completing his studies at Cambridge. Under
the guidance of a person by the name of James Bates, he learns
navigation skills and mathematics. He also learns Physics and
becomes a surgeon on a ship for three years. Later, he settles in
London as a doctor and gets married. After the death of his patron,
his business begins to dwindle. The information on his humble
background depicts him as an uncorrupted, innocent and g ullible
person, who is quite unlike his contemporaries, those who knew
how to deceive people and make money. After his failure to
generate money from waning business, he decides to go to sea
and travels for six years. Before he decides to return home from his
travels, he accepts the job on a ship called Antelope for one last
time. Antelope is struck within a violent storm and Gulliver gets
separated from his companions. He manages to swim across to the
shore and soon falls asleep after the tiresome adventur e.
Upon waking up, he finds his entire body being bound by
very tiny threads and people of miniature sizes, up -to six inches or
so,crawling up his body and expressing their amazement and
curiosity at his magnanimous body. Soon he discovers that he is
amongst ‘Lilliputians’ and he can see and feel numerous Lilliputians
around him, some of whom march upon his body with bows and
arrows w hen he tries to move. These diminutive people are though
hospitable enough to feed the curious visitor the food and water in
larger proportions. The Lilliputians come across as ingenious
people, who could arrange for a vast carriage carrying food and
water for giant Gulliver in few hours. Though smaller in size, they
are not intimidated by the huge sized stranger rather they are all
prepared to fight him with all their might. He is presented to the
emperor of Lilliput, who provides the largest temple in the kingdom
as house for Gulliver. He is chained however; he could stand and
move. Gulliver does not hesitate to describe his defecation on themunotes.in

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60floor for the first time out of his desperateness to relieve himself. It
reinforces Swift’s attempts to portray Gul liver as honest character,
who does not conceal any facts, however disgusting they might
sound. This is to establish credibility for his persona.
Gulliver is quick to understand the social, political, religious
and cultural atmosphere of Lilliput. He is treated humanely by the
Lilliputians. He begins to learn their language and begs for his
release from the emperor. He has to surrender his belongings
including his handkerchief, pen -knife, pipe, pocket -watch etc.
before his release. Later, he has to sign a n official agreement
agreeing to the conditions that he will not use his physical prowess
to harm the citizens of Lilliput and he will assist them against their
enemies. As observed by Gulliver, the state of Lilliput has a novel
way of determining a candid ate’s eligibility to fill up a vacant official
post. The members of the court who are agile enough to jump over
a thread and can dance on a rope are preferred for such official
jobs. It is the physical power which is tested rather than the moral
power and reasoning capacity. Swift ironically depicts the corrupted
nature of the members in contemporary English politics. Agility of
Lilliputians refer to the sycophancy and flexible behaviour of
members of Whig and Tory parties of Swift’s time.
The First Voyage to the land of Lilliput has been read as a
satirical commentary upon the topical English politics. Reldresal,
the principal secretary pays a visit to Gulliver and explains that
Lilliput inherently faces ‘Two Mighty Evils’ The first being the enmity
betwee n the Tramecksan (high -heeled shoe wearers) and
Slamecksan (low -heeled shoe -wearers) The reference to ‘high
heels’ and ‘low heels’ could be the two political factions of England,
the Tories and the Whigs. The second ‘Evil’ is the danger of an
impending inv asion from the neighbouring enemy country Blefuscu.
Reldresal refers to Blefuscu as ‘the other great empire of the
universe’, which indicates his refusal to believe in any of the
accounts of Gulliver about his nation and the people. Blefuscu
could be a ref erence to France, with whom, England was
continuously at war. The enmity is on the account of whether to
break eggs on the bigger or smaller end. Lilliputians prefer the
smaller ends while some of the Big -endiens have left Lilliput and
joined Blefuscu. The reference to endless conflict between two
factions, the ‘high endiens’ and the ‘low endiens’, could be an
indication towards the Catholics and Protestant sects in English
Christianity. Swift makes a parody of the doctrinal disputes between
these sects. Both ‘the mighty evils’ referred by Reldresal come
across as absurd and Swift establishes this absurdity to create
humour as well as to make a critique upon the absurdity of the idea
of warfare in general. Gulliver achieves the highest title of honour of
‘nardac’from the emperor of Lilliput upon his crossing the channel
separating Blefuscu from Lilliput and sewing the military fleet of themunotes.in

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61former to drag them to Lilliput. However, when the emperor wants
him to enslave the Blefuscuns, Gulliver refuses and earn sc o l d
response from the emperor. Gulliver’s perspective of privileging
moral power over physical power is not shared by the Emperor.
Things begin to take worst shape for Gulliver after some
representatives from the Blefuscu court pay visit to Lilliput as
peace -offering ambassadors and invite him to visit their country.
The emperor reluctantly allows him but Gulliver observes the role of
rumours taking rounds in the court spread by the chief courtier,
Flimnap and Bolgolam, a court minister that his friendl iness with
Blefuscuns is a sign of disloyalty to the state of Lilliput.
The character of Flimnap, the treasurer of the Lilliputian
kingdom was probably fashioned upon the English Prime Minister,
Robert Walpole, representing the Whig party. However, things take
an ugly turn for Gulliver on account of his urinating upon the royal
palace in his attempt to save the queen from the fire. He was
already found to be favouring the rival country by making the
emperor understand their perspective. The emperor though
pardons him but the queen is disgusted and refuses to live in the
royal palace ever.
Swift devotes a chapter to the description of life in general in
the state of Lilliput as observed by Gulliver. He understands that
while the Lilliputians are small in si ze, their surroundings, animals
and other material and worldly objects are in proportion to their own
sizes. The principles of governance value honesty and truth with
extreme seriousness so much so that anyone faltering in these is
sentenced to death or pa id generously if he suffers inconveniences
for falseness or corruption. Ingratitude and fraud were considered
as capital crimes and punishable by death. Those citizens, who
sincerely followed the state principles throughout their lives
received the title ‘ Snilpall’ and accorded the state privileges.
Gulliver, when apprises them of his own country’s laws of only
punishing the citizens to reinforce the laws and no rewards are
accorded, Lilliputians express surprise at the stranger laws.
Further, Gulliver make sam e n t i o no ft h er e a r i n go fc h i l d r e ni n
Lilliput. It is similar to the philosophy of Plato that the children are
best reared when apart from their parents and family. Children are
raised by professors and servants in public nurseries on the
principles of egalitarianism. The girls are raised upon the same
principles as those of boys. The parents are required to pay
pensions and monthly sums to these nurseries.
The clothes of Gulliver become a topic of discussion at one
of the royal dinners and Flimnap, br ings to the notice of emperor to
the unnecessary costs incurred upon his clothing and feeding. He
also accuses Gulliver of having an illicit affair with his wife. Thoughmunotes.in

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62it is absurd but Swift downplays the idea of political deception in the
court and the involvement of government officials with certain
motives. It culminates into a secret preparation of the courtiers
along with the emperor to punish Gulliver for ‘treason’ against the
state by putting out his eyes and starving him to death in a gradual
mann er. The state of Lilliput is revealed to be brutal towards those
who are understood to be going against the norms. Gulliver
resolves to escape to Blefuscu
He makes an escape to Blefuscu, the neighbouring and a
rival nation to Lilliput, where he is welcome d and later, he discovers
an old broken ship in the sea. Meanwhile the emperor of Lilliput
sends a message to Blefuscu that Gulliver is an accused and
should be sent back. However, the Blefuscu’s emperor refuses to
comply on the grounds of friendship. He s upplies Gulliver with all
help and provisions to get back to his home country. Gulliver
repairs the ship and sets sail once again towards his home country,
England, after being picked up by an English merchant ship on his
way. Once back home, his countryme nf i n di th a r dt ob e l i e v eh i s
tale of Lilliput. Gulliver is able to convince them with the help of
some animals that he had carried from Lilliput before embarking
upon his journey towards home.
Swift parodies the empire of Lilliput through the persona of
Gulliver. It is represented as a miniature English empire, which has
its numerous absurd laws and codes. It also reiterates the fact that
‘little people’ (in terms of mental evolution and physical power)
reflect a tendency to complicate their lives with g reater
complexities. It is their size, which is ridiculed. The smaller size and
conceited behaviour reflect upon the English sense of pride in
unnecessary ideas of superiority. Gulliver emphasises upon the
absurdity of war in a mocking manner. The competit ion among the
courtiers to jump highest upon the rope, which would determine
their success level in the political office is a topical reference to the
prevailing corrupt practices and sycophancy in English politics. The
author satirises the absurdity of En glishmen of creating artificial
differences where none at all exist. The Lilliputians are similar to
the Englishmen of Swift’s country but through them, he perceives
them from a critical distance as an outsider by creating Gulliver as
his mouthpiece.
5.7 GULLIVER’S SECOND VOYAGE TO
BROBDINGNAG
Gulliver has once again set sail on a ship called Adventure .
Unfortunately, it gets stuck in a storm at the north of Madagascar
and the sailors are stranded in the strange waters till they finally
spot an island. Th ey get separated and Gulliver is isolated when a
huge ‘monster’ approaches them and his companions desert himmunotes.in

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63while rowing back to their ship. He finds himself on the island
surrounded by giant grass and fields.
Gulliver has landed in Brobdingnag, a land of giants. The
‘monster’ that had frightened his companions was no other than
one of the inhabitants of this strange land. He becomes a
‘Lilliputian’ for the Brobdingnagians. Viewed from Gulliver’s
perspective, everything and everybody has enormous size. While
Lilliput had shocked him for its tiny size, Brobdingnag amazes him
with its gigantic framework. The giants, on the other hand are
amused to see a miniature form of human being. Gulliver wisely
reflects upon the fact that nothing in this world is abso lute truth.
Everything that exists around us is always in relation to other. i.e.,
with a perspective. He thinks “undoubtedly philosophers are in the
right, when they tell us that nothing is great or little otherwise than
by a comparison” At the very begin ning, he encounters a reaper in
a farm, who picks him up as a tiny creature and observes him
curiously. It is the similar feeling of awe and wonder as he had felt
while gazing at the mini -Lilliputians for the first time. Quite contrary
to what Gulliver exp ects, the reaper gently puts him in his pocket
and runs up to his master, the farmer. He does not display his
physical power to crush the doll -sized Gulliver. The farmer and his
associates are full of awe upon looking at Gulliver’s stature and
wonder upon his miniature size. He feels utterly frightened and
vulnerable to be surrounded by the giants all around and attempts
to offer his gold valuables to them in order to be saved. For them,
the gold seems worthless and they return it back but want to
communica te with this curious being. The master farmer takes
Gulliver along to his home. He is provided with a meal along with
the family members. Gulliver’s entire meal is merely some crumbs
of food for the family. The son of the farmer is delighted to see a
tiny living -doll at home and wants to play with him but the father
boxes his ears and later Gulliver wants to seek forgiveness of the
son by kissing his hand, to which the farmer agrees.
Smaller creatures which are often ignored by everyone as
harmless seem t oo dangerous for little Gulliver for their enormous
size was enough to frighten him out of his wits. He would have
been easily gobbled up by any of them in the house. The cat’s baby
almost squeezed him into death but he managed to escape. Later,
two rats a ttack him while he is made to sleep under a handkerchief
and he manages to save himself by killing one of the rats with his
sword. Everything around him gets magnified and the effect of this
is evident in the enormity of the things as perceived by him. For
instance, the features and complexion of the farmer’s wife seem
disgusting to him since these get enlarged and the shortcomings
also get magnified along.munotes.in

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64It is the farmer’s daughter, Glumdalclitch, who tends him
gently by making him new clothes, washing them regularly and
teaching him their language. The symbol of clothes appears once
again in the second voyage. Acquiring of new clothes makes him
adopt new perspectives to understand the new society. The
Brobdingnagians are no different from the Gulliver’ so w n
Englishmen and the Lilliputians in the way of exploiting his
presence to reap monetary benefits. Upon the advice of a money -
minded neighbour, the farmer decides to put him up for the public
show and earn money. The farmer exploits him by making him
perform for the entertainers. It becomes popular in no time so much
that the farmer decides to take the show to the country -wide scale.
Gulliver had treated the little animals from Lilliput in his home -town
in the similar manner of abusing them for money. H ei sm a d et o
perform continuously at the cost of his failing health and growing
wealth of the farmer. Swift takes us to a place where size can be
exploited for comic purposes of irony and satire. He depicts Gulliver
as a small helpless creature to bring ho me the point of the manner
in which the human beings view and treat the small helpless
animals around them. In human world, size implies superiority
which further implies power. This voyage deliberately reduces the
man’s sense of superiority of himself vis -à-vis other creatures.
Gulliver is relieved of the farmer once the queen takes a
liking for him and takes him along to the royal palace with the
farmer’s daughter, Glumdalclitch, as a caretaker. When he
expresses his desire to be treated in better manne r, the queen is
impressed to see that the tiny creature possesses human rationality
and power of reasoning. The king believes him to be a mechanical
object in the manner of a clock -work. He observes the new world
around him and is grieved to be belittled b y even the smallest of
creatures in Brobdingnag. He soon discovers through his varied
experiences that identity of anyone and anything lies in the
perspective of the beholder. The giants are fond of him but they
amuse themselves at the cost of his powerles s physique.
The king dismisses the claims of Gulliver of his belonging to
a powerful nation such as England and considers these to be
made -up stories by the farmer and his daughter. Since the king is
not exposed to the rest of the world, unlike Gulliver, he fails to be
convinced of Gulliver and his tales of belonging to a powerful
nation. Swift deliberately plays with the notion of power and
powerlessness. The philosophers of the state are called in to
examine the ‘creature’ but they also remain puzzled. T he prince
makes an observation about “how contemptible a thing was human
grandeur, which could be mimicked by such diminutive insects as
[Gulliver]” The abusive treatment of the queen’s dwarf of Gulliver
reflects the existence and the significance of the t hirst for the
power -play in human world. Everyone wants to exert some powermunotes.in

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65over other, who is either physically weaker or vulnerable. This is
human nature and the dwarf being the smallest in queen’s palace
must have felt vulnerable all the time till Gulli ver, now smaller than
him, entered. On account of his ‘small’ size, he was exposed to
some great griefs of his life at Brobdingnag, which he might have
enjoyed, had he been in the company of his countrymen. His
physical powerlessness attributes him vulnera bility and almost
dehumanizes him. The maids of the queen do not consider him
man and play with him, dress him up like a baby, undress him and
urinate in front of him. He gets exposed to their grotesque bodily
features, which remains disgusting to him. The flaws of the human
body get magnified, filling him up with disgust and irritation.
In one of his conversations with the king, he describes the
system of governance of his own country, England with a certain
pride. After listening patiently to Gulliver an d his account of English
people, the King feels pitiable towards Gulliver and his countrymen.
Having understood various political, social and other systems of
England, the king calls the Englishmen as “the most pernicious
race of little odious vermin” The response of the king is about how
he perceives the account narrated by Gulliver. While for Gulliver,
his country represents the best of the human societal practices and
governance, the king can only feel pity for the poor people. Swift
makes a sad critical commentary upon the state of affairs in
England through the Brobdingnagian king’s response to Gulliver.
While charting out the ignorance of the Brobdingnagians and
especially the king through the narrator of Gulliver in matters of
laws, state policies an d regulations, it is Swift, who makes a sad
and ironic commentary on the hollow perceptions and self -
conceited Englishmen, who considered themselves to be the most
rational and superior beings on earth. The king is appalled at the
mention of gunpowder and dismisses it as ‘such an inhuman idea’,
when Gulliver attempts to glorify its powers to destroy others. The
irony underlying Gulliver’s speeches reveals mankind’s narrowness
and this finally culminates in king’s total dismissal of humankind.
Once while Gu lliver is taken to a trip to the ocean in his
cage, it is carried away by an eagle and dropped into water
accidently. He makes frantic signals with his handkerchief and
fortunately for him, some Englishmen came to his rescue. However,
when they come up to him, he feels disgusted at the sight of these
‘pygmies’, after his insightful journey to Brobdingnag. This marks a
significant development in his psychology since till this point,
Gulliver had been portrayed as absurd but true character but from
now onward s, he will be completely confident with his newer
knowledge and insights. A sense of reduction of humanity begins to
take route not only in his mind but also in his behaviour, which will
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665.8GULLIVER’S THIRD VOYAGE TO LAPUTA
The voyage to Laputa was composed by Swift much after
the Fourth voyage was written. Gulliver continues his sea
adventures and amidst a pirate attack, is abandoned in a small
canoe. He rows to a nearby island and waits for his impending
death lying in a cave. The next morning, he gets to see ‘a vast
opaque body’ crossing the sun and moving towards the island. He
can see through his binoculars that it is a flying island with men on
it. Filled with hope, he begs for help. He needs to supplicate on
account of his physical powerlessness and he is taken up on the
island. He finds himself landed on the flying island called Laputa.
The island is held up in the air and Gulliver soon discovers
that the inhabitants of Laputa are stra nge beings. Many of them are
cross -eyed, some of them don’t hold their heads up straight. They
seem lost in their own abstract worlds, with very little attention
spans and appear very busy. Curiously, he spots some servants
amongst these inhabitants of the island, called ‘flappers’, who are
given the task of striking the mouths and ears with pebbles and
peas of those, who have been distracted from their conversations in
the manner of reminding them. Swift highlights upon their
powerlessness to control their own bodies which make them
dependent upon these ‘flappers’. Gulliver is led to the king of
Laputa, who is so engrossed in a maths problem that he does not
realise Gulliver’s presence. Gulliver is fed food cut into geometrical
figures. He is also provided with a tutor to train him into their native
language. The clothes to be provided to him are all without shape
due to failure in calculation. This reflects the inability of the tailor to
apply his knowledge practically. The island floats above Lagado,
the c apital city of the kingdom.
The symbol of flying island represents no connection with
the earth. i.e. reality. Also, it exerts physical power to control its
subjects, located downward. The king manages the population
below by lowering the island too much , depriving the commoners of
any sun or rain. At times, he pelts stones at them for their
misbehaviour. It is the most inhabited part but remains the most
absurd. Their houses are built without any right angles since they
hate practical geometry. They are not familiar with the words such
as ‘imagination’ and ‘invention’. Gulliver’s observations of Laputan
life becomes a commentary of Swift’s thoughts upon the
Englishmen, who believe in the superiority of philosophical and
theoretical knowledge over its prac tical application. It is only the
Laputan women, who seem to have control over their bodies and
they exhibit hatred towards their absurd husbands. Thus, most of
the women find their lovers from the capital down below. They try to
leave Laputa but the Laput an king does not permit them. It is
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67men i.e., patriarchal control. The queen is also not allowed to leave
Laputa till she has b orne children for the royal family. Gulliver
doesn’t feel conne cted to the Laputans. However, he speaks to the
women, flappers, tradesmen and the outcastes from the society.
These people represent the same lack of knowledge and power as
he does.
Gulliver, after observing the Laputans closely, sets off to
Lagado. Here, he comes across Munodi, who is one of the friends
of the king. Gulliver finds the city and its surroundings to be utterly
disordered. He is surprised to see Munodi’s estate to be quite
ordered and symmetrical with rectangular house. He is relieved t o
see something of the same kind as that in his own country. Munodi
informs him that his estate is one of the last hold -outs of the
remnants of the prior civilization. Few years before, a group of
Lagadans had gone to Laputa to learn and imbibe new
mathema tical theories to reconstruct the society on new principles.
As a result, the town is replete with various academies and
professors who continue to invent new methods and rules of
agriculture. But these experiments have utterly failed and resulted
inadisarray everywhere. The people, though disregard Munodi
and his allegiance to the traditional methods. He has sincerely
obeyed the traditions and common sense rather than the
impractical reason associated with the ‘modern knowledge’
The town of Lagado and i ts academic centres area spoof on
the Royal Society of England, famous for extremes of experimental
science and intellectual discourses representing the age of
enlightenment during Swift’s era. Emphasis was laid upon theories
rather than common sense and practicality. Swift was
contemptuous of these ideas since he believed in the practical use
of the knowledge and not just the theoretical one. The men who are
involved in the experiments, are called projectors. The yexperiment
in abstract and absurd finding s. Some of them are involved in
extracting sunbeams from cucumbers, someone on building houses
from the roof down; some on training hogs to plough fields; some
on treating colic diseases by pumping air into people’s anuses etc.
All the activities are bizar re and useless. Gulliver also gets to see
the academic world and the learning process in progress. The
lessons given by the professors on the ways to learn mathematics
are to eat the wafers with equations written upon them. These
scholars have also come up on a novel idea of enabling people to
stop speaking and communicate only by demonstrating to the
object that they wanted to speak about. Further, Gulliver pays a
visit to academy’s political projectors, who believe in managing
politics by managing the phys ical ailments and corporeal bodies of
the politicians. To solve the political arguments, they propose
performing surgeries on their brains and exchanging one half of
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68comes across as weird. There are policies to tax people for their
vices, follies, sexual prowess, wit, valour and politeness but not
ever for justice, wisdom, honour or learning, since the latter are
worthless. Similarly, women could be taxed upon for beauty and
style but not on constancy, chastity and good nature. Gulliver
shares his knowledge of other society’s dishonest political
strategies and the projectors welcome the information.
The Laputans have lost all normal human qualities in their
abnormal absorption with aimless m ental activity. The flying court of
the Laputan king is a spoof on the court of the English king, George
I, who favoured the Whigs. In the opinion of Swift, George I was
interested in and supported both musicians and scientists as their
patron but in neith er case was, he much knowledgeable. Gulliver
also makes an attack on the policies of the island and points
towards the political tyranny of the Laputan king, who attacks the
Lagado region (placed below the Laputa) Swift depicts a parallel
between Laputan k ing’s ill -policies and England’s prejudiced
treatment towards Ireland. The king can cut off the rain and
sunshine to Lagado. This could be a topical reference to the
severing of trade ties of England from Ireland.
Gulliver decides to go to the island of G lubbdubdrib, which is
governed by magicians, who perform necromancy. It is a region of
ghosts and interestingly, Gulliver is offered to summon any dead
person from the past. He responds by desiring to meet Alexander
the Great, Pompey, Caesar, Hannibal, Bru tus and the Roman
senate. The journey becomes an account of uncovering the
alternative perspectives other than what the history books have
been informing the readers. Swift underlines the fact by bringing the
spirits of the dead back to retell their ‘true’ histories. Again, this is a
spoof on the kind of knowledge being disseminated in his time,
which was considered ‘true’ after considerable ‘research’. Swift
questions the veracity of the new knowledges of the contemporary
times. Gulliver gets to meet numer ous heroes of the past. He calls
upon the established philosophers to know about the truth however,
among them, Aristotle recognises that the absolute truth does not
exist. Truth is all about perspectives at a given time in a given
space. After spending so me time here, Gulliver leaves for
Luggnagg. As per the customs of the land, he is forced to crawl on
his belly licking the floor to approach the king. This illustrates the
king’s abuse of his physical power upon the subjects. The king
dominates over the su bjects as an authoritarian and controls them
by threatening to punish them. He is kind towards Gulliver and
provides him with the food and lodging along with an interpreter for
his stay of three months in Luggnagg. Swift picks upon the subject
of the obses sion of humanity to achieve immortality through
Gulliver’s interaction with one of the Luggnaggian. Some of the
children are born as the immortals but they suffer on account ofmunotes.in

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69their immortality. Swift enumerates a long list of Ill -consequences of
immortal ity of human beings through the conversation of Gulliver
with the local. These immortals are called struldbrugs and the
mortals despise them in Luggnagg.
Gulliver is sent with riches and a letter of introduction to the
emperor of Japan, when he expresses his wish to leave from
Luggnagg. Upon his arrival in Japan, he pretends to be a Dutch
and requests the emperor to find a Dutch ship for him to travel
back. His wish is complied with and soon he begins his journey
towards his home country, England after a period of five long years.
The third voyage of Gulliver is thoroughly satirical in its attacks on
contemporary science, learning and politics. It lacks a structure of a
narrative. It comes across as a miscellany of several absurd
experiences. Unlike the ot her three voyages, one finds no
emotional involvement of the narrator here. Swift might be
emphasising that when reason becomes important, emotions take a
backseat.
5.9GULLIVER’S FOURTH VOYAGE TO THE LAND OF
HOUYHNHNMS
After a stay of five months in En gland, Gulliver receives
another opportunity to travel overseas and leads him to his next
voyage on the ship called Adventure. Unfortunately, he comes
across the pirates in the form of the men that he hires on the ship.
His crew mutinies against him, impri soning him below deck and
abandoning him on an unknown shore.
The fourth voyage of Gulliver leads the readers to another
strange land. As he walks towards the region, he comes across
several ugly creatures, which he calls as ‘animals’ Animal imagery
is used to describe these creatures and words such as ‘paw’, ‘herd’
are used. These have thick hair upon their heads, breasts and
genitals but they have no tails like animals, can walk upright and
climb trees. Upon close observation, he is filled with surprise when
he realises that the Yahoos are no -one else but human beings, but
without clothes. One of them approaches Gulliver but he shoos
them away with his sword and they climb the trees. However, they
begin to run away at the sight of a horse approaching tow ards
them. The horse expresses his disgust at Gulliver’s touch and
moves away. Meanwhile, another horse approaches and both the
horses begin a formal conversation. Gulliver is amazed at the
formal and civilized behaviour of these horses. He begins to belie ve
that these must be dignified humans at large. These horses
examine Gulliver and his clothes for a long time. The horses, who
call themselves, Houyhnhnms, do not make much difference
between the disgusting Yahoos and Gulliver, initially. They continue
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70him. He leads him into a house and Gulliver expects to find a
human being in the house, which is very well -organised. On the
contrary, he is shocked to see the horses as the masters of th e
house. He could see a number of polite horses sitting calmly in
poised states in the clean rooms.
The horses are shown to be the natural inhabitants of this
country rather than human beings. Among them is a Gray horse,
who acts like the master horse an d every other horse follows him
patiently. He receives a setback to see the filthy creatures being
tied up and given raw meat to eat in the backyard of the house
owned by the horses. These are uncivilized human beings but
without clothes. His perspective u ndergoes a serious turn when he
realises that the behaviour of civility expected from human beings is
practiced by the horses in this land while the humans have
degraded themselves into animalistic patterns of behaviour so
much that they are being controll ed by the horses. These are
superior and intelligent creatures who govern the nation on rational
principles rather than the human beings. The ‘Yahoo’ is a
denigrating term used for humans (by Swift as author) to ridicule
and mock upon the negative aspects in human nature. This is the
fourth and final voyage for Gulliver in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ and by the
time Gulliver undertakes this peculiar experience of understanding
human nature, he is disillusioned with the ‘innate goodness’ of the
humans so much that the ‘lower creatures’ such as the horses
begin to appeal him much more than the former.
This part of narrative also reflects a great deal of the multiple
perspectives including those of the reader, Gulliver and the
Houyhnhnms. As Gulliver continues to de pend upon his view that
civility is innate to human beings and their world, it comes as a
radical shock to him that his viewpoint has been challenged. This
notion seems to undercut the idea of the enlightenment and
inherent belief in the fact that humans a re the superior and most
civilised among all the creatures in nature. The Houyhnhnms
observe Gulliver and his polite behaviour. They try to feed him with
raw meat as those of the Yahoos but Gulliver gives a repulsive
reaction and asks for milk. They find h im a little different than the
degraded Yahoos therefore, they give him a place behind their
house but separate from the stable meant for the Yahoos. The
master horse takes upon himself to teach lessons in the language
of Houyhnhnms to Gulliver.
The Houyh nhnm master wonders at the learning and
reasoning abilities of Gulliver while he teaches their language to
him. He cannot bring himself to believe that human beings have the
capacity to govern an entire nation, when Gulliver narrates to him
about his count ry and the people. Gulliver makes his best attempt
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71nation according to which the horses are treated as beasts and
trained for utility purposes. While Gulliver proudly states that the
Europe an Yahoos i.e. humans from his native land do differ from
the Yahoos of Houyhnhnms land in terms of dignity, civility, moral
superiority and other virtuous qualities, the master horse has a
different perspective. He notes that physically, Yahoos surpass th e
qualities mentioned by Gulliver. Since Gulliver’s body type lacks the
strength, agility and tough features of the Yahoos, which help them
to sustain the physical difficulties and make them able to walk on
their fours, it is weaker. The master horse criti cises the
unattractiveness of Gulliver’s physical body and understands it as
weaker in comparison to Yahoos, thereby, its dependence upon
external clothes to protect it. Gulliver’s pride in belonging to the
most cultured and civilized nation on the earth c omes down
shattering with the clear criticism he receives from the master
horse. His ego in human pride is deflated.
Gulliver undergoes a great deal of pain to explain the notions
of crime, corruption and vice of the human world to the master. He
cannot m ake the latter understand the reasons for his unfortunate
journey that led him towards this land. The horse’s complete lack of
understanding of human vices and words such as ‘power’,
‘authority’, ‘crime’, ‘law’, ‘punishment’ etc has been highlighted to
establish the innocent and uncorrupted world of the natural beings.
Gulliver, over a period of two years in the company of the master
horse begins to believe in the superior refinement of the horses as
compared to the English culture and language. The master horse
wonders at the destructive attitude of the human beings with such
‘short claws’ and ‘flat mouths’, which he thinks are not powerful
enough to hurt others. Gulliver continues to glorify the European
nation in terms of its knowledge of various weapons, artillery and
destructive strategies used in wars with other nations. The master
horse is filled with disgust and observes that possession of such
weapons cannot be reasonable and it would further increase the
human vices and corruption. He pities the Eur opean Yahoos for
their ignorance rather than their ‘knowledges’
Through Gulliver, Swift makes a critique upon several
systems and institutions prevalent in European countries. For
instance, he describes the justice system as a system of bunch of
liars. Th e lawyers, according to him are trained to manipulate the
‘truths and the trials are stretched unnecessarily for years with no
justice delivered in the end. He also observes the usage of tedious
legal jargons, which are difficult for the common people to
comprehend. The master horse reflects that such ‘wise’ people as
the lawyers should have been teachers of knowledge. Gulliver
replies the motives of the lawyers for such behaviour and he
blames their greed to acquire money. The horse is not familiar with
the concept of money and its significance in the human world.munotes.in

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72Gulliver responds by charting out the functioning of the human life
with the help of money and exploitation of natural resources to
generate money. The amount of possession of money determines
thestatus and privileges in the human society. This is inherently
related to the notion of power. He goes on describing the
statesman of the state, who is corrupt, immoral and consumed by
his hunger for authority and control. Deception, lies and trickery are
the means to elevate oneself to power positions. Bribery is rampant
in such society. Swift also drives home the point that appearances
can be deceptive and not always correct. The master horse notes
that the noble features of Gulliver give him a distinct identity from
the yahoos of Houyhnhnm land. Gulliver corrects the point of view
of the master horse by saying that in Europe, the nobles carry ‘a
sick and weak look’ since they have been raised in ‘idleness’ and
‘debauchery’
Gulliver is impressed with the noble and pure thoughts of the
master horse and being thus influenced, hopes to live in the
company of these noble horses for ever. The master horse
analyses the human being and his society as described by Gulliver
in terms of ‘animals’ with so less reaso n, lesser than those of
Yahoos. Also, on account of their physical strength, they are
weaker than the yahoos. Gulliver often examines the Yahoos to
understand the human nature more closely. He calls them as
‘monkeys’ for they continue to imitate others. Mo reover, he wants to
distance himself away from the Yahoos. Once, a female yahoo
assaults Gulliver for lust while he is swimming in a river.
Gulliver describes the Houyhnhnms society to be perfect,
based upon egalitarian principles and a rational behaviour that
induces morals and rationality among the people inhabiting the
land. It follows the pattern of utopian society, which treats all of its
members equal to one another. The families observe arranged
marriages and carefully practice family planning givin gn ot h o u g h t s
to notions of ‘courtship’, ‘settlements and ‘love’ .The children are
educated upon the principles of ‘temperance, exercise, cleanliness,
strength, speed and hardiness’ Both the genders are given equal
treatment. The Houyhnhnm state is a truly democratic state.
Gulliver, after his encounter with the Houyhnhnms,
acknowledges the shift in his perspectives towards the human
beings. The company of the horses have made him ‘see’ the ‘truth’
about the human society and he is filled with everlasting contempt
and disgust for humans so much so that when he comes back to
his home in Europe, he cannot stand the ‘repulsive’ presence of
humans around him. He is filled with self -loathing. He feels
disgusted when he reflects upon his reflection in the water. He
ultimately rejects humankind and makes his best efforts to follow
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735.10 LET’S SUM UP
Jonathan Swift is one of the greatest satirists of his age.
Through Gulliver’s Travels ,S w i f t attempts to mock the existing lofty
ideas of human progres s with the help of scientific knowledge and
technology. Protagonist Lemuel Gulliver undertakes four Voyages -
to the land of Lilliput, to Brobdingnag, a land of giants , to islands of
Laputa and Lagado, and the land of Houyhnhnms .
5.11QUESTIONS
Q1) Discus sGulliver’s Travels as a satire on the contemporary
politics of Swift’s England.
Q2) Examine the theme of perspective in Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels .
Q3) Discuss the significance of the use of irony in Gulliver’s
Travels by Swift.
Q4) ‘Gulliver’s Trave lsis a critique of the Age of Enlightenment of
Eighteenth Century England’. Elaborate.
Q5) Analyse the treatment of gender in Gulliver’s Travels .
Q6) Throw light on the historical and political context of Gulliver’s
Travels.
5.12REFERENCE S
List of References used:
Ernst, Reni. Analysis of the Nature of Swift’s Satire in Gulliver’s
Travels –Targets, techniques and effectiveness .W e b .2 1N o v
2020.
https://www.grin.com/document/80941
Fox, Christopher, ed.The Cambridge Companion to Jonathan
Swift . 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 2003,
Print.
Izquierdo, Rebecca C. Politics in Jonathan Swift’s Literature.
Web. 20 Dec 2020.
https://cor e.ac.uk/download/pdf/211099407.pdf
Long, William. J. English Literature: Its History and its
Significance for the Life of the English -Speaking World. Atlantic
Publishers: New Delhi, 2015. Print.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels .E d .L o u i sA .L a n d a ,B ook
Land: New Delhi, 2002. Print
Williams, Kathleen, ed. The Critical Heritage: Jonathan Swift .
London: Taylor & Francis, 2002
munotes.in

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74Unit-6
STUDY OF GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
PART II
Unit Structure :
6.0 Objectives
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Themes in Gulliver’s Travels
6.2.1The Limitation of Human Understanding in Gulliver’s
Travels
6.2.2Individual and Society in Gulliver’s Travels
6.2.3Historical and Political context of Gulliver’s Travel
6.2.4Treatment of Women and Notion of Family in
Gulliver’s Travels
6.3 Let’s Sum Up
6.4 Questions
6.5 References
6.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit aims at making the students familiar with:
The themes in Gulliver’s Travels
The Historical and Political context of Gulliver’s Travels
The treatment of Gender in Gulliver’s Travels
6.1INTRODUCTION
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels covers four voyages
undertaken by the protagonist, to distant lands. The book was
written neither to instruct, nor to entertain. Primary aim of Swift was
to mock. At the beginning he mocks travel writing, which was in
vogue at that time. The subjects under scrutiny vary from local
political conflicts, European ideals of human progress,
enlightenment, to overall the superiority of human beings over other
creatures, and the concept of humanity itself. With Gulliver’s
rejection of company of men after the fourth voyage, the target of
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756.2THEMES IN GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
6.2.1 The Limitation of Human Understanding in Gulliver’s
Travels
Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is structured around four voyages
undertaken by Lemuel Gulliver, a fictitious character. The very
introduction of the character of Gulliver to the readers creates a
confounding effect upon them. The tale of adventurous journeys
has been built around a nar rative in the introductory part which
reflects in the form of exchange of letters. At the onset, Swift makes
the readers believe in the veracity Gulliver as a real persona by
making him reply back to the publisher of the book. Swift has
deliberately played with the idea of the limitation of human
understanding, which is one of the major themes of Gulliver’s
Travels .
In the beginning, Swift had come up with the title for his
travel accounts as ‘Travels into Several Remote Nations of the
World’ This was to sound like the true accounts from travelogue
writings. Such writings were popular in his day and to produce this
effect, he had chosen to provide the maps of the ‘strange nations’,
which Gulliver encounters consequent to his unfortunate voyages.
Each voyag e exposes him to unknown lands with strange people.
These varied experiences were meant to project his (Swift’s) own
observations and insights of the human condition at large in his
own life. The imaginary travels into these lands provided the author
with the elements to satirise the various aspects of English society.
One of the primary themes underlying the narrative of Gulliver’s
Travels is the idea of knowledge and its limitation in respect to the
human world.
Gulliver represents himself as the mouthp iece of the author,
Swift. He is described as an educated, rational human being, who
has control over his emotions and is aware of his conduct in the
society. Swift chooses to portray the character of Gulliver as an
explorer, who is interested to know beyo nd the available
knowledge. He represents the curiosity of the Englishman of the
Age of Enlightenment of Eighteenth century. He had been a
surgeon, who gives up as his business begins to dwindle and
steers into the adventurous career of a ship captain. His willingness
to take upon the occupation of a captain at a ship and become an
integral part of several voyages (unknown and thus possibility of
risks) reflects him to be the product of his age. Further, as he lands
into regions unexplored in the human hist ory, he does not lose
confidence. He faces the strange circumstances with good spirit. At
no point of time in his adventures with people of all sorts, does he
exploit them for his advantage or think of harming them. He is
described as conducting himself as a moral person. He exercises
his sense of good and bad in those circumstances. For instance, inmunotes.in

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76Lilliput, he intends to save the royal palace from being engulfed by
fire, thereby, not depending upon any external assistance, he goes
on to extinguish the sp reading fire by urinating upon the palace. He
acted in the urgency of the circumstances rather than fearing the
consequences of his act. However, he does suffer for this.
Nevertheless, he behaves rationally and decides for the future
course of action. Gull iver’s character has been described as a
mature, reasonable and sincere Englishman. He respects the
customs and norms of the regions he lands into and does not exert
his physical power over the miniature -sized Lilliputians. It is the
knowledge gained throu gh his exposure to other parts of unknown
world that eventually sustains him through his voyages. Swift,
however brings home the point that too much of knowledge can be
dangerous.
With Gulliver travelling through remote and strange islands
across the wor ld, it becomes evident through his experiences that
knowledge can be both useful as well as self -destructive. The
human mind is capable of great thoughts and ideas but the difficulty
of bringing those ideas into the real, physical world for their
practical purposes, can at times lead to disastrous consequences.
The voyage to Laputa becomes its primary example. Gulliver’s
observations and reflections project the Laputans as overwhelmed
with the knowledge of Science and technology so much so that
they forget that they are living human beings since they act absurd.
Their entire lives get governed by these scientific principles. It
reflects in their lives at all levels including food, houses, economy,
inter-personal relationships. The term ‘practicality’ does no t exist in
their world. Too much of unnecessary research and
experimentation leads them to absurdity at the cost of their
common sense. They suffer from ‘attention spans’ so acutely that
they carry along ‘flappers’ (servants), who hit them if they are lost in
thinking something and therefore, need a rapt on their heads to
bring them back to the real world. With constant lost in thoughts,
their heads are slanted towards either left or right. They remain so
engrossed in their knowledge seeking processes that they end up
being cuckolded by their wives. The character of Munodi, however
is an exception to the existence in Laputan island. Swift places him
in the narrative to create an alternative to the absurd Laputans. He
is the only one who continues to hold on to the traditional
knowledge of governing lives. He is made fun of for his belief
system. Only his land is fertile and abundant against the sad and
barren lands of his town. The academy to conduct experiments at
the town represents the centre of absurdity. The professors
spending their lives into researches such as extracting sunlight
from cucumbers and trying to undo a language to invent some new
forms of communication are part of some of the glorious
experiments at Munodi’s city. Swift seems to question t hemunotes.in

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77applicability of such knowledge to human life. What is the use of
theoretical knowledge if it does not benefit the humankind?
Swift, if criticises the Laputans, who represent the
Englishmen with unnecessary intellectual pursuits, does not leave
the Hou yhnhnms uncriticised in the fourth voyage of Gulliver. The
idea of reliance upon too much of rationality can also be dangerous
as is evident in the fourth voyage. It describes the limits and
possibilities of rational principles in a society. The society of
Houyhnhnms is governed by the horses and not the men. The men
have been portrayed as their degenerate selves in the form of
Yahoos and condemned by the horses as beasts. The Yahoos
represent the extreme human instincts and emotions against the
extreme rat ionality practiced by the master Houyhnhnms. Gulliver
finds himself at loss upon realisation that he is understood as the
beastly Yahoo by the refined and graceful horses. The presence of
Yahoos reminds him of the lowest of the levels to which humanity
can get shrunk if not taken care. He has to prove his refinement
through his civility and graceful mannerisms towards the
Houyhnhnms. The horses are represented as the simplest and
innocent beings, unaware of terms such as ‘power’, ‘corruption’,
‘destruction’ etc, which is common to the human understanding.
They do not seem to understand these concepts while Gulliver
painfully explains to them about them. As Gulliver makes an
observation about them, he perceives that their society lacks any
uniform codes of be haviour. Their society does not need law or
lawyers. They know not much about astronomy or science. They
also lack the knowledge of documentation and preserving their
philosophical debates through writing. They don’t have the system
of written language sin ce they rely upon the oral tradition. Though
Gulliver is impressed with the life and thought of Houyhnhnms but
Swift seems to state that it is the very lack of knowledge for these
horses which gives them peaceful but unidimensional lives. In other
words, H ouyhnhnms also receive their share of criticism by Swift for
lacking the natural curiosity to excel and improve. Their lives,
though depict peace and rationality, it reveals stagnancy and
devoid of emotions. They are not the explorers. Rather, they
represe nt themselves as automatons with no emotions. In contrast,
Gulliver represents himself as a constant explorer and knowledge -
seeker.
Once, Gulliver returns to his homeland, begins to reflect
upon the idea of knowledge, especially his self -knowledge. After
being to several remote lands and distant places, he is able to
perceive that he is not more than a refined Yahoo. Nevertheless, he
identifies himself and other human beings as Yahoos, which
creates a feeling of disgust for human society in him. He
underst ands that as humans consider themselves to be most
civilised, cultured and refined as compared to the animals andmunotes.in

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78beasts, the latter might be thinking about the man in the same
capacity by the animals. The idea of perspective rules the narrative
ofGullive r’s Travels throughout.
6.2.2 Individual and Society in Gulliver’s Travels :
Swift has addressed a significant debate of Individual
against the Society through the narrative of Gulliver’s Travels. The
purpose of Swift to make Gulliver (as a character) unde rtake the
several voyages is to explore the notion of a perfect society, if any
around the world. His persona does not seem satisfied and at
home, when he is in his native country. The pattern of the voyages
undertaken by Gulliver, one after the other in s uccession, is uniform
in terms of the time he spent at home. The readers are informed
that Gulliver does not stay for more than six months in his country
since he is back from the earlier voyage, than he decides to be a
part of yet another adventurous jour ney into unknown regions of the
world. Being bored of the society and its norms, he is constantly on
the move. The readers are not informed of his family background in
detail. Neither his relationship with the family members is described
at length, nor doe s one see him interacting with other members of
the society freely. He is not a social person. He comes across as
an individual. He is described as an explorer, who seeks constant
knowledge. It is the voyage that allows him to go away from his
society and exert his individuality in one way or other. Though, he
continues to represent himself to others in the lands he reaches, as
one of the Englishmen, proud of his association with the country
with knowledge. Swift attempts to find a utopia out there in the
larger world with exploration into each voyage. However, towards
the end of all the voyages, Gulliver ends up becoming a
misanthrope and withdraws himself from any human company. The
constant attempt of Gulliver to integrate into societies ultimately
result s in repeated failures till his complete alienation from them. By
depicting Gulliver as self -isolated and alienated from the human
society by the end of the book, Swift attempts to highlight his own
scepticism towards practising extreme individuality.
While in Lilliput, Gulliver describes his observations of the
Lilliputian lives in general. He closely observes the principles on
which the individual is related to the society at large. He learns that
the Lilliputians send their children to public nurseries to be taught
by professors and servants. This is a public system of training and
education, common to all Lilliputian children. The parents are made
to pay towards the education of their children in public nurseries.
This is paid as monthly sums and depen ding on the financial
conditions of the families, the payments are accordingly adjusted.
But each family, rich or poor, contributes towards the children’s
education. It is thought unfair towards the public nurseries to bear
up the expenses of education of the children. The constitution of
nurseries is such that it caters to the training of the students inmunotes.in

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79terms of gender and social class. The girls are not discriminated
against and are raised to be as brave and smart as the boys.
Moreover, the girls are not taught fictional stories or imaginary tales
and if any nanny or maid is found to feed the girls upon entertaining
stories or social gossips, she receives punishment in the form of
whipping, imprisonment or permanent exile from the system.
The idea of rai sing the young children away from the
constant company of parents is rooted in the traditional thoughts of
ideal society proposed by philosophers such as Plato and
Rousseau. The basis for such arrangement is to avoid introduction
of corruptive practices in herent in human societies to the growing
children. Though such social arrangement evokes ideals of
egalitarianism which tends to treat the women equal to men and by
making every family contribute towards the children’s education.
However, as Gulliver conti nues to observe the grown -up men and
women in Lilliputian society, they come across as corrupt and
deceiving to fulfil their self -interests. Many of them carry their egos
on their sleeves. This observation gives way to the ironical criticism
upon English s ociety (Lilliput being its parallel) and its high ideals,
which get punctured, when tried in practical realms. The adult
Lilliputians practice corruption at all levels including displaying
hypocritical behaviours, jealousies among themselves and
continuous attempts to berate others. They exhibit sorry state of
excessive human pride throughout. There is therefore, a wide gap
between the ideals (collective education of children) and the
realisation of these ideals (adult human behaviour). Thus, the
society of Lilliput cannot be termed as the perfect utopian society
as per the observations made by Gulliver. It remains inherently
flawed. Swift creates another imaginary voyage for Gulliver to
explore more into the idea of a perfect society, if any that exists on
earth.
If the Lilliputians depict the excesses of English pride and
ego for acquiring knowledge, it is the Laputans, who exhibit the
hollow ideals associated with the ideas related to enlightenment for
the Britishers. The entire Laputan island is so engro ssed in
conducting useless researches and endless experiments that they
have forgotten their own existence as living human beings. The
Laputans lead abstract lives with no room for imagination, creativity
and alternate visions. They refuse to accept the pr actical
advantages of their knowledge and thus it remains useless.
However, the Laputan women display a better sense of practicality
by understanding the notions of their physical bodies. They have to
bear children, which makes them remain more in touch wi th their
bodies. They loathe their self -absorbed husbands and find their
lovers in Lagadans (other than the Laputans). The state tries to
control them by putting several social restrictions upon them.The
men need support of the state laws to control their women, whomunotes.in

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80have lost interest in their men. The ever -progressive Laputan
society distinguishes itself from the traditional society in terms of
leading disoriented lives at all levels. Almost everyone has devoted
himself to the study of one branch of knowle dge or another. There
is no sense of individuality among the Laputans. They don’t
celebrate occasions or festivals. They are not shown to interact
socially. The king of Laputa demonstrates his ability to control his
subjects by abusing his powers. Laputa, being the most absurd of
all the states described through the voyages thus, cannot be the
kind of society, in which Gulliver finds a replacement for his own
English society. As Lilliput, Laputa also is deemed as a flawed
society.
It is in his last voyage that Gulliver encounters a society,
which he feels to be the most closed to his conception of being a
perfect society. The Houyhnhnm society is perceived by him to be
the most honest, simple, uncorrupted, virtuous and based on
rationality. Their society is completely governed by principles of
reason. One characteristic feature of this society is that it lacks the
space for individuality, though it has established itself as perfectly
moral and egalitarian society. Though Gulliver is completely
fascinated and thus influenced by the life of Houyhnhnms, Swift
creates certain gaps in the narrative to highlight the shortcomings
inherent in this society. The Houyhnhnms are so dedicated to
rationality that there is no scope for imagination. They don’t have
the notio n of the word ‘opinion’ thereby no scope for disagreements
or arguments among themselves. They discuss the same ideas
repeatedly. The society, though practices egalitarian principles of
equality and justice. The marriages are arranged by the families
and f riends to scale the qualities of the partners in terms of beauty
and strength. There is no room for ideas such as love, emotions,
courtship etc. Accordingly, each couple has two off -springs. If it is
two foals or two colts, then one of the young one is exc hanged with
another couple with same gendered children. The society follows
the dictums of equality of sexes in all respects. The idea of evil and
deceit are foreign to Houyhnhnms.
The society suffers from the problem of lack of individual
identity. All o f them look similar. There is no distinctive identity in
Houyhnhnms. All are equally good and rational. They share a
collective disdain for individuality. Further, they don’t accept the
Yahoos as their equal. They treat the latter as a different class of
beings. The idea of ‘otherness’ is also evident in their treatment of
Yahoos, who resemble the human beings. Their qualities are in
complete contrast to Gulliver. He has been an individual and an
explorer, who has least sense of belonging to his native soci ety. As
per his perception, the Houyhnhnms practice the best ideals as
envisioned by the human society and therefore, their society is
perceived as the perfect one by Gulliver. However, he is notmunotes.in

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81allowed to remain in this society forever and has to return back to
his English society.
Swift has attempted to mock the excesses of both the ideas
i.e., communal life as well as individual aspirations through
Gulliver’s Travels and it represents itself as a novel of alienation of
the modern man in this larger wo rld.
6.2.3Historical and Political context of Gulliver’s Travel
Since its first appearance in 1726, Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels
has continued to enjoy a great deal of popularity among a wide
section of readers including children and adults. Most of the
children are familiar with Gulliver’s tale as they read the tale as one
of fantastical adventures of Gulliver. Their imaginations are caught
easily with Gulliver travelling to wonderful and unknown islands full
of strange people and beings. No reader can f orget this tale of
Gulliver, once he has read it or heard about it. It has captivated the
attention of readers, critics, artists and authors alike. Among the
other works of satire published by Swift, Gulliver’s Travels remain
immensely popular. The popular ity of the genius of Swift was
evident immediately after its publication in 1726.It instantly became
a sensational best -seller. It’s abridged version for children (focus on
imagination and size) has remained a classic till date while its
unabridged version for the adult readers offers the most scathing
criticism of his contemporary age and its people, with the use of
irony and black humour. Many of the contemporary readers were
so much influenced by the satirical masterpiece that they took it as
a true acco unt and looked into the map for all the locales and
regions that Gulliver travels into. Swift’s clever and strategic use of
the then much popular form of writing, Travelogues, provided him
with the desired framework to make the tale most effective in its
purpose. However, though it remains the most entertaining among
the most of the literary tales, its author’s intention was not to
entertain the world, rather ‘to vex it’
To understand the brilliance of the satire aimed at the
specific topical targets and the human nature in general, one must
have an understanding of the times to which the author belonged.
One must also examine the set of conditions that must have
compelled the author to adopt the ‘misanthropic’ viewpoint of
humanity in general. The age to which Swift belonged was rife for
satirical writings.
England had continued to witness unstable political and
religious atmosphere since the times of Henry VIII in fifteenth -
sixteenth century, who had challenged the supremacy of the
Roman catholic church and its pope by establishing Anglican
church in England and paving way for protestant sect in
Christianity. The staunch followers of the Roman catholic churchmunotes.in

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82found themselves divided against the protestants at the level of
following religious ideas. The succeeding -rulers also followed
either of the religious principles and accordingly treated the
subjects, often prejudiced against the other religious sect, which
resulted in matters of governance. The nation had achieved a
period of stability however, dur ing the reign of queen Elizabeth in
Sixteenth century on account of queen not favouring either of the
religious ideologies and by remaining unmarried to avoid the
creation of any specific religious affiliation. The later centuries were
again caught up with the religious conflicts, evident in decision of
the monarch and his religious affiliation. Moreover, there was
always a tussle between the powers of the king and the parliament.
It was in 1649, with the beheading of Charles I, (whose supporters
were in co nflict with those backing the rule of the parliament) that a
brief period of Parliament’s rule was established. In 1660, the
young son of Charles I, who had fled to France, came back to
English throne, bringing with him the influence of French
mannerisms a nd a belief in Roman catholic church. After his death,
his brother James II, sat on throne, reinforcing the supremacy of
catholic church.
It was with the Glorious Revolution, which took place in
1688, that the catholic ruler James II was deposed (he fled to
Ireland) and replaced with the foreign ruler, William of Orange, the
husband of Mary, daughter of the deposed king. England continued
to face the threat of invasions from France (Catholic follower) and
underwent two of the Jacobite rebellions supported by France in
1715 and 1745 during the Hanoverian reign of George I and
George II respectively. The second rebellion was quelled
successfully, which quieted the revolting factions by suppressing
them forever with the Battle of Culloden. In 1707, with the
parliaments of Ireland and England joining together in a political
union, the Great Britain came into being. Few of the institutions
such as Church remained separate though. England witnessed a
never before transformation at various levels with the end of t he
long struggle for political freedom. The common people learnt the
art to live together with differing opinions. The culture of increasing
sociability was evident in the mushrooming of various coffee -
houses, club -houses and several other public meeting p laces.
There was a sudden surge of books, magazines and publishing
activities. Schools and educational institutions were established
and the reading public grew with the rise in literacy rates. The
writers of the age pre -occupied themselves with voicing th eir
interests and affiliations to either of the political parties. The
growing sociability made the masses forget the divisions across
politics and religion. The government was still divided into two
major parties, Tories and Whigs, while the Church was di vided into
Anglicans, Catholics and Dissenters.munotes.in

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83Swift had grown in these transforming times for England and
his life continued to witness the several ups and downs in relation
to his close associations to politics and religion at one level. To
understand the genius of Swift’s brilliant command over satire, one
needs to look into his life to gauge the bitterness which reflects in
his literary masterpieces. He had suffered immensely in his
childhood on account of his mother’s poverty and death of the
father. Though proud, he was compelled to remain dependent upon
his not -so welcoming relatives and the bruised ego of Swift
continued to puff -up. After his graduation, he was to be an
apprentice to Sir William Temple, one of his distant relatives and a
stateman a nd an excellent diplomat. He served himself in the
capacity of a private secretary, which was a humiliating status for
him, knowing well his own genius as compared to the relative
employer. Nevertheless, being bound by the financial strains, he
spent about ten long years at the Temple household, growing bitter
with each passing year. During this period, his Battle of the Books
was written. He read and studied widely here. As the bitterness
grew up in him and he found unbearable to serve Temple, he
quarrelle d with his patron and left to settle himself in the Church of
England. Later on, he moved into the Church of Laracor, a country
in Ireland. Here, he laboured to improve the conditions of the poor
people around him. He witnessed the rampant corruptive pract ices
in the Church, through which the men of little merit could easily
advance to higher positions in no time, while he was largely being
ignored despite contributing the best of his efforts. His resentment
continued to grow up at the ways of the world. Th eb i t t e r
experiences provided him with the food for thoughts to write his
Tale of a Tub , a satire on religion. With the publication of these two
satires, he attracted the attention of the readers and critics alike,
who proclaimed him as the most powerful s atirist of the age. He
gave up serving in the church and entered the party politics. Both
the Tories and the Whigs feared the lash of his satires, though he
supported the Tories initially.
With the Tory government going out of power, Swift’s
position bec ame unstable and he was forced to accept the position
of Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, though he was
earlier promised a bishopric in England. His satire in Tale of a Tub
had rendered him with this difficult situation. He probably had
offended Queen Anne by writing the satire on religion. Upon his
return to Ireland, he wrote Gulliver’s Travels , the satirical tale on
humankind, since he had achieved the most of his bitterness from
the mankind by now. He gradually gave himself to insanity and was
consumed by a brain disease, which lead him to be lunatic towards
the end of his life in 1745. His close observations of the men and
their ways around him provided with the literary matter for his
satirical writings. It was possible for Swift to w rite biting satires in
his contemporary times probably because the License Act had notmunotes.in

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84been renewed since 1695 and publishing of the books could not be
censored, thereby resulting in the growth of satirical writings during
the 18thcentury. As one of the c onsequences of the Glorious
Revolutions, the Protestant English monarchs introduced the Bill of
Rights in 1689, that literally settled the problem of a catholic ruler
ever succeeding on the English throne. It also brought about a
change in the foreign poli cy of the nation, which had continued to
incessantly fight with the neighbouring nations, especially France,
for supremacy of the power.
The contemporary readers of Swift’s satires were familiar
with the then current circumstances and the allusions to var ious
characters portrayed in his Gulliver’s Travels . They could not just
be entertained alone but also knew the target of Swift’s satires,
being familiar with the contemporary political developments.
However, the readers of the ages that succeeded the era of Swift
found it little difficult to contextualise the aim and direction of his
satires. As had been the literary trends of the age, the readers
would often look for the references to contemporary political issues
and satire directed at the famous politic al and social personalities of
his times. The readers were familiar with Swift’s manner of
attacking those, who were in power and abused that power. For
instance, the corrupt politicians. In his voyage to Lilliput, through
Gulliver, Swift directs his criti cism at the political world of England.
The several mechanisms, which act as the part and parcel to
sustain the notions of power have been highlighted through various
instances. Those who wish to seek political power display set of
unnecessary skills, whic h have nothing to do with the politics. Swift
has reduced it to the level of absurdity. For instance, the act of
rope-dancing, jumping through hoops and balancing oneself to
prove the manoeuvring skills. The reference to Flimnap, the
treasurer of the kingd om, who has been an excellent rope -dancer,
by virtue of balancing himself, has achieved the present political
position. Swift could be hinting at Robert Walpole, the head of the
Whig party in English politics, while chalking out the character of
Flimnap. Lilliput has two major political factions just as the English
parliament has. These are the Tramesckams and Slamecksans,
probably representing the Tory party and the Whig party.
Swift has cleverly infused the contemporary political situation
into the relig ious conditions of the time through the narrative. The
two political parties also represent the dominant religious ideologies
in the form of preference over ‘High heels’ and ‘Low heels’ wherein
the former represent the conservatives while the latter come a cross
as the liberal ones. The allusion to the dominance of the High heel
people as masses and Low heels as those, controlling the power
refers to the Whigs in power of the political situation in England.
Further, the reference to the continuous war of Lil liput with its
immediate neighbour, Blefuscu on account of the dispute arisingmunotes.in

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85from the argument concerned with the end from which an egg
should be broken, is clearly an absurd observation on England’s
constant tussle for political power with France with t he base as the
religious inclination. The population of Lilliput is divided into two set
of beliefs as the Big Endiens and the Small Endiens. The former
represents the belief in Catholic church and its religious principles
while the latter refers to the be lievers in the Anglican church i. e.
the protestants. The laws in Lilliput have made difficult for the Big
Endiens to assert themselves. Their books (propagation of
knowledge) have long been forbidden by the Small -Endien
government, thereby resulting in so me of them taking refuge in
Blefuscu and supporting it to attack Lilliput. Swift’s own attitude
towards war and policy of destruction of one’s enemy is negative.
Gulliver refuses to attack Blefuscuns as instructed by the Lilliputian
emperor. Also, the Brob dingnagian king displays his disgust at the
mention of a specially constructed tool in the form of gunpowder, to
destroy the enemy.
All these and several allusions used by Swift in the narrative
of Gulliver’s Travels could be understood and enjoyed by th e
general reading public of his contemporary times. The readers
would often look forward to the exposure and criticism of the public
personalities. Thus, Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels must have provided
the contemporary readers with a fiction that they could relate to.
6.2.4Treatment of Women and Notion of Family in Gulliver’s
Travels
The character of Lemuel Gulliver remains dominant
throughout the narrative of Gulliver’s Travels .Hei st h eo n l y
constant character whose perspective shapes up the narrative of
the novel. He is the product of his age. Swift has sketched his
character in the mould of the prototypes of an English man of the
Eighteenth century. This was an era of enlighten ment and the
curious Englishman sought to explore new knowledges through
varied experiences. Gulliver is an adventurous and ambitious man,
thirsty to explore the world.
Before Gulliver is depicted to embark upon his adventurous
journeys, the readers are provided with a brief glimpse of his family
background. He belongs to a middle -class family. His father could
barely provide for his expenses on education and lodging, while he
received college education in a distant town. To fulfil his monetary
requiremen ts, as had been the practice, he seeks an
apprenticeship with an eminent surgeon in London. For most part of
his young life, he is away from his family and thus develops a
detached attitude, which is evident in the manner of his reference to
marriage and w ife. ‘Being advised to alter my condition, I married
Mrs Mary Burton, second daughter to Mr Edmond Burton hosier in
Newgate street, with whom I received four hundred pounds for amunotes.in

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86portion’ (Chapter 1) One notices that there is no sentiment of
warmth in the reference made to his wife. Rather, association with
her is weighed in terms of the monetary assistance that the
marriage brings in for him. There is no mention of personal
attachment to his wife and she is referred to as the daughter of Mr.
Burton. Clearl y, it is established that the identity of Gulliver’s wife
gets shrunk into the social identity as a daughter and a wife. The
personal characteristics of Mary and her inter -personal relationship
with her husband, Gulliver have not been described.
In the e ighteenth century, there were strict codes of conduct
for the men and women. The women were raised up to be the good
daughters, wives and mothers, with no say in the decision -making
business of the families. The marriages were considered a
responsibility a nd a personal duty for the men and women. Women
could not aspire for public opportunities and they were trained to
perform the domestic responsibilities including bearing and rearing
children, while the man of the house could move places, gaining
knowledge of the world. Women could be support -systems to their
families and were not allowed to nurture individual aspirations. The
narrative of Gulliver’s Travels reinforces the notion of the social
relationship of the husband and wife and the latter’s non -assert ion
in the matters of public affairs of the former. Swift devotes hardly
one page describing the family background of Gulliver and poor
Mary Burton receives only one or two references here and there. It
is the sole decision of Gulliver to undertake the sev eral journeys on
ships as Mary Burton does not seem to protest much except for
once towards the end of the narrative. However, Gulliver, being ‘the
man’ of the house does not fall for the emotional pleas of his wife.
He stays in the company of his wife and family for a very brief
period of three years after his marriage. Thereafter, he is constantly
on move. His marriage has been a marriage of convenience. After
being to the land of Houyhnhnms, he cannot stand the sight of
human beings, not even his wife. W hen he comes back to his
home, the wife attempts to love him but his disgust for the mankind
makes him exhibit his repulsion for her as well. For him, she
continues to be a social being, fulfilling her duties as wife to him,
and never as a companion, with whom he can share his insights
and knowledge.
Gulliver’s Travels treats women in a distinctive manner,
though there are not too many references to woman. They exist by
virtue of their relation to their families. In almost all the four
voyages, Gulliver’s attitude towards the women character is build
up in the manner he perceives them. In Lilliput, Gulliver makes an
observation of the educational institutions, which serve as common
platforms for training both the genders of young boys and girls. At
these p ublic nurseries, girls are provided similar education as that
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87them to be better companions to their husbands after their
marriages. Gulliver emphasises upon the utility of such a principle
inthe training of the young girls. He echoes the principles of
treatment of women of his own society by supporting the training
methodology. Not too many women characters have been sketched
at length in Lilliput except for one or two, among which wife of
Flimnap, the prime -minister of the kingdom of Lilliput and the
Lilliputian Queen figure dominantly. The wife of Flimnap remains
sympathetic to the woes of Gulliver on account of his gigantic size
and his treatment at the hands of the corrupted and proud
Lilliputians. Gulliver views it from the perspective of the feminine
virtues inherent in a woman –sympathetic, concerned, helpful and
understanding. While her husband, in order to trouble Gulliver,
alleges her extra -marital affair with Gulliver, which amuses t he
latter. To converse with men other than the family members in the
public sphere was considered a vice for the women, echoed by the
attitude of the character of Flimnap in the narrative. The wife is
being treated as a tool to ‘vex’ Gulliver, who has earn ed too much
of appreciation from the royal house. Her dignity in the public
domain does not get due consideration as compared to the honour
of the husband, who represents a public office.
While referring to the episode of putting out the accidental
fire c aught by the royal palace of Lilliput, Gulliver makes a mention
of the manner in which his act of dousing the fire by urinating on it,
offends the queen. Swift makes use of his personal experience with
Queen Anne of England, who was offended with his writi ng of Tale
of a Tub ,ap o w e r f u ls a t i r eo nr e l i g i o na n dp r o b a b l yd e p r i v e dh i mo f
the position of Bishopric in the church of England, sending him to
the church of Ireland rather. Moreover, Gulliver notes that the
unfortunate accident of fire was caused due t o ‘the careless
negligence of a maid of the queen, who fell asleep while reading a
romance’ The carelessness of the maid has been attributed to her
feminine nature.
Gulliver’s caretaker in Brobdingnag, Glumdalclitch, the
farmer’s daughter, does not receiv eag o o dt r e a t m e n tb yh e rf a m i l y
members. Her brother troubles Gulliver constantly, almost taking
his life away with one of his pranks, but nobody reprimands him.
Her father is least concerned for her.While the queen picks up a
fancy for Gulliver, Glumdalc litch is sent along as his caretaker. In
yet another episode, he expresses his disgust at the sight of the
monstrous breasts of one the Brobdingnagian females and speaks
of the numerous flaws of the female body when magnified. His
voyage to Laputa also des cribes the poor status of women of the
island. There are laws governing the restrictions upon the women
of Laputa. These women, however are intelligent and seek lovers
from the lower islands since their husbands remain engrossed in
abstract world of useles s experiments. The Balnibarbi women aremunotes.in

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88taxed for their beauty and demeanour since these are the only
qualities that the women could possess according to the rules of
the island. Women characters in the last of his voyages to the land
of Houyhnhnms are als o not spared from his misogynistic criticism.
The Yahoo females display sensuality and cannot control their
primitive urges, which at a time, poses a great threat to Gulliver.
They remind him of his own physicality that resembles their ill -
shapes. Gulliver describes the women of each nation that he
travels to significantly apart from delineating other existing systems
and the general behaviour of the men. In Gulliver’s description of
women of different nations with varied behaviour, reflects author’s
own mi splaced ideas of one gender. Swift’s personal experiences
with women (including his mother) in his life had been bitter.
Nevertheless, it is not always necessary to look for the influence of
the personal life experiences of the author to analyse an aspect of
a novel. It tends to lose its purpose and beauty.
6.3LET’S SUM UP
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is structured around four
voyages undertaken by Lemuel Gulliver, the central character. Swift
create sar e a l istic persona of Gulliver. Limitation of human
understanding, is one of the major themes of Gulliver’s Travels .
Gulliver ’s experiences during his travel sthrough remote and
strange islands across the world, show that knowledge can be both
useful as well as self -destructive. The huma nm i n di sc a p a b l eo f
great thoughts and ideas but it can be quite disastrous to apply
them i nto the real, physical world .Swift also cleverly uses the
contemporary political and religious situation into the narrative.
Gulliver’s Travels is a masterpiece of satire and creativity
6.4QUESTIONS
Q1) Discuss Gulliver’s Travels as a satire on the contemporary
politics of Swift’s England.
Q2) Examine the theme of perspective in Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels .
Q3) Discuss the significance of the use of irony in Gulliver’s
Travels by Swift.
Q4) ‘Gulliver’s Travels is a critique of the Age of Enlightenment of
Eighteenth Century England’. Elaborate.
Q5) Analyse the treatment of gender in Gulliver’s Travels .
Q6) Throw light on the historical and political context o fGulliver’s
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896.5REFERENCES
List of References used:
Ernst, Reni. Analysis of the Nature of Swift’s Satire in Gulliver’s
Travels –Targets, techniques and effectiveness .W e b .2 1N o v
2020.
https://www.grin.com/document/80941
Fox, Christopher, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Jonathan
Swift . 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 2003,
Print.
Izquierdo, Rebecca C. Politics in Jonathan Swift’s Literature.
Web. 20 Dec 2020.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/211099407.pdf
Long, William. J. English Literature: Its History and its
Significance for the Life of the English -Speaking World. Atlantic
Publishers: New Delhi, 2015. Print.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels .E d .L o u i sA .L a n d a ,B o o k
Land: New Delhi, 2002. Print
Williams, Kathleen, ed. The Critical Heritage: Jonathan Swift .
London: Taylor & Francis, 2002
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90Unit-7
STUDY OF MARY SHELLEY’S
FRANKENSTEIN I
Unit Structure:
7.0 Objectives
7.1 Introduction to the Author
7.2 Summary
7.3 Critical Analysis
7.4 Some Important Textual Quotes
7.5 Let’s Sum Up
7.6 Questions
7.7 References
7.0 OBJECTIVES
To introduce the students to the author Mary Shelley and her
contribution to literature
To make the students understand the summary of the novel
7.1INTRODUCTION
Early n ineteenth century England was immersed in
Romanticism. The Romantic movement in English literature of the
early 19th century has its roots in 18th -century poetry, the Gothic
novel and the novel of sensibility .G o t h i c is a genre of literature that
is characterised by horror, mystery and death .B yt h et i m eM a r y
Shelley’s Frankenstein arrived, Romanticism was well established
with Horace Walpole’s TheCastle of Otranto (1764), the first Gothic
fiction. Frankenstein makes use of elements of the Gothic novel
and th ose of Romantic movement . However, the significance of
Frankenstein lies in its being the first science fiction novel.
7.2THE AUTHOR -MARY SHELLEY
Mary Shelley was born in London on August 30th,1 7 9 7 .B o t h
of her parents were well -known radical intellectual figures in the late
18thand early 19th centuries. In addition to Frankenstein ,M a r y
Shelley wrote six other novels, a novella, mythological dramas,
stories and articles, various travel books, and biographical studies.
Her father, William Godwin, was a strong critic of aristocraticmunotes.in

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91privilege and a supporter of both utilitarianism an d anarchism. His
most famous works include the tract An Enquiry Concerning
Political Justice and the novel Things as They Are; or, The
Adventures of Caleb Williams . Godwin also wrote a curious novel
called St. Leon: A Tale of the Sixteenth Century that fol lows a
French aristocrat who discovers the secret to the immortality of life.
Although little read today, many critics believe the ideas found
within St. Leon influenced Shelley’s creation of Frankenstein .
Mary Shelley’s mother was Mary Wollstonecraft .
Wollstonecraft was the prototypical feminist before the word
“feminism” was even invented. Although she wrote many works on
history, politics, and travel, Wollstonecraft will always be
remembered for her tract A Vindication of the Rights of Woman .I n
this cl assic feminist text, Wollstonecraft argued that men and
women are equal in every way and that they should be given equal
opportunity in education.
Mary Shelley grew up with one older half -sister named
Fanny Imlay, who was the product of an affair between
Wollstonecraft and a mysterious soldier. Then, within a few years,
Godwin married re -married to a woman named Mary Jane
Clairmont. Clairmont already had two children, and soon Godwin
and Clairmont had a baby boy together.
While growing up, Mary Shelley wa s surrounded by some of
the finest artistic and intellectual minds in the UK. Just a few
luminaries Godwin was on good terms with include:
Romantic poets William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor
Coleridge
Literary critic William Hazlitt
Essayist Charles Lamb
Whenever she had an opportunity to be alone, Mary Shelly
could often be found reading in her father’s library, outside, or even
by her mother’s grave. Shelly used fiction as a means of escape
from her incredibly busy home life.
The first known work publi shed by Mary Shelly was a short
poem called “Mounseer Nongtongpaw” in the year 1807. Based on
a song by Charles Dibdin , this humorous verse deals with an
Englishman, John Bull, who visits France without understanding a
word of Frenc h. Shelley was only ten when her father published this
work for her.
Mary was actually born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, but that
soon changed after she fell head over heels in love with one of
England’s foremost Romantic poets: Percy Bysshe Shelley.munotes.in

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92Along with Lord Byron, Percy Shelley was one of the most
radical Romantic poets of his era. Percy Shelley was an admirer of
Godwin’s political theories, and he became a frequent guest at
Godwin’s London home. However, after meeting Mary for the first
time, Perc y Shelley quickly became less interested in Godwin’s
theories and more interested in his daughter.
Percy Shelley was married to Harriet Westbrook at the time,
but that didn’ t deter him from courting Mary. He and Mary decided
to flee England together in 1815. Both Shelleys voyaged all around
Continental Europe, but all was not fun and games in these early
years. The couple’s first child died a few after Mary gave birth, and
they were both extremely poor. This action also caused a major rift
between Mary and her father.
Eventually the Shelleys arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, and
met up with Lord Byron, the writer John Polidori, and many other
literary luminaries. The group of w riters instantly formed a small
bohemian community right by Lake Geneva. It was here, on an
extremely stormy night, that Lord Byron suggested everyone try to
write their own horror story.
After suffering from writer’s block for a few days, Mary
Shelley ha d a strange dream of doctor creating a monster in his
own image. She decided to develop this dream into a novel. Within
only a few weeks, Mary Shelley produced her first draft
ofFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus .S h ew a so n l y
eighteen.
In case you didn’t know, Frankenstein tells the story of Dr.
Victor Frankenstein and his dream to become like God by creating
life in his laboratory. Using his knowledge of science, medicine, and
technology, Dr. Frankenstein is able to animate assembled body
parts tak en from a graveyard. However, Dr. Frankenstein quickly
becomes horrified and abandons his ghastly creation, hoping to put
it out of his mind forever; but it isn’t long before the creature
catches up with Dr. Frankenstein and vows vengeance for giving
him l ife without any hope for true companionship.
Just a few key influences on this work include Rousseau,
John Milton, and Coleridge.
This novel continues to resonate with readers today because
of the deep questions it raises about unchecked scientific
“prog ress.” Besides just being a cautionary tale against scientific
exploration, some critics see Shelley’s work as an argument for the
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93Although 1816 was a year of creative breakthrough for Mary
Shelley, it was also a year of tragedy. Both Shelley’ sh a l f -sister and
Percy Shelley’s first wife committed suicide. Despite this news,
Mary and Percy Shelley decided to get officially married in
December of this year.
Shelley continued work on Frankenstein throughout the next
few years, and she published t he first edition of the work
anonymously in 1818. Although Mary Shelley had released a
travelogue in 1817 called History of a Six Weeks’ Tour , most
people assumed only Percy Bysshe Shelley could have written a
work like Frankenstein —especially because he w rote the initial
introduction to the novel. Regardless of this speculation, the book
sold tremendously in the U.K. and allowed the Shelleys to buy a
home in Italy.
Then, in 1822, Percy Shelley unexpectedly drowned in the
Gulf of Spezia. After Percy Shelley’s death, Mary Shelley decided
to move back to England to better care for Percy Florence. Percy
Florence went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge, and, once
Godwin passed away in 1844, took up his role as the 3rd Baronet
of Castle Goring. Until this time, Mary Shelley provided for her son
by writing more novels, including Valperga andThe Last Man .
Of the Mary Shelley ’sbooks, one entitled Mathilda was only
discovered long after her death. It might not be so popular with
modern rea ders, but Mathilda , which deals with the scandalous
issue of a father falling in love with his 16 -year-old daughter, has
been puzzling scholars ever since it was discovered in the 1950s.
In addition to writing these novels and other works, Mary
Shelley sp ent a great deal of time promoting her late husband’s
work. Indeed, thanks in large part to Mary Shelley’s efforts, we still
have much of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poetry in print.
Mary Shelley passed away due to brain cancer on the 1st of
February, 1851. Ma ry was cremated along with her husband’s
preserved heart at St. Peter’s Church in Bournemouth. She was 53.
7.3SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL FRANKENSTEIN
The Preface explains the origin of the novel. Shelley spent
the summer of 1816 near Geneva, Switzerl and, where much of the
novel takes place. One rainy night, Shelley and her friends
challenged each other to write ghost stories. Frankenstein was the
only one of the stories to be completed. The Preface also reveals
Shelley's aim in writing the novel: to p resent a flattering depiction of
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94Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North
Pole, writes a letter to his sister, Margaret Saville, in which he says
that his crew members recently discovered a man adrift at sea. The
man, Victor Frankenstein, offered to tell Walton his story.
Frankenstein has a perfect childhood in Switzerland, with a
loving family that even adopted orphans in need, including the
beautiful Elizabeth, who soon becomes Victor's closes tf r i e n d ,
confidante, and love. Victor also has a caring and wonderful best
friend, Henry Clerval. Just before Victor turns seventeen and goes
to study at the University at Ingoldstadt, his mother dies of scarlet
fever. At Ingolstadt, Victor dives into "na tural philosophy" with a
passion, studying the secrets of life with such zeal that he even
loses touch with his family. He soon rises to the top of his field, and
suddenly, one night, discovers the secret of life. With visions of
creating a new and noble r ace, Victor puts his knowledge to work.
But when he animates his first creature, its appearance is so
horrifying he abandons it. Victor hopes the monster has
disappeared for ever, but some months later he receives word that
his youngest brother, William, h as been murdered. Though Victor
sees the monster lingering at the site of the murder and is sure it
did the deed, he fears no one will believe him and keeps
silent. Justine Moritz, another adoptee in his family, has been
falsely accused based of the crime. She is convicted and executed.
Victor is consumed by guilt.
To escape its tragedy, the Frankensteins go on vacation.
Victor often hikes in the mountains, hoping to alleviate his suffering
with the beauty of nature. One day the monster appears, and
despit e Victor's curses begs him incredibly eloquently to listen to its
story. The monster describes his wretched life, full of suffering and
rejection solely because of his horrifying appearance. (The monster
also explains how he learned to read and speak so we ll.) The
monster blames his rage on humanity's inability to perceive his
inner goodness and his resulting total isolation. It demands that
Victor, its creator who brought it into this wretched life, create a
female monster to give it the love that no human ever will. Victor
refuses at first, but then agrees.
Back in Geneva, Victor's father expresses his wish that
Victor marry Elizabeth. Victor says he first must travel to England.
On the way to England, Victor meets up with Clerval. Soon, though,
Victor le aves Clerval at the house of a friend in Scotland and
moves to a remote island to make his second, female, monster. But
one night Victor begins to worry that the female monster might turn
out more destructive than the first. At the same moment, Victor
sees the first monster watching him work through a window. The
horrifying sight pushes Victor to destroy the female monster. The
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95[his] wedding night." Victor takes the remains of the female mons ter
and dumps them in the ocean. But when he returns to shore, he is
accused of a murder that was committed that same night. When
Victor discovers that the victim is Clerval, he collapses and remains
delusional for two months. When he wakes his father has arrived,
and he is cleared of the criminal charges against him.
Victor returns with his father to Geneva, and marries
Elizabeth. But on his wedding night, the monster instead kills
Elizabeth. Victor's father dies of grief soon thereafter. Now, all
alone i n the world, Victor dedicates himself solely to seeking
revenge against the monster. He tracks the monster to the Arctic,
but becomes trapped on breaking ice and is rescued by Walton's
crew.
Walton writes another series of letters to his sister. He tells
her about his failure to reach the North Pole and to restore Victor,
who died soon after his rescue. Walton's final letter describes his
discovery of the monster grieving over Victor's corpse. He accuses
the monster of having no remorse, but the monster sa ys it has
suffered more than anyone. With Victor dead, the monster has its
revenge and plans to end its own life.
Analysis of Letters 1 -4
We are introduced to Robert Walton, a 28 -year-old sea
captain who is embarking on a journey to the North Pole region in
order to find a passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. He writes
the letters to his sister, Mrs. Saville, in London, England. He has
talked about making this expedition for six years: it has been a
favourite dream of his, and he is pleased that he fi nally has a
chance to make good on his promise to himself. Other dreams,
such as becoming a poet or a playwright, have not worked out.
Therefore, this vision must succeed. The writer of letters is thrilled
that he will satisfy an "ardent curiosity" by sett ing foot on a part of
the world never visited by man. As he prepares for voyage by
taking practice trips in the North Sea of Russia, he is worried that
he has no friend on the trip who will be able to sustain his
disappointment should the dream not work ou t. He admits this is a
romantic, emotional need, but it is there. Unfortunately, he does not
connect at all with the other men, even though he is very fond of his
lieutenant and the ship's master. He is nevertheless extremely
excited for his journey.
Once actually on the voyage, things are going well. But a
strange thing happens. In the middle of the ocean, on sheets of ice,
they spy a sleigh pulled by dogs with a large figure driving. He
disappears, leaving the entire crew in puzzled wonderment. The
next day, another sleigh is at the side of the ship, on the brink of
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96sized human there, asking to where the ship is bound. He boards
the ship, nearly frozen and completely fatigued. When he is a bit
recovered, Walton asks what he is doing up here. The stranger
says he was tracking someone who fled from him. Apparently, it
was the large figure Walton and his men saw earlier. Walton begins
to spend time with the stranger. He is morosely unhappy, an dw h e n
Walton talks about how he might be sacrificing his life on this
expedition for the sake of knowledge, the stranger breaks down
and decides to tell him the tale he has kept secret in order to
reverse that opinion.
7.4CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The major conflict in Frankenstein revolves around Victor’s
inability to understand that his actions have repercussions. Victor
focuses solely on his own goals and fails to see how his actions
might impact other individuals. The monster functions as the
starkestreminder of how Victor has failed to take responsibility for
his actions in defying the laws of nature. The first signs of the
conflict appear when Victor throws himself into his studies at the
University of Ingolstadt, neglecting his family and fia ncée. The
conflict deepens when, having “succeeded in discovering the cause
of generation and life,” Victor becomes obsessed with creating a
monster. He does not stop to think about what the experiences of
that monster might be like, nor is he fazed by the fact that he
ignores his family to pursue his work. He is so obsessed with his
ambition that he does not consider anything else. The rising action
of his reckless quest to create life comes to a peak when,
immediately after animating the monster, he react sw i t hh o r r o ra n d
disgust and runs from the room. This incident illustrates the conflict
between Victor and moral responsibility: he has been responsible
for making the monster and bringing him to life, but when he
doesn’t like the result, he simply reject si t .
The tension increases when Victor learns of the death of his
brother William and the false accusation against Justine. The
murder creates another situation in which Victor can choose to act,
or fail to take responsibility. He heightens the conflict by allowing
Justine to be executed, rather than disclosing what he knows about
the monster. The conflict is heightened further when the monster
meets up with Victor amidst the mountain peaks and tells him the
story of all the suffering he has experienced, as well as his
loneliness and alienation. The meeting between the monster and
his creator is another moment where Victor could potentially turn
away from his selfish path. The plot suggests potential resolution
when Victor reluctantly agrees to fashion a m ate for the monster in
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97However, the conflict is reignited when Victor is too
disgusted to carry out this plan and destroys the female monster
before completing it. Yet again, he doesn’t think about what this
reckless choice will mean, even though the monster vows revenge.
Victor is genuinely surprised when his friend Henry Clerval is killed,
and then again when his fiancé Elizabeth is also murdered, despite
the monster’s explicit statements that he is no wd e d i c a t e dt o
making Victor’s life a living hell by depriving him of everyone he
loves. The murder of Elizabeth shifts the conflict into its final stage,
in which Victor vows to hunt down and kill the monster in revenge
for all of the deaths. This vow par tially resolves the conflict in that it
gives the monster what he wants: he now has the total attention of
his creator, and the fates of the two individuals are interlocked.
After Victor pursues the monster around the world, he
arrives in the Arctic and e ncounters Walton, bringing the story full -
circle back the point at which the narration switched from Walton to
Victor. Victor’s travels have exhausted him so much that he dies
aboard the ship after relaying his tale, his role in the story fulfilled.
The no vel climaxes with Walton finding the monster in the room,
gazing at Victor’s dead body and weeping. Victor never
acknowledges the role he played in creating the chaos and tragedy
that resulted in the deaths of several innocent people, as well as
the tormen t of his creation. Unlike Victor, the monster expresses
remorse and self -loathing, suggesting that he ultimately has
become more “human” than his creator. Walton finally gets to see
and hear the monster from his own perspective, and he is able to
feel “a m ixture of curiosity and compassion.” The falling action of
the novel quickly concludes with the monster explaining his plan to
kill himself, then setting off alone to carry out his plan.
7.5SOME IMPORTANT TEXTUAL QUOTES
1)I saw —with shut eyes, but acute mental vision —Is a wt h ep a l e
student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put
together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and
then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life
and sti r with an uneasy, half -vital motion. Frightful must it be, for
supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to
mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world.
Shelley’s image evokes some of the key themes, such as
the utter un naturalness of the monster (“an uneasy, half -vital
motion”), the relationship between creator and created (“kneeling
beside the thing he had put together”), and the dangerous
consequences of misused knowledge (“supremely frightful would
be the effect of . . . mock [ing] . . . the Creator”).munotes.in

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982)Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould me Man, did I
solicit the e-From darkness to promote me?
These rhetorical questions epitomize the monster’ si l lw i l l
toward Victor for abandoning him in a world relentlessly hostile to
him and foist responsibility for his ugliness and eventual evil upon
Victor.
3)So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein -
more, far more, will I achieve; tread ing in the steps already marked,
I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to
the world the deepest mysteries of creation.
Victor utters these words in Chapter 3 as he relates to
Walton how his chemistry professor, M. Waldman, ignited i nh i ma n
irrepressible desire to gain knowledge of the secret of life. Victor’s
reference to himself in the third person illustrates his sense of
fatalism —he is driven by his passion, unable to control it. Further,
the glorious, assertive quality of his st atement foreshadows the fact
that Victor’s passion will not be tempered by any consideration of
the possible horrific consequences of his search for knowledge.
Additionally, this declaration furthers the parallel between Walton’s
spatial explorations and F rankenstein’s forays into unknown
knowledge, as both men seek to “pioneer a new way,” to make
progress beyond established limits.
4)I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be
spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.
In Walton’s final lett er to his sister, he recounts the words
that the monster speaks to him over Victor’s dead body. This
eruption of angry self -pity as the monster questions the injustice of
how he has been treated compellingly captures his inner life, giving
Walton and the r eader a glimpse into the suffering that has
motivated his crimes. This line also evokes the motif of abortion:
the monster is an unwanted life, a creation abandoned and
shunned by his creator.
7.6 LET’S SUM UP
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, considered to b ethe first
science fiction novel, revolves around the story of Victor
Frankenstein, and the creature he has created. Victor’s lack of
vision regarding the plan for his creation put sin motion the
disastrous chain of events. In the end the death of the crea tor and
intended death of his creation has its seeds in the act of creation
itself. The author has structured the novel within w onderfully
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997.7 QUESTIONS
1)Is the Monster in Frankenstein Good? Explain
2)Discuss the novel’s shifts in narrative perspective. What is the
effect of presenting different characters’ viewpoints, especially
those of Victor and the monster?
3)Trace and discuss the role of letters and written communication
throughout the novel.
4)Discuss the presentation of women in the novel. Do Victor and
the monster differ in their view of women, and if so, how?
7.8REFERENCE S
www.sparknotes.com
www.cliffnotes.com
www.litcharts.com
www.gradesaver.com
www.nationalgeographic.com
www.booksonthewall.com
www.history.com

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100Unit-8
STUDY OF MARY SHELLEY’S
FRANKENSTEIN II
Unit Structure:
8.0 Objectives
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Characters
8.3 Themes
8.4 Symbols
8.5 Discussion
8.6 Let’s Sum Up
8.7 Questions
8.8 Recommended Reading
8.9 References
8.0OBJECTIVES
To explain the novel Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
To explain its characterisation
To discuss its thematic concerns and symbols
8.1 INTRODUCTION
This unit introduces you to the critical study of one of the
important texts of Gothic literature, Frankenstein , by Mary Shelley.
Frankenstein is more than just a horror story. It raises the deep -
rooted questions about superiority of science, morality, humanity,
unchecked ambition and pride; which are common to all ages. The
novel also is an important milestone of romantic literary
development. Gradual unravelling of various characters by the way
of analysis is a good way to study this complex novel. The study of
themes will help to reveal the primary purpose of the text.
8.2CHARACTERS
Victor Frankenstein
Atthe start of the novel, Victor Frankenstein is a generally
sympathetic character with an enquiring mind and an interest in
scientific development. However, his ambition leads him to become
arrogant and extremely single -minded. He neglects his family,munotes.in

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101aband ons his creation and fails to take responsibility for his actions
which leads to the deaths of many of those who should be near and
dear to him.
Gradually he comes to realise the full extent of what he has
done and sets out to destroy the Monster even at the cost of his
own life. Despite hunting the Monster across the length and breadth
of Europe, Victor fails in this mission and dies in the Arctic wastes
aboard Walton's ship.
Even as he is dying, he will not admit fully to his mistakes
and the reader is left wondering whether it is Victor who is the true
monster.
None of Victor's family are particularly scientific in their
outlook but Victor has an enquiring mind. When he is only 13,
Victor begins to read scientific books and study the works of
famous sc ientists. He also closely observes nature acting around
him. When he goes to university, Victor is encouraged by the
professors who teach there. Unfortunately, Victor misuses his
scientific knowledge and ability in a bid for personal glory. As he
searches for knowledge, Victor studies several scientific disciplines.
However, he quickly rejects all but those which he considers to be
pure -among these are mathematics and natural philosophy (what
we today would call science). He gives up studying natural hist ory
'as a deformed and abortive creation ' which, considering the
Monster he will go on to create, is rather ironic.
Victor's ambition knows no bounds as he sets out to create
life at any expense. He makes himself ill in the pursuit of his goals
and puts a chieving this ambition before the health and happiness of
both himself and his family. As Victor dies, he realises that ambition
and obsession has been his downfall. He warns Walton, who is
also risking everything for scientific discovery, that he may be
pursuing a foolish and misguided course of action .
Victor is so caught up in the pursuit of knowledge and the
creation of life that he feels invincible. He feels he should not have
to justify his actions to anyone and that he alone has supreme
power.
Victor thinks of himself as godlike, bringing light where there
is only darkness and creating life where it did not exist before. He
thinks he can even cheat death. Like a God he expects that his
creations will show him gratitude and worship him without
reserv ation.
Victor does not think about the consequences of creating a
new life for either the individual concerned (the Monster) or themunotes.in

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102society in general. Victor is responsible for creating the Monster
and he is also responsible for abandoning it and setting in motion
the train of events that result in the deaths of many of his family and
friends. However, he rarely accepts that he is at fault and instead
blames the Monster for its own actions
Victor's guilt over his actions transforms into a desire for
revenge. He thinks that if he can eliminate the Monster this will,
somehow, excuse what he has done. As with everything else in his
life Victor's emotions are extreme -'I gnashed my teeth, my eyes
became inflamed'. As his mind thinks about what has happened,
physical changes come over him and he claims he is prepared to
travel to remote areas of the earth to achieve his aim -eventually,
this is exactly what he does when he follows the Monster to the
Arctic.
The Monster in Frankenstein
Unlike most characters in a novel, the Monster has no
background, family or past history. He is Victor's creation formed
out of numerous body parts and brought to life as the result of a
scientific experiment.
At first, despite being enormous, he has the mind of a young
child a nd when he is abandoned this starts a spiral of events which
nobody can stop. The Monster hides from people and acquires
human characteristics such as speech, rational thought and human
emotions. However, his appearance works against him and he
becomes the victim of human weaknesses and prejudice.
He ends up lonely and isolated and asks Victor for a mate
but he will not cooperate. In desperation, the Monster turns to
murder as a means of revenge.
Although the Monster has a deformed body, his brain is full y
functioning and highly active. He is capable of sophisticated
thought processes. He teaches himself to survive in a hostile
environment and develops an understanding of language (including
reading and writing) by secretly observing the De Lacey family. I n
his discussions with Victor, he is able to develop and deliver
complex arguments. Unfortunately, his education only makes him
more aware of his own loneliness.
Like Victor, the Monster makes discoveries based on
observation and experimentation -this is shown in phrases such as
'I made a discovery ', 'If o u n d 'a n d' I perceived '. The Monster
gradually realises that sound is used to communicate and that the
people he is observing use language to show their feelings and
emotions to each other. It is ironic t hat the Monster describes this
as 'a godlike science '-this echoes Victor's own attitude to hismunotes.in

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103learning and discoveries and suggests that the Monster will also be
at a disadvantage from his education.
From the moment he is brought to life, the Monster i s
constantly rejected. He is abandoned by his creator who literally
runs away from what he has done. Then he suffers prejudice from
other humans he meets who cannot bear his hideous appearance;
they assume that because he looks terrible, he actually is ter rible.
The Monster therefore has no companion, friend or mate and it is
this which leads him to demand that Victor create a female version
of himself.
Shelley uses contrast here to show how the Monster has
become isolated. Positive words such as ' benevole nt', 'glowed ',
'love'a n d' humanity ' are contrasted by ' alone ', 'abhor ', 'spurn 'a n d
'hate '. Even the magnificent scenery amongst which the Monster
spends its time is seen as a ' desert 'a n d' dreary '.
As the Monster faces more and more rejection and prejud ice
and becomes increasingly lonely, his thoughts turn to gaining
revenge on all who have abused him. Thus, he becomes
destructive and homicidal. He murders William, Henry and
Elizabeth and is indirectly responsible for killing Justine and
Alphonse. The Mo nster realises that by keeping Victor alive he can
prolong his suffering and torment even further.
Revenge is an extreme emotion and the Monster's use of
language here reflects this, such as ' imprecate curses 'a n d' spirit of
revenge '. The whole of his nat ure has changed from one extreme
('mildness ') to another (' bitterness '). The negativity of his emotions
is reinforced by the key word ' not' being placed last in the final
sentence.
The Monster seems to be driven by an unstoppable force
and is therefore unable to curb his own destructive nature. This is
increased by his experiences of prejudice, fear and loneliness. He
does, however, display the human quality of remorse or regret
towards the end of the novel. As he visits Victor for the last time, he
asks for forgiveness, at the same time realising that it is too late to
save either of them. The Monster's remorse for his actions finally
leads him to commit suicide.
The Monster's language here becomes very formal and
almost outdated. Sentences are lengthy and complex and he uses
'thou 'a n d' thine ' which gives his words a serious tone. It is as
though he is making a speech at a funeral -as Frankenstein is
dying at this point, this is very appropriate. Even though both of
them have suffered, the Monster clai ms that he has suffered moremunotes.in

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104('my agony was still superior to thine ') and suggests that to go on
living would be greater torment than to die.
Robert Walton
Robert Walton is a polar explorer who meets Victor
Frankenstein in the Arctic. It is to Walton that Victor tells his story
and he, in turn, writes the narrative down in a series of letters to his
sister, Margaret Saville, back in England.
Walton has many similar characteristics to Frankenstein,
being driven by a desire for discovery. He also suffers fr om
loneliness -again, this is like Victor and, indeed, the Monster.
Walton's ambitious nature is linked to Victor's. They are both
pushing the boundaries of their desire for knowledge and will stop
at nothing to achieve their ambitions. Both men defy the wishes of
their fathers and leave behind a quiet domestic life to seek scientific
fame.
Walton wishes to make a geographical and scientific
discovery that he feels will benefit ' all mankind ' not just immediately
but for future generations. Walton's ambit ion also reveals his
arrogance. Like Victor, he wants the respect and praise of his fellow
humans and takes his crew into a dangerous situation in order to
accomplish this. He feels that only he (or someone like him) will be
able to achieve his goals.
Walton's ambition has taken him, literally, to the end of the
Earth where he will have little human contact. Even though he has
a crew with him he is remote from them and comes into conflict
over the matter of turning back and going home. When Walton
takes Vi ctor on board, he hopes that here will be a friend for him;
he repeatedly refers to Victor as 'brother'.
Elizabeth Lavenza
Elizabeth is an orphan child adopted by the Frankenstein
family . She becomes a devoted daughter, sister and eventually wife
to Victo r. She is an idealised character who is beautiful, loyal,
trusting, sympathetic and caring towards others -almost too
perfect. She is, however, human and eventually falls victim to the
Monster's revenge on her wedding night.
Even when she is a small chil d, Elizabeth is presented as
better looking than the other children in the family in which she is
initially bought up. She grows lovelier over the passing years and
her good character comes to mirror her good looks. In many ways
she reminds Victor of his m other, Caroline -both women die
relatively young.munotes.in

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105The imagery which is used to describe Elizabeth
concentrates on nobility (' living gold ', 'crown '),and religion
('heaven -sent', 'celestial '). She seems like an icon (a religious
statue) in a church that i s to be worshipped from afar. It is ironic
that she is described as though she comes from ' a distinct species '
-the reader is reminded here of the origins of the Monster.
The descriptions of Elizabeth throughout the novel set her
apart as a model of beau ty, patience, virtue and sympathetic
understanding. At the time the novel was written, these would have
been considered an ideal of femininity. One of the most important
aspects of Elizabeth's character is her ability to influence and
appeal to the better nature of others, particularly Victor.
Again, religious images are used to describe Elizabeth:
'saintly soul ', 'shrine -dedicated lamp ', 'celestial eyes ', 'bless ', 'the
living spirit of love ' all contribute to this idea. Her ability to calm and
influence ( 'soften and attract ') Victor is also shown here. However,
it is clear that Victor never exhibits real ' gentleness 'a sh e
experiences only ' a semblance' of this .
Henry Clerval
Henry is Victor's best friend who looks after him when he is
ill and accompanies him to England. Henry's purpose in the novel is
to show what Victor could have been had he not been influenced by
ambition and the desire for discovery -in that sense he is Victor's
opposite. Like Elizabeth, Henry is an idealised character and like
Eliza beth he dies at the hands of the Monster.
Like Elizabeth, Henry is an idealised character -almost a
perfect example of a strong yet sensitive man. He is loyal to Victor
and even places his own education and ambitions on hold while he
puts his friend's ne eds and wishes first. Victor never even tells
Henry what he has been doing or what he plans to do, yet Henry
remains a true friend throughout.
After the horrors of creating the Monster, Henry encourages
Victor to take delight in the simpler and rewarding aspects of life -
the beauty of nature and the innocence of children. Looking back,
Victor can see that Henry's true devotion is in contrast to his own
abandonment of his creation and that his ambition was little more
than ' a selfish pursuit '.
8.3THEMES IN FRANKENSTEIN
Effects of Isolation: Segregation from both familial and
societal relationships recurs throughout Frankenstein . Both Victor
Frankenstein and his creature suffer from societal rejection —
Frankenstein because of his single -minded focus on hismunotes.in

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106experiments, and the creature because of his monstrous
appearance. The creature’s attempts to integrate with society —
seen through his learning to speak, read, and reach out to De
Lacey —end in disaster. Both Frankenstein and his creature, after
becoming fully alienated from others, are unable to enjoy familial
attachments due to each other’s actions. When Frankenstein
refuses to finish creating a female creature, the creature takes
revenge on Frankenstei n by killing Frankenstein’s wife, Elizabeth,
marking them both as equally alone in the world. The ending scene
sees the creature, getting upset onrealizing that Frankenstein’s
death has severed his only remaining link to thehumanity, and
driftsaway into the ocean, for his final moments asalone as he has
ever been.
Ambition and Fallibility: Ultimately, Frankenstein’s ambition
leads to his downfall and death. At the beginning of the novel, we
see a proud scientist, enamoured with his godlike power; by th e
end, he is warning Walton against seeking similar gratification in his
quest to explore the Arctic. Clearly Frankenstein believes his
ambition is no longer a beneficial motivator; it has instead led to the
death of all those he cares about. He has come t ot e r m sw i t hh i s
fallibility —he is not a god, butsimply a man who has made a
terrible mistake.
Romanticism and Nature: Frankenstein is considered a
romantic novel, a literary movement that arose in reaction to the
scientific, rational ideals of the Enlig htenment. Romanticism values
emotion and a connection with nature; these values, too, can be
seen throughout the novel. Frankenstein goes against thenature’s
laws with his reanimation of dead flesh and is punished for his
transgression and blind ambition toward scientific advancement .
The creature enjoys his most hopeful days in the woods, having not
yet been rebuffed by theDe Lacey’s family.
Exploration and Ambition
The first character Shelley introduces to her audience is not
the titular Frankenstein, butWalton, the epistolary author of the
frame narrative. What is significant, thematically, is that both
Walton and Frankenstein are engaged upon journeys of exploration
into the unknown, which, for both of them, have become all -
consuming forces. When Wal ton’s crew pulls Frankenstein out of
the freezing waters of the North Pole, Frankenstein is evidently at
the end of his journey —and it has ended in disaster. Walton
recognizes a kindred spirit in him, someone who, like himself, was
inspired by the stories of discovery he read as a child and whose
ambition compels him to carve out a “niche in the temple” of his
own. Walton is exploring the world geographically; Frankenstein is
exploring the world of science, but both are men driven by powerful
ambition, seek ing to, as Walton puts it, “accomplish some greatmunotes.in

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107purpose.” Walton identifies a certain fire or spirit inside Victor ,
feeling at once that Victor is the “friend” he has been seeking
(something which also has echoes in the hunt of the creature for a
compani on, later in the story). Walton is so entranced by
Frankenstein's hopes and ambitions, so thoroughly understanding
of his quest and sure that he is “immeasurable” as a man, that he
does not recognize that the doctor also represents a moral lesson
he himsel f would do well to follow. Through the character of Walton,
Shelley indicates that, certainly, there is something admirable, and
understandable, in the desire to push the boundaries of science, to
explore the unexplored, and even to make one's own name in so
doing. But she also uses Walton as an illustration that, in all areas
of study, overstretching oneself can result in “peril” and entrapment.
At the end of the story, Walton writes to his sister that he is
surrounded by walls of ice from which there can be no escape.
Later, when he sees hope of retreat, he determines that he will
return to England, surrendering his ambition rather than allowing
himself to be destroyed. Frankenstein, by contrast, has achieved
his ambition and still been destroyed by it.
Religion and the Ethics of Creation
The subtitle Shelley gives her novel —“the modern
Prometheus” —alerts the reader to the fact that themes of ethics
and religion will be of import in the story, which revolves, to a
considerable extent, around the question of how far it is right or
acceptable to “play God” just because one can. In mythology,
Prometheus famously stole fire from the gods and gave it to
humanity. If Frankenstein is a modern Prometheus, then he is not a
god himself, but someone who feels it is p ermissible to intrude into,
and interfere with, the interactions between God and humanity
which would normally occur. Where God, or nature, may have
decreed that what is dead is dead and that people should only be
born in the natural way, Frankenstein has taken it upon himself to
interrogate and challenge these paradigms.
Once he has succeeded in creating the desired offspring,
however, Frankenstein finds himself faced with unanticipated
problems. Where humanity was created in the image of God,
Frankenstei n, too, has sought to create a being of which he could
be proud, but ultimately, he finds his creation so repulsive that he
abandons him and seeks the creature’s death. This raises another
ethical question which is debated throughout the novel: how far is a
creator required to be a father? Does Frankenstein, as the creature
insists, have a responsibility to his creation? Should he ensure that
the creature’s life is happy, that he is loved, that he has a
companion with whom to spend his time? The creature pu rsues
Frankenstein, insisting that the doctor has shirked his
responsibilities —he has not behaved as a father. However,
elsewhere in the novel there are examples of fathers, includingmunotes.in

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108Frankenstein’s own, who have not behaved in a particularly
nurturing or loving manner toward their offspring. By failing to care
for what he has created, because he feels it to be a grotesque and
monstrous reflection of what humanity should be, is Frankenstein
behaving monstrously —or simply like many human fathers? Is he
behav ing, even, simply like the God of Milton’s Paradise Lost, to
which the novel alludes, who cast aside one of his own creations,
Lucifer?
Beauty and the Soul
When Frankenstein rejects his creation, it is because he
cannot bear to look at him. He is so terri fied by the physically
repulsive appearance of his creature —“a sight which [he]
abhor[s]” —that he recoils, determining that nothing so physically
unattractive could possibly be anything other than evil. However,
Shelley makes a conscious choice in allowi ng the physically
grotesque creature to speak for himself and to speak eloquently
and expressively. Had Frankenstein been less preoccupied with the
physical appearance of his offspring, he might have been better
able to see that the creature was, in other ways, an accurate
reflection of humanity, capable of learning and growing, feeling
“anguish” and appreciation for beauty.
It is not only Frankenstein, of cou rse, who recoils from the
sight of the creature. It is a natural human response to desire what
is beautiful and reject what is not, and the creature struggles even
with the sight of his own face when he sees it reflected in a puddle.
He knows that he is hi ndered by the fact that the first reaction he
evokes is one of disgust. But he feels “pleasure” at the sight of
nature, “wonder” at the beauty of the moon, and emotion at the
sight of the villagers interacting with each other. Shelley relies
heavily upon t he language of Romanticism to indicate that the
creature, through his interaction with nature, is exploring his own
soul. Far from being a hideous automaton, the creature is capable
of very deep feeling, and possibly deep inner beauty. This then
forces the reader to question how far his subsequent violence is a
result of his nature and how far it is the outcome of the utter lack of
nurture shown to him by his creator, the shallow and fickle
Frankenstein.
8.4SYMBOLS IN FRANKENSTEIN
Light
Light symbolizes enlightenment inFrankenstein .Walton
expects to find the secrets of the universe unveiled in the North
Pole, which he describes as "a country of eternal light." Light also
accompanies nearly all of Victor's epiphanies. When he first
discovers n atural philosophy, he says, "A new light seemed to
dawn upon my mind." When he discovers the secret to creating life,munotes.in

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109he describes his feelings as if "a sudden light broke in upon me."
He envisions pouring a "torrent of light into our dark world" through
the creation of a new species. Yet light that's too bright is also
blinding, and both Victor and Walton fail to see or consider the
dangerous consequences of their quests for enlightenment.
Fire
The complete title of Shelley's novel is Frankenstein, Or the
Modern Prometheus .P r o m e t h e u sw a st h et i t a nw h o ,i nG r e e k
mythology, gave the knowledge of fire to humanity and then
suffered severe punishment at the hands of the Gods for his
generous actions. In Frankenstein ,Victor attempts to give the gift of
the sec ret of life to humanity, but ends up suffering grave
punishment as a result: the monster he creates destroys his family
and his life. Fire appears throughout the novel as a dangerous
force used for sustenance (as when the monster discovers fire) and
punish ment (as when the monster describes demons suffering in
the lake of fire in hell).
8.5 DISCUSSION
1)What is the secret of this novel’s continuing popularity? Explain
Frankenstein is the story of Victor Frankenstein and his obsession
with creating life. He sews various body parts to create a creature,
and infuses life into it. But the first sight of his creation horrifies
Frankenstein.
He understands the enormity of what he has done and runs
away. The creature is gone when he returns and for a while
Fran kenstein is happy.
The creature tries to befriend humans but realising that its
appearance horrifies people, stays in hiding. Tired of this lonely life,
the creature begs Frankenstein for a companion. Frankenstein,
himself on the verge of getting married, agrees to do this. Minutes
before infusing life into it, however, Frankenstein realises the
danger of unleashing another monster on the world and destroys it.
This angers the creature and he vows revenge. The creature
follows Frankenstein and kills his ne wly-wed wife, and later, his
friend. Frankenstein’s father dies of shock. All alone now,
Frankenstein sets out to destroy the monster he has created and
make the world a safe place. He follows the monster to the North
Pole but dies there. The monster under stands that with the death of
its creator it is doomed to a lonely, hopeless existence and declares
that death is its only option now.
The story is not narrated in the traditional format, but rather
through letters. These are written by a man called Walton who is on
a ship to the North Pole and saves Frankenstein. As Frankensteinmunotes.in

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110recovers, he narrates his story to Walton. Walton conveys this story
to his sister through a series of letters. The readers therefore never
really get to meet any of the principal characters in the book, but
only learn of them through the letters. The book, considered an
early example of science fiction, has inspired many adaptations for
the silver screen. The phrase ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ is today
used to refer to something that becomes dangerous to its maker.
Frankenstein is a thought -provoking book and forces readers
to wonder —who is the real monster? The creat ure or his creator?
And this is perhaps the secret of this novel’s continuing popularity,
200 years after it was first published.
2) Discuss the Role of Nature in the Novel
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein explores how destructive
the pursuit of knowledg e can be when it goes beyond human
understanding. Given that Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in the
midst of Romanticism, which was a movement against the
Industrial Revolution, it follows that one of the main themes in her
novel explores the responsibilit ies of the scientist, and the
consequences of ignoring these responsibilities. The dangerous
nature of pursuing certain kinds of knowledge is at the heart of this
text. Mary Shelley successfully explores the various other themes
as well, such as the proper relationship between man and nature
and the respect that is owed to nature. She also examines the
relationship between creator and creation, the duties that belong to
the creator, and the consequences of using science elevate oneself
to a god -like status.
The natural imagery in "Frankenstein" is comparable to the
best in the Romantic literature. Mary Shelley paints Nature and its
divine grandeur with some rare strokes of a masterful hand. She
deliberately juxtaposes the exalted vision of Mother Nature wi th the
horrendous spectacle of a man -made monster and his ghastly
deeds.
This steep contrast sets reader thinking about the wisdom of
departing away from the set norms of Nature. Mary's message to
mankind is loud and clear; do not mess with Nature for you ro w n
good. Humans should best live like humans. Any attempt to change
the status quo can be very expensive and dangerous. If you will
preserve Nature, Nature will preserve you.
The message is loud and clear; the untold secrets of Nature
are best enjoyed when allowed to remain a secret. Any attempt to
transgress or trespass the human limitation can be as disastrous as
in the case of a young genius like Frankenstein. She reminds us
that when it comes to Nature, one can neither look far nor deep.munotes.in

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111The questio n of life and death, creation or annihilation
unequivocally falls in the purview of God almighty, not man.
Victor Frankenstein's irrepressible urge to explore the tightly
guarded secrets of Nature marks the beginning of his end, "I have
always describe d myself as always having been imbued with a
fervent longing to penetrate the secrets of nature". Frankenstein
sits down to challenge the authority of God by giving, "life to an
animal as complex and wonderful as man," but he is not alone.
The ever -watch ful eye of Nature keeps a tight vigil on him,
"the moon gazed on my midnight labours, while, with unrelaxed and
breathless eagerness, I pursued nature to her hiding places." Victor
underestimates the power of Nature and commits the tragic error of
placing excessive confidence on his own scientific knowledge.
Natural landscapes in "Frankenstein" help the author to bring out
the theme of sublime Nature, dangers of forbidden knowledge and
monstrous results of wrong actions.
Nature is visible throughout "Frank enstein" in all its glory and
contrasts. Natural surroundings have been shown to have
therapeutic powers. The natural beauty of St. Petersburg beckons
Robert Walton to keep heading towards the North Pole. The
immortal beauty of the mountains and lakes is c ontrasted with the
ephemeral nature of human existence and grief. Nature
overwhelms mankind with its gigantic presence. The realization of
one's smallness in front of Nature's vast stature and mammoth
power exerts a truly humbling effect.
Human ego and pr ide give way to an understanding of the
immeasurable powers of God. The realization brings an inner light
that mitigates human grief and suffering. Victor Frankenstein's
bruised soul partakes the might of the mountains and the purity of
the lakes by allowi ng his imagination to linger on them. At the same
time, the desolate arctic glacial sea with its fragile icy cover
accentuates the inner desolation and fragility of Frankenstein's
troubled mind. The bottomless abyss and the barrenness of icy sea
forebode l ittle hope of redemption for Frankenstein and others.
"Frankenstein" has all the ingredients of Nature that one gets
to see in dark Romantic literature. Nightmarish landscapes are
juxtaposed with the exotic and serene. Death, destruction and the
resulting despair force the protagonist to undertake desperate
journeys. During such meaningless wanderings, the only relief that
comes the protagonist's way is from Nature. Henry's response to
Mother Nature is far more spontaneous than others because of his
inner innocence. His uncorrupted imagination allows him to enjoy
Nature on a much higher plane.munotes.in

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112The natural settings in "Frankenstein" are carefully chosen
and woven into the very fabric of the story. Nature plays a vital role
in enhancing the impact of the sto ry and progression of the plot and
characters. Victor experiences the power of Nature first hand, "As I
stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from
an old and beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our
house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had
disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump".
Mary Shelley certainly gives a clarion call to go back to
Nature, for man's own good. "Frankenstein" masterfully contrasts
the beauty of Nature with the ug liness of the Frankenstein monster.
The difference between the natural and artificial is stark and
ghastly. While the monster is repugnant and abominable, Natures
is idyllic and soothing. Wordsworth looked upon Nature as an
ultimate source of peace, solace and a panacea to all problems of
mankind. Coleridge, on the other hand, believed that Nature
reflected man's own moods. Mary Shelley has depicted Nature both
as a source of inspiration and also as an indifferent entity if the
need be.
There are times whe n Frankenstein's troubled mind fails to
any consolation from Nature. Troubled by the sight of his
horrendous creation, Frankenstein rushes out 'drenched by the rain
which poured from a black and comfortless sky," and restlessly
waits for the dawn. When Alp honse takes Victor on an excursion to
relieve him of his grief, the result is temporary, "Victor wanders
alone toward the valley of Chamounix.
The beautiful scenery cheers him somewhat, but his respite
from grief is short -lived." (Chapter 9) Victor Franke nstein's initial
enthusiasm to cross the "fortifications and impediments" around the
"citadel" of Nature is soon replaced by horror. The monstrosity of
his creation leaves him terrified and the realization that his monster
has killed his youngest brother u nhinges him. The scientific world
has nothing to offer him in this hour of despair.
The murder of William and the execution of innocent Justine
weigh heavily upon the psyche of Frankenstein. He turns to the
mountains to find comfort. Had he not been, "ins ensible to the
charms of nature" to begin with, had his soul been alive to the
delicate nuances of Nature to start with; Victor could have saved
himself and his family from nemesis.
Critics point to the fact that Frankenstein's initial departure
from Natu re turns him into a bit of a monster himself. The way he
allows Justine to die an unjust death without putting any real
semblance of resistance and his burning desire for revenge make
him no less inhuman. He forgot that every action has equal andmunotes.in

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113opposite reaction. He messed with Nature and Nature messed with
him. Had he not forgotten Nature; it would not have forgotten him.
Frankenstein's love for Nature kindles late when a lot is lost.
William is dead and Justine is gone, when the realization dawns:
"The weight upon my spirit was sensibly lightened as I
plunged yet deeper in the ravine of Arve. The immense mountains
and precipices that overhung me on every side, the sound of the
river raging among the rocks, and the dashing of the waterfalls
around spoke of a power mighty as Omnipotence —and I ceased to
fear or to bend before any being less almighty than that which had
created and ruled the elements" (Frankenstein).
Hence, Nature does acts as a restorative agent for
Frankenstein but it is too late. His re union with Nature spells
confidence and fearlessness. Nature cements his faith in God and
his omniscient powers. What to speak of man; Nature has the
power to alleviate even the troubled spirits of a monster.
After being subjected to a terribly cold and h arsh winter, the
Frankenstein monster heaves a sigh of relief at the advent of spring
season. When Victor dumps the monster, he feels awfully
depressed and confused. He feels a new surge, a "sensation of
pleasure" when he sees the bright moon and its gentl el i g h t .
Abandoned by his creator, the monster too finds refuge in the lap of
Nature.
Temporary or transient, succour and peace come to Victor
Frankenstein only in the lap of Nature. Mary Shelley's
"Frankenstein" does not guarantee emancipation through co ntact
with Nature but it most certainly points to the danger of losing one's
human identity by getting away from it.
8.6LET’S SUM UP
The primary theme ofisolation is the simply the other side of
the theme of ambition and fallibility. The novel questio ns the faith in
science unchecked by the moral responsibility. Walton mirrors
Victor in his ambition and desire to explore the unexplored, but his
decision to return home is positive as he is saved from being
destroyed by his ambition.
8.7QUESTIONS
1)Describe the personality of Victor Frankenstein and the monster
he creates.
2)Discuss the role that nature plays in this novel.munotes.in

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1143)How is Frankenstein both a Romantic novel and a Gothic horror
novel?
4)How does the monster learn about the world in which he lives?
5)Trace and discuss the role of letters and written communication
throughout the novel.
6)Frankenstein is often used as an example of ethical vs. non -
ethical scientific/medical procedure. Do you think that the way
that Victor created his creat ure was ethical? Non ethical?
Should Victor have made his creature at all? Explain.
8.8RECOMMENDED READING
1)Bann, Stephen, Ed. Frankenstein, Creation, And
Monstrosity. London: Reaktion Books, 1994.
2)Gothic by Fred Botting. London, Routledge, 1996
3)Frankenstein. Contemporary Critical Essays Fred Botting (ed).
Macmillan, 1995
4)Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature by Susan E.
Lederer. Piscataway, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press,
2002
5)Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Natur eby Susan E.
Lederer. Piscataway, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press,
2002
6)The Endurance of Frankenstein: Essays on Mary Shelley's
Novel George Levine and Ursula C. Knoepflmacher
(eds). Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979
7)AR o u t l e d g eL i terary Sourcebook on Mary Shelley ’s
Frankenstein by Tim Morton. London: Routledge, 2002.
8)Mary Shelley, Frankenstein: A Reader ’sG u i d e to Contemporary
Criticism Berthold Schoene -Harwood (ed). London: Palgrave,
2000
9)The Cambridge Companion to Mary Sh elley by Esther Schor.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003
10)Mary Shelley by Muriel Spark. London: Constable, 1988
8.9REFERENCES
Resources Used for Preparing Study Material
https://crossref -it.info
https://www.hiram.edu
www.newyorker.com
www.flocabulary.com
www.litcharts.com
www.thehindu.com
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115Unit-9
STUDY OF SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
(PARTI)
Unit Structure:
9.0 Objective
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Life and Works
9.3 Historical Elements
9.4 A Brief Summary
9.5 Plot Summary
9.6 Let’s Sum Up
9.7 Questions
9.8 References
9.0 OBJECTIVES
The objective of this unit is to introduce Jane Austen, the
most recognized author of Pre -Victorian Era. It will help students to
understand the biographical details and works of the author. A brief
overview of storyline introduces the literary terms of early 19th
century. Chapter wise description of the plot and character analysis
develop an understanding about the theme and characterization of
Jane Austen.
9.1 INTRODUCTION
The English writer Jane Austen was regarded as one of the
most important novelists of the nineteenth century. She was known
forher epistolary and domestic novels. Her novels were also known
for the extended list of characters. Interestingly her characters were
the real faces of her life. Jane Austen created a profound
understanding and a precise vision of the potential of the hum an
spirit that the art of fiction has ever achieved. Austen’s novels
received a remarkable success and were praised for their
reformative theme. She could not celebrate her fame as an author
during her lifetime.
The novel Sense and Sensibility iswritten by Jane Austen.
Jane Austen was an English novelist who worked on romantic
fiction and she was one of the most widely read writers in English
literature. Austen belong to Romantic Era (1775 –1817)munotes.in

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116InSense and Sensibility , the antithetical characters are
Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, the respective embodiments of
cool, collected sense and prodigal, exquisite sensibility. In the
company of their mother and younger sister, these lovely young
ladies have, on the death of their father and the succession to hi s
estate of their half -brother, retired in very modest circumstances to
a small house in Devonshire. There the imprudent Marianne meets
and melts for Willoughby, a fashionable gentleman as charming as
he is unscrupulous. Having engaged the rash girl’s affe ctions,
Willoughby proceeds to trifle with them by bolting for London. When
chance once again brings the Dashwood sisters into Willoughby’s
circle, his manner toward Marianne is greatly altered. On hearing of
his engagement to an heiress, the representativ e of sensibility
swoons, weeps, and exhibits her grief to the utmost.
9.2 LIFE AND WORKS
Birth of Jane is considered on 16 December 1775 at
Stevenson in North Hampshire, England. She was one of the eight
children of Reverend George and Cassandra Austen. Her father
was an Anglican Rector who served for rural community. As she
grew up in a close -knit family, she remained much attached to her
sister throughout her life. Because of the ignorance of the day,
Jane's education was inadequate by today's standards .T h i s
coupled with Mr. Austen's meagre salary kept Jane's formal training
to a minimum. To supplement his income as a clergyman, Mr.
Austen tutored young men. It is believed that Jane may have
picked up Latin from staying close to home and listening in on
these lessons. At the age of six she was writing verses. A two -year
stay at a small boarding school trained Jane in needlework,
dancing, French, drawing, and spelling. All such training acclimated
her to present as a young woman. Her father decided to ret ire and
move the family to Bath.
The death of her father Reverend George Austen in 1805 left
the Austen women in a precarious pecuniary position. Eventually
she settled in Cha wton, near Steventon. As she began writing as a
young girl and by the age of fourteen had completed Love and
Friendship. This early work of Jane was an imitation of the over
dramatic novels popular at that time and showcased the talent for
humorous and sa tirical writing. Even after hundred years of her
death three more volumes of her young writings were published.
As she grew up in a close -knit family, she remained much
attached to her sister throughout her life. She never married
herself, but did receiv e at least one proposal and led an active and
happy life, unmarked by dramatic incident and surrounded by her
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117Jane Austen used to share a bond of love with her brother
Henry who helped her publishing her first novel, Sense and
Sensibility .T h i sn o v el originally published in October, 1811.
Initially, Sense and Sensibility had been thought as an epistolary
novel, a very common genre of early 19th century. Austen novels
set among the English middle and upper classes are notable for
their wit, social o bservation and insights into the lives of 19th
century women.
Unfortunately, in 1816, Jane started feeling unwell, probably
due to Addison's disease. She travelled to Winchester to receive
treatment, and died there on 18 July 1817. Two more novels,
Persua sion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously
and a final novel was left incomplete.
Major Works
Jane Austen's first major novel was Sense and Sensibility ,
whose main characters are two sisters. The first draft was written in
1795 and was titled Elinor and Marianne .I n1 7 9 7A u s t e nr e w r o t e
the novel and titled it Sense and Sensibility .A f t e ry e a r so f
polishing, it was finally published in 1811.As the original and final
titles indicate, the novel contrasts the temperaments of the two
sisters. Elinor governs her life by sense or reasonableness, while
Marianne is ruled by sensibility or feeling. Although the plot favours
the value of reason over that of emotion, the greatest emphasis is
placed on the moral principles of human affairs and on the need for
enlarged thought and feeling in response to it.
In 1796, when Austen was twenty -one years old, she wrote
the novel First Impressions . The work was rewritten and published
under the title Pride and Prejudice in 1813. It is her most popular
and perhaps her greatest novel. It achieves this distinction by virtue
of its perfection of form, which exactly balances and expresses its
human content. As in Sense and Sensibility , the descriptive terms
in the title are closely associated with the two main characters. The
form of the novel is dialectical —the opposition of ethical
(conforming or not conforming to standards of conduct and moral
reason) principles is expressed in the relations of believable
characters. The resolution of the main plot with the marriage of t he
two opposites represents a reconciliation of conflicting moral
extremes. The value of pride is affirmed when humanized by the
wife's warm personality, and the value of prejudice is affirmed when
associated with the husband's standards of traditional hon our.
In the year of 1811 Jane Austen wrote Mansfield Park , which
was published in 1814. It is her most severe exercise in moral
analysis and presents a conservative view of ethics, politics and
religion. The novel traces the career of a Cinderella -like heroine,
who is brought from a poor home to Mansfield Park, the countrymunotes.in

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118estate of her relative. She is raised with some of the comforts of her
cousins, but her social rank is maintained at a lower level. Despit e
their strict upbringing, the cousins become involved in marital and
extramarital tangles, which bring disasters and near -disasters on
the family. But the heroine's upright character guides her through
her own relationships with dignity —although sometimes with a
chilling disdainfulness (open disapproval) —and leads to her
triumph at the close of the novel. While some readers may not like
the rather priggish (following rules of proper behaviour to an
extreme degree) heroine, the reader nonetheless develops a
sympathetic understanding of her thoughts and emotions. The
reader also learns to value her at least as highly as the more
attractive, but less honest, members of Mansfield Park's wealthy
family and social circle.
Mansfield Park tells the story of Fanny Price, a girl from a
poor family who is raised by her wealthy aunt and uncle at
Mansfield Park. The book focuses on morality and the struggle
between conscience and societal pressures and is considered by
some critics to be the "first modern novel."
Shor tly before Mansfield Park was published, Jane Austen
began a new novel, Emma , and published it in 1816. Again, the
heroine does engage the reader's sympathy and understanding.
Emma is a girl of high intelligence and vivid imagination who is also
marked by egotism and a desire to dominate the lives of others.
She exercises her powers of manipulation on a number of
neighbours who are not able to resist her prying. Most of Emma's
attempts to control her friends, however, do not have happy effects
for her or fo rt h e m .B u ti n f l u e n c e db ya no l db o y f r i e n dw h oi s
superior to her in intelligence and maturity, she realizes how
misguided many of her actions are. The novel ends with the
decision of a warmer and less headstrong Emma to marry him.
There is much evidence t o support the argument of some critics
thatEmma is Austen's most brilliant novel.
Persuasion , begun in 1815 and published posthumously in
1818, is Jane Austen's last complete novel and is perhaps the most
directly expressive of her feelings about her own life. The heroine is
a woman growing older with a sense that life has passed her by.
Several years earlier she had fallen in love with a suitor but was
parted from him because her class -conscious family insisted that
she would make a more appropriate matc h. But she still loves him,
and when he again enters her life, their love deepens and ends in
marriage.
Austen's satirical treatment of social pretensions and worldly
motives is perhaps at its keenest in this novel, especially in her
presentation of Anne' s family. The predominant tone of Persuasion,munotes.in

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119however, is not satirical but romantic. It is, in the end, the most
uncomplicated love story that Jane Austen ever wrote and, to some
tastes, the most beautiful.
The novel Sanditon was left unfinished due to her untimely
death on July 8, 1817 in Winchester, England, where she had gone
to seek medical attention.
In 1800, Austen's father decided to retire and move the
family to Bath, a sea resort. Moving from the home she loved was
difficult for Jane, especiall y because the family lived in several
different places until 1809, when Mr. Austen died. During that
period of nine years, Austen did not write. After her father's death,
Austen and her mother and sister moved to Chawton, a country
town where Austen's brot her lent the family a house he owned.
There Austen was able to pursue her work again, and she wrote
Mansfield Park, Emma, andPersuasion .
InEmma , published in 1816, Austen introduces Emma
Woodhouse, the "handsome, clever, and rich" heroine who fancies
herself as a matchmaker. Her efforts at bringing people together,
however, result in teaching her humility and her own discovery of
love. Critics praise Emma Woodhouse as being Austen's most
complex character, while readers find that they either l ove or hate
Emma's story. Austen's final completed novel, Persuasion, was
published posthumously in 1818. It deals with the broken
engagement of Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth and their
second chance at love eight years later. Critics comment on the
book's "autumnal feel" and note that Anne Elliott is not only
Austen's oldest heroine, but also the one with the least self -
confidence.
Austen lived the last eight years of her life in Chawton. Her
personal life continued to be lim ited to family and close friends, and
she prized herself on being a warm and loving aunt as much as
being a successful novelist. A sudden illness, possibly Addison's
disease, made her stop work on the novel Sandition , and she died
in 1817.
After her deat h, during the nineteenth -century romantic
period, Austen was often looked upon with begrudging admiration,
as her elevation of intelligence over feeling contradicted the
romantic temperament.
Jane Austen was considered as pre -Victorian writer a nd
Walter Scott was her contemporary writer, observed perfected to
the theme of Jane such as social satire and adventure stories. That
had become popular as the leading trend of British English
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120The nineteenth c entury is often regarded as a high point in
European literature and Victorian literature, including the works of
Emily and (Charlotte Bronte), Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett,
Browning, Lewis Carroll, Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, George
Eliot, Thoma s Hardy, A. E. Houseman, and Oscar Wilde, etc. are
the successors of Jane Austen and remain the part of studies in
most Universities and secondary schools.
Moreover, between the late 18th and early 19th centuries,
English literature underwent a dramatic transition. The 18th century
had seen the rise of the novel in the works of writers like Daniel
Defoe ( Moll Flanders ) and Samuel Richardson ( Pamela ). These
novels focused on broad social issues of morality and domestic
manners. With the turn of the century and the rise of Romanticism,
however, the novel began to explore human relationships with a
greater degree of emotional complexity. Neither a Classicist nor a
Romantic, Jane Austen is perhaps best thought of as a pioneering
figure in the development of th en o v e l ,p r o v i d i n gt h eb r i d g ef r o mt h e
often -didactic novels of an earlier era to the great works of
psychological realism of the Victorian period by writer such as
George Eliot and Thomas Hardy.
9.3HISTORICAL ELEMENTS
Austen's novels are famous for th e way they seem to exist in
a small, self -contained universe. There are almost no references in
her work to the events of the larger world. Notwithstanding, it is
worth noting that Austen's artist’s impression of life in the tranquil
English countryside ta kes place at the same time when England
was fighting for its life against the threat of Napoleon, and all of
Europe was entangled in war and political chaos. No mention is
ever made of the imminence of a French invasion in her novels.
Napoleon was finally defeated by the British at Waterloo in 1815,
two tears before Austen’s death.
9.4 BRIEF SUMMARY
Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the impoverished
Dashwood family, focusing on the sisters Elinor and Marianne,
personifications of good sense (commo n sense) and sensibility
(emotionality), respectively.
When Mr. Henry Dashwood dies, leaving all his money to his
first wife's son John Dashwood, his second wife and her three
daughters are left with no permanent home and very little income.
Mrs. Dashwoo da n dh e rd a u g h t e r s( E l i n o r ,M a r i a n n e ,a n d
Margaret) are invited to stay with their distant relations, the
Middletons, at Barton Park. Elinor is sad to leave their home atmunotes.in

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121Norland because she has become closely attached to Edward
Ferrars, the brother -in-lawo fh e rh a l f -brother John. However, once
at Barton Park, Elinor and Marianne discover many new
acquaintances, including the retired officer and bachelor Colonel
Brandon, and the gallant and impetuous John Willoughby, who
rescues Marianne after she twists her ankle running down the hills
of Barton in the rain. Willoughby openly and unabashedly courts
Marianne, and together the two flaunt their attachment to one
another, until Willoughby suddenly announces that he must depart
for London on business, leaving Marianne lovesick and miserable.
Meanwhile, Anne and Lucy Steele, two recently discovered
relations of Lady Middleton's mother, Mrs. Jennings, arrive at
Barton Park as guests of the Middletons. Lucy ingratiates herself to
Elinor and informs her that she (L ucy) has been secretly engaged
to Mr. Ferrars for a whole year. Elinor initially assumes that Lucy is
referring to Edward's younger brother, Robert, but is shocked and
pained to learn that Lucy is actually referring to her own beloved
Edward.
Elinor and M arianne travel to London with Mrs. Jennings.
Colonel Brandon informs Elinor that everyone in London is talking
of an engagement between Willoughby and Marianne, though
Marianne has not told her family of any such attachment. Marianne
is anxious to be reuni ted with her beloved Willoughby, but when
she sees him at a party in town, he cruelly rebuffs her and then
sends her a letter denying that he ever had feelings for her. Colonel
Brandon tells Elinor of Willoughby's history of callousness and
debauchery, and Mrs. Jennings confirms that Willoughby, having
squandered his fortune, has become engaged to the wealthy
heiress Miss Grey.
Lucy's older sister inadvertently reveals the news of Lucy's
secret engagement to Edward Ferrars. Edward's mother is
outraged at t he information and disinherits him, promising his
fortune to Robert instead. Meanwhile, the Dashwood sisters visit
family friends at Cleveland on their way home from London. At
Cleveland, Marianne develops a severe cold while taking long
walks in the rain, and she falls deathly ill. Upon hearing of her
illness, Willoughby comes to visit, attempting to explain his
misconduct and seek forgiveness. Elinor pities him and ultimately
shares his story with Marianne, who finally realizes that she
behaved imprudentl yw i t hW i l l o u g h b ya n dc o u l dn e v e rh a v eb e e n
happy with him anyway. Mrs. Dashwood and Colonel Brandon
arrive at Cleveland and are relieved to learn that Marianne has
begun to recover.
When the Dashwoods return to Barton, they learn from their
manservant that Lucy Steele and Mr. Ferrars are engaged. They
assume that he means Edward Ferrars, and are thus unsurprised,munotes.in

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122but Edward himself soon arrives and corrects their misconception: it
was Robert, not himself, whom the money -grubbing Lucy ultimately
decided to marry. Thus, Edward is finally free to propose to his
beloved Elinor, and not long after, Marianne and Colonel Brandon
become engaged as well. The couples live together at Delaford and
remain in close touch with their mother and younger sister at Barton
Cottage.
9.5PLOT SUMMARY
Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the impoverished
Dashwood family, focusing on the sisters Elinor and Marianne,
personifications of good sense (common sense) and sensibility
(emotionality), respectively. They become des titute upon the death
of their father, who leaves his home, Norland Park, to their half -
brother, John. Although instructed to take care of his sisters, John
is dissuaded of his duty by his greedy wife, Fanny. The family —
which, in addition to Elinor and Mar ianne, includes their mother and
a younger sister —moves to Barton Cottage in Devonshire. There
the open and enthusiastic Marianne meets Colonel Brandon, a
staid and settled bachelor 20 years her senior. Although he
expresses an interest in Marianne, she di scourages his attention
and instead becomes infatuated with the attractive John
Willoughby, who seems to be a romantic lover but is in reality an
unscrupulous fortune hunter. He deserts Marianne for an heiress,
and she eventually makes a sensible marriage with Colonel
Brandon.
During this time, Marianne’s elder sister, the prudent and
discreet Elinor, and Edward Ferrars, Fanny’s brother, have formed
an attachment. However, she is outwardly reserved about her
affections, especially after learning that he ha s been secretly
engaged to Lucy Steele for several years. Although Edward loves
Elinor, he is determined to honour his commitment to Lucy. When
the engagement is revealed, Edward is disowned, and Colonel
Brandon offers him a living as a clergyman. Later El inor is told that
Mr. Ferrars has married. Believing that the Mr. Ferrars in question
is Edward, she is both shocked and relieved to discover that Lucy
has wed Edward’s brother, Robert. Edward arrives at Barton
Cottage and proposes to Elinor, who accepts.
9.6LET’S SUM UP
It is concluded that Sense and Sensibility isam o r em a t u r e
novel, Austen’s characters and plot lines in the novel are more
developed than her juvenilia work. The novel depicts deep
emotions and intricate bonds and alliances among charac ters.I n
writing about the concept of sensibility, Austen represents the realmunotes.in

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123picture of the society of 18thcentury and highlights the societal
issues of women in England, therefore she is known as the feminist
novelist of Victorian age.
The novel offers a realistic account of life in 18thcentury and
deals with societal issue where women were not being treated
equally by the society. Biographical sketch of Jane highlights the
problems has been faced by author to build up her literary career.
Elinor’s good sense makes Marianne change her life and
become reasonable. Marianne use s emotions and misplaced
passions to make decisions and that is why she spends a long time
complaining about everything around her.
Austen, therefore uses Marianne and Elinor to explore the
theme of Sense and Sensibility and lack of it thereof, she also u ses
satire to spice up the story even though she adopts a sad note by
including death, hurt and heartbreak in the story.
As the story concludes, it is evident that the novel outweighs
the lack of the same.
9.7 Q UESTIONS
1.What is the objective to study Ja ne Austen’s life and her
works?
2.Give your opinion on Austen as a successful female author
in a male dominated society.
9.8REFERENCES
AUSTEN, J. Sense and Sensibility .L o n d o n :P e n g u i nP o p u l a r
Classics, 1994.
FRAISSE, G. PERROT, M. História das Mulheres no Ocidente
Vol. 4: O Século XIX. Porto: Edições Afrontamento, 1991.
HOBSBAWM, E. Da Revolução Industrial aoImperialismo .R i o
de Janeiro: Forense Universitária,2013.
JOHNSON, C. L. “Austen Cults and Cultures”. In:COPELAND,
E.; McMaste r, J. The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen .
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
KEYMER, T. “Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility”. In:
COPELAND, E.; McMaster, J. The Cambridge Companion to
Jane Austen . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press ,2011.
KIRKHAM, M. Jane Austen, Feminism and Fiction .L o n d o n&
Atlantic Highlands, NJ: The Athlone Press, 1997.McMaster, J.munotes.in

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124The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen .C a m b r i d g e :
Cambridge University Press, 2011.MORRIS, P. Literature and
Feminism .O x f o r d :B l a ckwell Publishers, 2000.
Raharjeng, Maria and Elizabeth Raharjeng. 2018. Becoming
Unstoppable. Jakarta: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/society
Albrecht, Milton c. “The Relationship of Literature and Society”.
Pdf File.
.https://www.scribd.com/doc/133768686/The -Relationship -of-
Literatureand -Society -Milton -c-Albrecht
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sense -and-Sensibility
Fathoni, Ahmad. 2015. “Social Discrimination in Jane Austen's
Sense and Sensibility (1811): A Marxist Approach”. Pdf File.
http://eprints.ums.ac.id/id/eprint/34576
Triyani. 2009. “Anxiety in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility:
A Psychoanalytic Approach” .P d fF i l e
Beuvoir, Simone de. 1949. The Second Sex. Paris: Gallimard.
Austen, Jane. 2015. Sense and Sensibility. United Kingdom:
Alma Classics Limited.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sense -and-Sensibility

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125Unit-10
STUDY OF SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
(PART II)
Unit Structure:
10.0 Objective
10.1 Introduction
10.2Critical Commentary
10.3Characters Analysis (Major Characters)
10.4Critical Essays
10.5Let’s Sum Up
10.6Questions
10.7References
10.0 OBJECTIVE
This study enables students to understand the literary terms
of writing. Her reformative theme and writing characterization
develop analytical thinking of students. Austen explores the
complications of choices, social pressures and the conventions of
property and inheritance. Study of Austen life and her writing will
help stude nts to earn some ideas of her writing style, people’s taste
of reading and also it helps to understand perspective of life.
10.1 INTRODUCTION
This part introduces learners to critical study of various
aspects of the novel, Sense and Sensibility. The opposing
temper aments of sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood,
experience challenges of life and experiences differently through
the ups and downs of love and disappointments to that final goal of
marriage. In the backdrop of the limited social role a llowed to
women, the struggle of female characters to get a good marriage
proposal becomes significant. Jane Austen proposes sensualness
and emotionality of youth with sensible rationality to maintain that
all important balance in life. She shows how lopsi ded behaviour
makes Marianne blind enough to fall for unscrupulous Willoughby,
and Elinor too reserved to appear cold outwardly. The novel
beautifully traces human behaviour, and pass ions in minute details;
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12610.2CRITICAL C OMMENTARY
“Austen is one of the biggest literary figures in English,” said
Woloch, chair of the Department of English. Austen's novels quickly
became fashionable among opinion -makers, namely, those
aristocrats who often dictated fashion and taste. The th eme aims at
analysing the behaviour of the character Marianne Dashwood in the
novel Sense and Sensibility , by Jane Austen, demonstrating that
her sentimental conduct is a means of protest against the
behaviour expected from women in nineteenth -century Engl and.
Based on Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments and Mary
Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, the study
discovers the way Austen's character contributes to a critical and
feminist view of women's role in Regent society. The world ha s
faced significant historical changes that have transformed our
society considerably, especially since the Industrial Revolution,
considered by Eric J. Hobsbawm (2013) as the major turning point
of this period, causing a massive population growth and grea t
development in scientific knowledge.
What is commonly thought of women's role in the patriarchal
society of that time is that they were destined to play a supporting
role, always shadowed by the male figures. However, according to
Geneviève Fraisse & Michelle Perrot, it would nevertheless be
wrong to think that time was only the period of a long domination,
an absolute submission of women. In fact, this century [19th] marks
the birth of feminism, an emblematic word that means both major
structural ch anges (wage labour, autonomy of the civil subject, the
right to education) as the collective emergence of women in
politics(FRAISSE & PERROT, 1991, p.9)
It is therefore the time when women began to reflect upon
their own condition and to look for ways to express their
dissatisfaction, either consciously or unconsciously. It was in the
beginning of that century that the first works of the British writer
Jane Austen were published. If one thinks about the hard task of
being a woman in the start of the 19th c entury, it is nothing
compared to the even tougher undertaking of being a female writer.
Virginia Woolf, a modernist writer and an advocate of feminist
causes, wrote in her essay AR o o mo fO n e ' sO w n about the
difficulties of the female writer to find her p lace in the history of
literature, and acknowledged the achievements of 19th -century
female writers like Jane Austen, George Eliot and the Brontë
sisters.
According to Woolf (2014), women lacked the proper
atmosphere to the act of writing, which was poss ible to men but
denied to them: an independent and private room where she could
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127allow her to buy something more than clothes, and, surely, the
liberty to come and go in search of new experi ences that were
worth being told. "Such material difficulties were formidable; but
much worse were the immaterial. “The indifference of the world
which Keats and Flaubert and other men of genius have found so
hard to bear was in her case not indifference b ut hostility" (WOOLF,
2014, p. 78). Men laughed at women's attempts to write, for they
strongly believed that was a manly task, not compatible with the
female intellectual inferiority. However, this hostile scenario did not
entirely prevent great names of the literature written by women from
arising, Jane Austen amongst them.
Sense and Sensibility was originally published in October,
1811. This was the earliest book by Austen to be published, even
though it was not the first to be written by the author. In itially, Sense
and Sensibility had been thought as an epistolary novel, a very
common genre in the previous century, however already in decline
since the beginning of the 19th. Austen's original idea was to reveal
the plot through letters written by the Da shwood sisters, Elinor and
Marianne. Nevertheless, this plan was discarded by the author, and
the book was rewritten as a novel, the way we know it today. In
fact, the novel was the most popular literary genre among women
at that time. According to Virgini aW o o l f( 2 0 1 4 ) ,t h i si sd u et ot h e
fact that all the literary training that a woman had in the early
nineteenth century was training in the observation of character, in
the analysis of emotion. Her sensibility had been educated for
centuries by the influen ces of the common sitting -room. People's
feelings were impressed on her; personal relations were always
before her eyes. Therefore, when the middle -class woman took to
writing, she naturally wrote novels. (WOOLF, 2014, p. 98)
Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the women of the
Dashwood family, who, because of the death of the family
patriarch, were forced to resign their land and possessions to John
Dashwood, the only son of Mr. Dashwood's first marriage. The
women were thus obliged to change their residence and to
drastically limit their spending. The story focuses on the lives of
Elinor, the elder sister, and Marianne, the middle one, whilst they
adapt to a new way of life, discover love and suffer the restrictions
imposed on the female gender by t he society in which they lived.
Although the novel was written over two hundred years ago,
the 21st century readers still connect to the story of the Dashwood
sisters. A few years back, scholars have re -discovered Austen's
work and realized that, beyond t he superficial novel of manners, the
books of the British writer have a depth of meaning, irony and
social criticism. In her essay Austen Cults and Cultures (2011),
Claudia L. Johnson explains that this enthusiasm for Jane Austen
and for the details regard ing her character broke out during the lastmunotes.in

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128two decades of the 19th century. According to Johnson (2011), up
to the beginning of the 20th century, Austen's works were
considered as a simple representation of the manners and customs
of the English bourgeois class from the late -18th and early -19th
centuries. It was with the publication of the essay Regulated
Hatred, written by Professor D. W. Harding in 1940, that the
criticism regarding Jane Austen changed its path.
Harding's depiction of Austen as a subver sive opponent of
dominant values proved helpful to the next generation of
academics, especially feminists, who also considered Austen at
odds with dominant values, and to all readers who took candidly
non-moralistic and non -moralizing pleasure in her sarca sm
(JOHNSON, 2011, p. 240).
Today Austen is considered one of the great names of
English Literature. Nevertheless, it was not without difficulties that
she entered the traditional literary canon, so marked by the
massive presence of male writers. Accordin gt oP a mM o r r i s( 2 0 0 0 ) ,
the tendency to regard women writers as special cases is the
consequence of the "perception of a heroic tradition of literature
composed entirely of a succession of great fathers and great sons.
There are no mothers or daughters wit hin the dynasty of the literary
canon as constructed by male critics" (MORRIS, 2000, p. 47).
Therefore, the literature written by women as it is seen today is
without precedents.
Courtship is the common theme of all Austen’s novels, but in
Sense an d Sensibility , the young ladies and gentlemen in love face
dangerous challenges. Both Elinor’s and Marianne’s love affairs are
threatened by mercenary forces intent on destroying their prospects
of marriage. The obstacles to a marriage between reserved,
sensible. Elinor and Edward are his family’s greed and pride as well
as his earlier indiscretion in engaging himself.
Along with courtship woman independence has also been
the common lydiscussed problem in Austen’s novels especially in
Sense and Sensibilit y. A small world of the author discusses
various angles of life through her theme and characters.
Another theme has been discussed is feminism theory. The
theme is analysed by Simone de Beauvoir. Beauvoir was born in
Paris, France on 9 January 1908. She i s a French philosopher and
also a famous figure of modern feminism in the early 20th century.
Besides that, she is also the author of novels and essays in the
fields of politics and social science. She is known for her work in
politics, philosophy, existen tialism, and feminism. However, her
best-known work is Le Deuxième Sexe (The Second Sex ) which ismunotes.in

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129often regarded as the main work in the field of feminist philosophy
which marks the beginning of the second wave of feminism.
Simone de Beauvoir opens her bo okThe Second Sex with a
question that is the source of the subject matter in The Second Sex
and the beginning of the creation of the feminism theory, "What is a
Woman?”. The following is her statement:
“But first, what is a woman? “Tota mulier in utero: she is a
womb,” some says. Yet speaking of certain women, the experts
proclaim, “They are not women,” even though they have a uterus
like the others. Everyone agrees there are females in the human
species; today, as in the past, they make up about h alf of humanity;
and yet we are told that “femininity is in jeopardy”; we are urged,
“Be women, stay women, become women.” So not every female
human being is necessarily a woman; she must take part in this
mysterious and endangered reality known as feminin ity.” (p.23)
From the quotation above we can see that as long as this
time, women are only seen from their reproductive organs.
Therefore, women are only seen as "the other" or insignificant
human being. Society makes the norms and rules of how to be a
good woman that society wants.
10.3CHARACTER ANALYSIS:
(MAJOR CHARACTERS)
Mrs Dashwood
The mother of Elinor ,Marianne ,a n d Margaret . Mrs.
Dashwood is a kind, caring mother, who looks out for he rd a u g h t e r s
and tries to see them into happy, comfortable lives with good
husbands, but is not as scheming as Mrs. Ferrars, and is generally
more interested in her daughters’ happiness than in their financial
fortunes.
Elinor Dashwood
Elinor Dashwood is one of the two sisters at the heart of the
novel; her marriage to Edward is the novel's happy ending. Elinor's
composed, measured approach to life her "sense" contrasts with
her sister Marianne's "sensibility" and seems, initially, the w iser of
the two approaches. However, Elinor learns the limits of a cool,
reasoning mind and develops a warmer balance of reason and
emotion, propriety and expressiveness as she assists Marianne
through her troubles.
Elinor exemplifies sense, from the nove l’s title. She is a
rational thinker, who restrains her emotions, even when she suffers
great hardship s. Elinor is polite and always tries to say the right
thing when around company. She often has to correct or apologizemunotes.in

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130to people for Marianne , who is less concerned with manners and
propriety. Elinor is a caring sister and tries to comfort Marianne
when she is abandoned by Willoughby .S h ei si nl o v ew i t h Edward ,
but tries to ignore or put asid et h e s ef e e l i n g sf o rm u c ho ft h en o v e l ,
as she believes him to be taken by Lucy .A tt h ee n do ft h en o v e l ,
Elinor finally lets some of her emotions out: when Edward tel ls her
that he has not married Lucy, she bursts out into tears. After
marrying Edward, Elinor settles down into a comfortable, happy life.
Marianne Dashwood
Marianne Dashwood is musically talented, beautiful, and
lively. She favours "sensibility" —passion, emotion, and drama —
over a cool, reasoned approach to life. Unlike her calmer, more
restrained older sister, whom she loves but can't quite understand,
Marianne throws herself into events, expecting a fairy -tale ending to
love with Willoughby. Bitt er experience forces Marianne to leaven
her sensibility with a pinch of Eleanor's sense, preparing her to
recognize Colonel Brandon's worthy love for her.
While Elinorexemplifies sense, Marianne epitomizes
sensibility. The middle Dashwood sister, she is romantic, emotional,
and sentimental. She often lacks the restraint, prudence, and
politeness of her older sister Elinor. She falls in love easily and
quickly with Willoughby and, when he abandons her, she does not
even try to rest rain or moderate her sadness. She bursts into tears
numerous times, whether in the privacy of her room or in public. In
the end, Marianne has to temper her sensibility with some good
sense. She abandons her childish, idealistic notions of love at first
sight and allows herself to gradually develop affections for Colonel
Brandon , who she ends up loving dearly and marries happily.
The half -brother of the Dashwood sisters. John likes to think
of himself as kind and generous, but his behaviour proves him to be
actually rather greedy. He doesn’t help his sisters, financially or
otherwise, even after promising his dying father to help t hem. He is
easily persuaded and even bossed around by his wife Fanny ,a n d
is greatly concerned with social status and prestige.
Fanny Dashwood
The wife of John Dashwood . Fanny is a greedy character.
She doesn’ t want John to give any money to his sisters, so that her
son can inherit it all, and she cleverly persuades him out of giving
his sisters any money. A bit of a social climber, Fanny is more
concerned with wealth and status than love or character. She trie s
to discourage the possible marriage between Edward and Elinor
early i nt h en o v e la n dw h e ns h ef i n d so u ta b o u tE d w a r d ’ s
engagement to Lucy she becomes hysterical and throws Lucy out
of her home.munotes.in

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131Edward Ferrars
Edward is a kind, honourable gentleman and the brother of
Fanny . Early in the novel, he grows close to Elinor ,e v e nt h o u g hh e
issecretly engaged to Lucy .I nMarianne’s opinion, he lacks taste
and arti stic sensibility, but Elinor admires and loves him. He
prioritizes duty and responsibility over money, as is shown when he
refuses to break off his engagement with Lucy even when it means
losing out on his inheritance. His relationship with Lucy is finally
revealed at the end of the novel to be a mostly loveless one, and
when their engagement fails, he is finally able to propose to Elinor,
the woman he actually loves. Edward is content with a modest,
comfortable life as a priest with a wife he loves; he has no lofty
ambitions of wealth or social status (much to the chagrin of his
mother MrsFerrars ).
Edward Ferrars, brother of Fanny Ferrars Dashw ood and
Robert Ferrars, doesn't fit in with his family. Fanny, Robert, and
their mother (Mrs. Ferrars) value wealth, status, and reputation.
Edward, in contrast, values education and good conversation.
Retiring and modest Edward is also loyal to a fault, w hich nearly
costs him his marriage to Elinor.
Lady Middleton
Sir John’s elegant but (in Elinor and Marianne’s opinion)
rather dull wife. She and her husband host many social events
which Elinor and Marianne attend, but Lady Middleton does not
particularly like the Dashwood sisters, since they don’t flatter her or
her children. By contrast, she is very fond of the Steeles, who do
flatter her.
Lady Middleton’s mother, with whom Elinor and Marianne
stay in London. Mrs. Jennings is friendly and well -intentioned, but a
bit overly fond of gossip. She is obsessed with predicting marriages
and matching young couples. She often irritates Marianne by joking
about her supposed engagement to Willoughby , but when she
learns of how Willoughby used her, she is sympathetic and
compassionate toward Marianne. For all her attempts to know all
the romantic gossip, Mrs. Jennings is often mistaken and
misinf ormed. For most of the novel, she thinks that Colonel
Brandon is in love with Elinor, when he actually loves Marianne.
Colonel Brandon
Colonel Brandon earns the d escription "an officer and a
gentleman." In his mid -thirties, he has seen enough of the world to
be alert to manipulation, scandal, and lies, yet he is also a good
judge of character and knows worthy traits when he sees them.
Because he is capable and comp assionate Colonel Brandon wins
Elinor's admiration, Edward's friendship, and Marianne's love as hemunotes.in

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132works behind the scenes to undo the damage more selfish
characters cause.
John Willoughby
John Willoughby is the novel's scoundrel. Handsome and
charming, Willoughby uses the people in his life to meet his needs,
especially for pleasure and leisure. He relies idly on the promise of
an inheritance, squanders his wealthy aunt's trust in him, and
seduces and then abandons a vulnerable girl. Yet Willoughby
changes to a degree when he courts Marianne; he realizes that he
could actually love her and be a better man. His realization comes
too late but earns Elinor's sympathy.
Willoughby is a charming gentleman who literally sweeps
Marianne off her feet when he picks her up after she has fallen in a
rainstorm. He shares Marianne’s sensibility and artistic tast es, and
the two quickly become very close. They appear to be falling in love
together, but he suddenly abandons her and goes to London. When
Marianne sees him there, he ignores her and claims that he was
never romantically attached to her. As Elinor learns from Colonel
Brandon ,Willoughby has a history of seducing and abandoning
women. Marianne is thus forced to revaluate the character of the
man she thought she knew and loved. When his aunt Mrs. Smith
disinherits him, he is desperate for wealth so he marries Miss Grey
for her money. Late in the novel, he finally offers Elinor an
explanation of his behaviour, saying that he hurt Marianne
unintentionally, regrets his foolish behaviour, and really does love
Marianne. Marianne and Elinor (and the reader) must then
revaluate Willoughby yet again, and his ultimate character is still
somewhat ambiguous at the end of the novel.
Mrs. Ferrars
The mother of Fanny ,Edward ,a n d Robert Ferrars . Mrs.
Ferrars’ primary concern is to make sure her sons marry wealthy
women. She is more concerned with gaining wealth and social
status through their marriages than with the happiness of her own
childr en. Mrs. Ferrars is particularly rude to Elinor ,b u ti sf o n do f
Lucy when she first meets her. However, she becomes furious
when she learns of Lucy and Edward’s engagement. She
disinherits and practically disowns Edward for this engagement.
Somewhat hypocritically, though, she easily forgives Robert for
marrying Lucy at the end of the novel, mainly because Robert is her
favourite son. While not a particularly admirable character, Mrs.
Ferrars is a rare example of how women can exercise some power
in 18th century society. As her family’s matriarch, she determines
the inheritance o f her children, and thus has an enormous amount
of power (though both her sons end up thwarting her wishes).munotes.in

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133Eliza
Aw o m a nw h ow a si nl o v ew i t h Colonel Brandon ,but was
married against her will to Brandon’s brother. She and Brandon
tried to elope but were caught. Unhappy in her marriage, her life
took a downward turn while Brandon served in the army abroad.
She was seduced by numerous men, divorced Brandon’s broth er,
and ended up confined to a house because of debt. Brandon finds
her there dying of consumption and promises to take care of her
illegitimate daughter, also named Arrogant and conceited, he is the
son of Mrs. Ferrars is the younger brother of Edward and Fanny .
His mother favours him over his older brother, and she seems
pleased to disinherit Edward and give that inheritance to Robert.
Ironically, Robert ends up getting engaged to Lucy Steele ,t h e
same woman whose engagement to Edward caused him to be
disinherited in the first place. Robert has none of his brothers’
sense or sensibility, and likes only to hear himself speak and be
agreed with.
Lucy Steele
Lucy is a clever, socially scheming, self -interested young
woman. For much of the novel she is secretly engaged to Edward
Ferrars and tells Elinor that she is truly in love with him. However,
after he loses his inheritance and his brother Robert gains it, she is
not exactly slow to ingratiate herself with Robert, whom she ends
up marrying. In the end, Lucy gets what she wants aw e a l t h y
husband who allows her to move up the social ladder through
marriage. As the n arrator says of her at the conclusion of the novel,
she is a prime example of what someone can achieve when he or
she is persistent, self -interested, and determined.
MINOR CHARACTERS
Henry Dashwood
The husband of Mrs. Dashwood and father of Elinor,
Marianne, and Margaret, as well as (from a previous marriage)
John Dashwood. On his deathbed, he asks John to look after his
three half -sisters, who don’t have substantial fortunes.
Margaret Dashwood
The youngest of the Dashwood sisters, Margaret is “good -
humoured,” but has even less sense than Marianne. She is a minor
character in the novel, which focuses mostly on her two older
sisters.
Sir John Middleton
A relative of Mrs. Dashwood, who invites her and her
daughters to come live in a cottage on his pro perty. Sir John hosts
many dinners and parties at Barton Park, where Elinor and
Marianne meet people like Mrs. Jennings, the Palmers, and the
Steeles.munotes.in

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134Mrs. Smith
Willoughby’s aunt, who owns the property of Allenham,
which Willoughby expects to inherit. After learning of his affair with
Eliza, though, Mrs. Smith disinherits Willoughby.
Charlotte Palmer
The friendly sister of Lady Middleton, who attends many of
the social events that Elinor andMarianne go to at Barton Park and
in London. Marianne and Elinor stay with the Palmers at Cleveland
before going back to Barton after their stay in London. There,
Marianne falls dangerously ill.
Mr. Palmer
Mrs. Palmer’s husband, who is normally rude to his wife and
disagreeable to company. However, Elinor finds him to be a kind
host when she and Marianne stay at the Palmers’ home.
Anne Steele
Lucy’s older sister, who often lacks the social intelligence
and tact of Lucy —it is because of a slip of her tongu et h a tt h e
Ferrars family learns of Lucy’s engagement with Edward. She
irritates Elinor and Marianne by incessantly talking about her
favourite “beaux” and romantic conquests.
Miss Grey
The wealthy woman that Willoughby marries for her money.
Eliza (Younger)
The daughter of Colonel Brandon’s beloved Eliza, who is
seduced by Willoughby. After he gets her pregnant, Willoughby
completely abandons her, and Colonel Brandon has to take care of
her.
Miss Morton
The wealthy woman Mrs. Ferrarstries unsuccess fully to
engage Edward to. For a time, after Edward’s engagement to Lucy
is made public, Miss Morton is set to marry Robert Ferrars, though
this engagement doesn’t turn out either.
10.4CRITICAL ESSAYS
The arguments about man and woman in our society have
been shaped in such a way. Society has given the assumption that
woman are weak people both physically and psychologically, and
tend not to be able to provide their surfer in politics, art or
education. Based on that argument, which has been establish ed for
centuries before, woman cannot or afford to get a high education.
They are only assigned to take care of the domestic works such as
taking care of the house and their children. Education that they getmunotes.in

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135is only in the form of education about woman, no t political or
science. Therefore, what is expected of woman independence is
that woman must dare to demand gender equality. Woman deserve
a high education like men and earn their own money. They no
longer have to rely on men and not just take care of the domestic
works.
The movement of woman against patriarchal oppression is
called feminism. Feminism is the advocacy of woman’s right on the
ground of the equality of the sexes (Oxford Dictionary). Feminism is
the ideology and social movement that aims to ch ange the
subordinate status of woman in a society. Feminism is a belief that
woman and man should have an equal rights and opportunities
either in socially, economically, or politically. The person who
believes that woman and man should be treated equally is called
feminist. A feminist, Maria & Elizabeth Rahajeng in their book says
“True feminism is about freedom. Freedom to choose / make your
own choices. Freedom to speak. Freedom to think. Freedom to live
in a way that is completely authentic to the core of who you are”
(2018).
Society is a large group of people who live together in an
organized way, making decisions about how to do things and
sharing the work that needs to be done. All the people in a country,
can be referred to as a society (Cambridge D ictionary). Traditionally
the sociologist who studies literature is the use of literature as
information about society. Literature is also influential in shaping
and creating social action. Literary texts have been variously
described as reflecting the “ec onomics, family relationships, climate
and landscapes, attitudes, morals races, social classes, political
events, wars and religion” of the society that produced the texts
(Albrecht; 1954, 426).
Jane Austen wrote this novel during an important transition
in English cultural history when the sensible eighteenth -century
enlightenment ideas were giving way to the more sensitive romantic
ideas of the nineteenth century. In Sense and Sensibility , she
creates the two Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, to em body
the extremes of relational and romantic personality. The story may
sometimes seem to fit a predictable formula, in which common
sense is pitted against emotional sensitivity, but Austen also makes
keen observations about the way to go about attaining happiness.
The cool, rational elder sister, Elinor, falls deeply in love with her
sister -in-law’s brother, quiet, reserved Edward Ferrars. Elinor’s
sister -in-law Fanny regards Elinor as too poor for her wealthy
brother, but he scorns his family’s expectati on that he marries a rich
heir. Edward loves Elinor and he avoids her only because he
secretly and foolishly engaged himself to Lucy Steele. This long -
time clandestine engagement pains him when he realizes that hemunotes.in

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136never loved Lucy. His gentleman’s code of conduct, however, does
not allow him to break his engagement, so he expects to have to
marry Lucy even after he falls in love with Elinor. Elinor for her part
is resigned to the prospect of often meeting Edward and Lucy as a
married couple. Lucy is a brill iantly portrayed character: a
charming, intelligent, but completely heartless young woman who
uses Edward to secure a position in upper -class society. As soon
as Edward is disinherited by his angry mother and his brother
Robert has better financial prospec ts, she shifts her affections and
hopes to Robert.
Only because Lucy abandons honourable Edward does he
become free to propose to Elinor. These lovers, who were guided
by prudence and respect for social conventions, are finally united
and win the happines s they desire because they honoured the
sensible values of society.
Austen suggests that traditional ways are more trustworthy
in times of need. She herself preferred life in a small country village
and detested living in the elegant resort town of Bath, where
sophisticated, leisured people gathered.
Austen’s style adds a dramatically ironic dimension to the
novel. Key characters reveal themselves in crisp, natural dialogue,
at the same time showing readers that they do not completely
understand themselve s and their own values. Early in the story,
Marianne declares to Elinor, “I have not known [Willoughby] long,
indeed; but I am much better acquainted with him than I am with
any other creature in the world, except yourself and mamma.”
Austen observes, “Mar ianne Dashwood was born to an
extraordinary fate. She was born to discover the falsehood of her
own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favourite
maxims.”
Much has been written about feminist traces in Jane
Austen's work, however Sense and Sensibility is not much
prioritised by scholars in the field. When it is, the character
Marianne Dashwood is usually overshadowed by her sister Elinor,
considered by many the protagonist of the story.
In her work Jane Austen, Feminism and Fiction
(1997), Margarethe Kirkham dedicates a short chapter, only two
pages long, to the novel Sense and Sensibility .She explains the
dichotomy schema between Reason and Sensibility, chosen by
Jane Austen to represent the two sisters. Elinor characterizes"
female g ood sense and prudence” (p.86), while Marianne is "led
into error and difficulty by impulsiveness and excesses of feeling
and conduct"(Ibid).Nonetheless, the author does not consider
Marianne’s behaviour as a non --conforming and feminist attitude.munotes.in

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137Other fe minist analyses of Austen’s works have already
been made. One of these which takes into consideration the
Dashwood sisters’ story is the essay Northanger out the incongruity
ofbehaviour between the two Dashwood sisters, stating that “it is
certainly easy to detect a pattern in which Marianne's extravagant
demonstrations of feeling are unfavourably contrasted with Elinor's
self--command and commitment topropriety" (p.33). Keymer also
regards Marianne's excesses of sensibility as a demonstration of
her di ssatisfaction towards society.
Bycontrast, Marianne's habit of causing stirs and making
scenes, while at one level a mark of culpable self --absorption,
also works to disrupt the serenity of social mechanisms that
empower rank and wealth at the expense of both sisters.
In this sense, histrionics are her only available means of registering
protest or fighting back (KEYMER, 2011, p.36).
Keymer asserts that Marianne's behaviour is a protest to the
rules of the society, although he does not link it to a femin ist
attitude of the character.
In this work, Smith explains five main principles of his theory.
The first one is the concept of sympathy and how it affects human
relations. According to him, pity and compassion are words
appropriated to signify our fellow -feeling with the sorrow of others.
Sympathy, though its meaning was, perhaps, originally the same,
may now, however, without much impropriety, be made use of to
denote our fellow -feeling with any passion whatever. (SMITH,
1790, p.06)
10.5LET’S SUM U P
This work intended to bring forward the analytical
perspective of Jane Austen’s characters in Sense and Sensibility.
Such as Marianne Dashwood who usually overshadowed by her
sister, Elinor, inmost literary analyses. Jane Austen created deep
characters ,w h o are intensely ironic and critical to the society in
which they lived. It is important toemphasize that thisliterary piece
was written inthebeginning of the 19th century, a time when
women struggled to find their space in a patriarchal society.
In the field ofLiterature, Virginia Woolf (2014) wrote about
the silence of women writers which lasted for many centuries and
was only broken with the works of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and
the Brontë sisters. They opened the path so other women writers
could break into the masculine literary world. Their difficulties to
enter the publishing market, nonetheless, were immense, and their
participation was marginalized, for writing was not considered amunotes.in

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138feminine endeavour. Despite all the hardships, Jane Aust en wrote
six novels which obtained great success during her lifetime, and
even greater nowadays.
In order to analyse Sense and Sensibility , and especially its
character Marianne Dashwood, Adam Smith's. The Theory of Moral
Sentiments was used as a theoreti cal basis. Its five main principles
were explained: the concept of sympathy , the satisfaction derived
from mutual sympathy, the relationship between affections and
propriety, amiable and respectable virtues, and the degrees of
compatibility between affecti ons and the sense of propriety. Smith
advocates that if we put ourselves in someone else's place, we are
capable of feeling the other's passions, judging them as
respectable or reproachable, according to our own beliefs and our
society's. Such judgment is constant in Sense and Sensibility ,
chiefly between the two sisters. Just as Elinor condemns
Marianne's exaggerated and uncontrolled behaviour, Marianne
reproaches her sister's conducts for considering them coward and
artificial.
Inconclusion, Marianne's excessive sensibility is a lot more
than juvenile whims. It is her way of protesting against the
conventions of the society of her time. Her protest is, therefore,
done indirectly, but not less real or effective. It is through her
histrionics that Marianne externalizes her discontent with
Willoughby's actions, with the male domination, the overrating of
self-control, the imposed female submission and her impotence of
acting as she wishes, for being a woman. Sense and Sensibility is,
in this way, a reflectio no nw o m e n ' sr o l ei nt h e1 9 t h --century
society and a maturation of feminist ideals. Austen's work, through
this lens, shows a number of layers of meaning, which, when
discovered, fascinate her readers with the capacity of this important
writer in the histo ry of the literature written by women.
10.6QUESTIONS
1.What is the objective to study Jane Austen’s life and her works?
Give your opinion on Austen as a successful female author in a
male dominated society.
2.Discuss about the theme of Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’.
3.Whichare the major characters of, ‘Sense and Sensibility’?
Analyse all main male and female characters in this novel.
4.What are the minor characters of the novel, ‘Sense and
Sensibility’, briefly explain the importance of those characters i n
this novel?
5.Write down the conclusion of study Austen’s ‘Sense and
Sensibility’.munotes.in

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13910.7REFERENCES
AUSTEN, J. Sense and Sensibility .L o n d o n :P e n g u i nP o p u l a r
Classics, 1994.
FRAISSE, G. PERROT, M. História das Mulheres no Ocidente
Vol. 4: O Século XIX. Porto: Edições Afrontamento, 1991.
HOBSBAWM, E. Da Revolução Industrial aoImperialismo .R i o
de Janeiro: Forense Universitária,2013.
JOHNSON, C. L. “Austen Cults and Cultures”. In:COPELAND,
E.; McMaster, J. The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen .
Cambridge :Cambridge University Press, 2011.
KEYMER, T. “Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility”. In:
COPELAND, E.; McMaster, J. The Cambridge Companion to
Jane Austen . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,2011.
KIRKHAM, M. Jane Austen, Feminism and Fiction .London &
Atlantic Highlands, NJ: The Athlone Press, 1997.McMaster, J.
The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen .C a m b r i d g e :
Cambridge University Press, 2011.MORRIS, P. Literature and
Feminism . Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2000.
Raharjeng ,M a r i aa n dE l i z a b e t hR a h a r j e n g .2 0 1 8 .B e c o m i n g
Unstoppable. Jakarta: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/society
Albrecht, Milton c. “The Relationship of Literature and Society”.
Pdf File.
.https://www.scribd.co m/doc/133768686/The -Relationship -of-
Literatureand -Society -Milton -c-Albrecht
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sense -and-Sensibility
Fathoni, Ahmad. 2015. “Social Discrimination in Jane Austen's
Sense and Sensibility (1811): A Marxist Approach”. Pdf File.
http://eprints.ums.ac.id/id/eprint/34576
Triyani. 2009. “Anxiety in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility:
A Psychoanalytic Approach”. Pdf File
Beuvoir, Simone de. 1949. The Second Sex. Paris: Gallimard.
Austen, Jane. 2015. Sense and Sensibility. United Ki ngdom:
Alma Classics Limited.
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Unit-11
CRITICAL STUDY OF THE MAYOR OF
CASTERBRIDGE -THOMAS HARDY
PART -I
Unit Structure:
11.0 Objective
11.1 Introduction: Socio -Cultural Background
11.2 Biographical details of Thomas Hardy
11.3 Hardy as a novelist
11.4 Plot structure of The Mayor of Casterbridge
11.5 Point of View and Style in The Mayor of Casterbridge
11.6 Character Analysis
11.7 Let’s Sum Up
11.8 Questions
11.9 References
11.0OBJECTIVE
The objective of this unit is to introduce students to the
works of Thomas Hardy. The unit offers brief Biographical details to
the author. It also acquaints students to the socio -cultural
background of Victorian era. I twould also inspire students to read
Hardy as a Wessex novelist of his times. Students are advised to
read the novel and conceptualize their own point of views on the
details provided here.
11.1INTRODUCTION :SOCIO -CULTURAL
BACKGROUND:
In the month of June of 1833, Thomas Hardy and his wife
Emma settled into their new home in Dorchester. Hardy spent his
last few years travelling across England. However, he wanted to
settle down and perhaps become a family holder. Hardy and his
wife then again decided to return to Dorchester. The town Located
just a few miles from his birthplace where he had spent him
childhood and also to have trained himself as a young architect.
Hardy then, have returned to his home and started staying
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home named Max Gate in town. He was also interested in issues of
Town people such as the problems of the laborers. He had studied
the early records of farmers and has understood the value of
farmers. De spite his efforts to return tothe community, Hardy’s love
for writing remained unaltered. He started writing especially short
stories and had almost written a novel by now. While he was
checking on the historical records of farmers, he came across an
article which talks about the sale of a wife in an auction. The article
about the wife ’ssale provided him with a fantastic situation and plot
for his new writings.
After few weeks ofresearch ,Hardy beg ant ow r i t ean o v e l .
The Mayor of Casterbridge was com pleted within next few weeks.
He wrote with zeal and enthusiasm. This writing gave him the
reasons and finally he completed the novel on April 17 1885. The
novel was published in the literary magazine called Graphic in
serial form. The publisher wanted t os e ee v e r y t h i n gb e f o r e h a n d .
Eventually the novel was published in aserialized form from
January 2nd 1886. On May 10 of the same year, The Mayor of
Casterbridge was published in two volumes. Critics loved Hardy for
his art of writing and most of them hav e liked the novel for its
improbable and to shocking experience which increased Hardy’s
confidence in writing.
The Mayor of The Caster Bridge is set in the country of
Wessex. It is the land of the farmers for centuries because the
farmers are more conne cted to the land. They are closer to the
nature
11.2BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF THOMAS HARDY
Thomas Hardy was born June 2, 1840 in a village of
Blockhapmton near southwestern England. He was theson of a
mason who was also a violinist. His mother was also an avid reader
ofbooks.
Under the care of his parents, Hardy got most of his life’s
lesson s,which he portrayed into his novels. His love for
architecture and music is an example of it. He was very passionate
about country folks and all sorts of literature. He attended his
school regularly at Julia Matins School in Blockhampton. He had
learned French, German and Latin by taking his own lessons. At
the age of 16, Hardy’s father sent Hardy to a local architect named
John Hicks for apprenticeship. Under the tutelage of John, Hardy
has learnt all about architecture and Drawing, He stared restoring
old houses and churches. This helped to develop his interest in
histories of those houses and churches .Along with the architectural
work, Hardy continued his academic studies. He studied in the
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scholars like Horace. Around 1862, Hardy was sent to London to
learn architecture under the supervi sion of Bloomfield. During his
five years of stay in London Hardy visit edmany museums and
libraries where he developed his interest for writing and classical
literature ,a l o n gw i t h . artistic talent of composing poems .Then
within five years he chose to re turn to Dorchester as a church
restorer. After return ingto Dorchester, heagain started writing and
composing. After 1867, Hardy composed many poems and Novels.
The early times, He dedicated himself for novels and they were
very famous and acclaimed. Init ially he published his work
anonymously but after that he stared using his own name. His few
early novels were published in the magazines from London and
America.
His first popular novel was Under the Greenwood Tree ,
published in 1872. The second blockbu ster was Far from the
madding crowd 1874 made him a recognized Novelist. Heg a v eu p
architecture and started focusing on writing. In between he got
married toEmma Gifford. In quick succession of writing he
produced, The Return of the Native (1878 ).The mayor of the
Casterbridge (1886 ),Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891 ),Jude the
Obscure (1895 ). In addition to these works, Hardy also wrote three
short story collections and fivenovellas. The readers found his texts
interesting but more shocking .H a r d y decided to turn to his first
love, Poetry. His later years, he spent in Dorchester dedicated to
poetry. His poems are usually called as Wessex poems .D u r i n g the
last two decades, Hardy achieved a lot of fame and name .In the
year 1910, He was awarded with Th eO r d e ro fM e r i t .B e f o r eh i s
death Hardy has written over 800 poems and many of them were
publish edwhen he was in his 80’s. His first wife Emma died in the
year 1912. In 1914 he married to Florence Dugale who was very
dedicated to him. Thomas Hardy died o n 11, January 1928 with a
highly successful life at the age of 87. He was buried in the
Westminster Abbey.
11.3HARDY AS A NOVELIST
The novels of Thomas Hardy areset mostly in the lap of
nature. His novels are called the novels of “character and
environment”. He has set most of his novels; poems as well as
short stories around the market town of Dorchester where he had
spent his boyhood, the fictional C aster Bridge. The Settings ofhis
novels isr ustic and rural. Hardy’s rural backdrop is neither romantic
nor idealized. He has been severely criticized for his settings being
overtly Pessimi stabout humanity. Ina l l ofhis fiction ‘chance’ is the
“Incorporation of the blind forces” controlling human destiny. Of
course, the blind forces have worked relentlessly into his writings.
InThe mayor of Casterbridge Hardy seems to apply the concept of
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applies it to the rise and the fall of Michael Henchard. Michael has
been initially shown as a poor hay Trusser with drinking habit. H e
consumes alcohol in excess while on the way to his work.
Eventually he becomes the town ’s leading corn producer and
mayor. At the end of the novel Henchard is ruined .Similarly, the
stories of other novels are shocking. The female characters in his
text also have Universal strength for spiritual power and physical
beauty. He treats them with favor and love.
11.4PLOT STRUCTURE OF THE MAYOR OF
CASTERBRIDGE
Michael He nchard ,atwenty -one-year-old hay-trusser is
traveling with his wife, Susan, and their baby daughter, Elizabeth -
Jane looking for employment .When they stop to eat at a furmity
house , Henchard gets drunk, and in an auction that begins as a
joke but turns serious, he sells his wife, and daughter to, a sailor
named Richard Newson ,for five guineas. In the morning, Henchard
regrets his action and searches the town for his wife and daught er.
Unable to find them, he goes into a church and swears an oath that
he will not drink alcohol for twenty -one yea rs.
Believing the auction to be legally binding, Susan lives as
Newson's wife for eighteen years. A fter Newson is lost at sea
Susan, lacking any means of support, decides to seek out
Henchard again .Elizabeth -Jane believes Henchard to be al o n g -
lost relative. They arrive in Casterbridge and learn that Henchard is
the mayor. The parents meet and decide t hat in order to prevent
Elizabeth -Jane from learning of their disgrace, Henchard will court
and remarry Susan as though they had met only recently. He is
forced to break off an engagement with a woman named Lucetta
Templeman, who had nursed him when he was ill.
Meanwhile, Henchard has hired Donald Farfrae, a young
Scotchman, as the new manager of his corn business ,turning away
am a nn a m e dJ o p pt ow h o mh eh a da l r e a d yo f f e r e dt h ej o b .
Elizabeth -Jane is intrigued by Farfrae, and the two begin to spend
time t ogether. Henchard initially likes Farfrae, however, as the
younger man consistently outdoes Henchard in every respect ,
Henchard asks Farfrae to leave his business and to stop courting
Elizabeth -Jane. Farfrae sets himself up as an independent
merchant.
Susan falls ill and dies soon after her remarriage to
Henchard ,leaving Henchard a letter to be opened on the day of
Elizabeth -Jane's wedding. Henchard reads the letter ,and learns
that Elizabeth -Jane is not his daughter, but Newson's and his
daughter haddieda sa ni n f a n t . After this Henchard becomes
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Henchard’s house and live with a lady who has just arrived in town.
This lady turns out to be Lucetta Templeman, had had a
relationship with Henchard which resulted in her social ruin. Having
learned of Susan’s death, Lucetta has come to Casterbridge to
marry Henchard.
While Lucetta is waiting for Henchard to call on her, she
meets Farfrae, who has come to call on Elizabeth -Jane. Both get
attracted to each other and are eventually married. Lucetta asks
Henchard to return to her all the letters she has sent him. Henchard
asks Jopp to take them to her. Jopp, who still bears a grudge for
having been cheated out of the position of factor, opens the letters
and reads them out loud at an inn. Some of the townspeople
publicly shame Henchard and Lucetta .The event takes place one
afternoon when Farfrae is away. Lucetta ,devastated by the
spectacle that she collapses, has a miscarriage, and dies.
While Henchard has grown to hate Farfrae, he has grown
closer to Elizabeth -Jane. The morning after Lucetta’s death,
Newson, who is actually still alive, arrives at Henchard’s door and
asks for Elizabeth -Jane. Henchard tells him that she is dead, and
Newson leave s in sorrow. Elizabeth -Jane stays with Henchard and
also begins to spend more time with Farfrae. Eventually discovering
that he has been lied to, Newson returns, and Henchard disappears
rather than endure a confrontation. Elizabeth -Jane is reunited with
Newson and learns of Henchard’s deceit; Newson and Farfrae start
planning the wedding between Elizabeth -Jane and the Scotchman.
Henchard comes back to Casterbridge on the night of the
wedding to see Elizabeth -Jane, but she snubs him. He leaves
again, tellin g her that he will not return. She soon regrets her
coldness, and she and Farfrae, her new husband, go looking for
Henchard so that she can make her peace. Unfortunately, they find
him too late, discovering that he has died alone in the countryside.
He has left a will .His dying wish is to be forgotten.
11.5POINT OF VIEW AND STYLE IN THE MAYOR OF
CASTERBRIDGE
The Mayor of Casterbridge is a tragic and realistic fiction and
has a little melodramatic twist. This novel is narrated by third
person and it is a n omniscient type of text where the narrator knows
everything and everyone. The dialogues are well framed and
quoted no extra words are added to get the realistic impact on the
readers. It is revolving majorly around four characters they are
Michael, Eliza beth, Lucetta and Farfrae. The ideas are expressed
so well and this is another major reason why this novel was
remarked during Victorian period. Language of writing used is local
and simple ,used in day -to-day life .The speech is so clear that onemunotes.in

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can unde rstand the speaker’s motive and his /her personality
easily. Hardy has written it in such a descriptive way that we can
imagine the facial features, mood and their lifestyle as well. Written
beautifully The Mayor of Casterbridge was ar e n o w n e da n d
prominent novel of that time.
11.6CHARACTER ANALYSIS:
11.6.1 Michael Henchard:
Michael Henchard, the hero of the novel whose dying wish
was that no one remember his name after his deat h.It is tragic
consider inghow important his name has been to him during his
lifetime. Henchard wakes up from a drunken stupor and wonders,
first and foremost, if he told any of fair -goers his name after
committing the abominable deed of selling his wife and child.
Eighteen years p ass between the incident of selling his wife and
daughter and Henchard’s reunion with Susan in Casterbridge. But
reader realizes the value that Henchard places on good reputation.
He had climbed from hay -trusser to mayor of a small agricultural
town a ndlabors to protect the esteem this higher position affords
him. When Susan and Elizabeth -Jane come upon the mayor
hosting a banquet for the town’s most prominent citizens, they
witness a man struggling to convince the masses that, despite a
mismanaged harvest , he is an honest person with a worthy name.
While staring out at an unhappy audience made up of grain
merchants who have lost money and common citizens who, without
wheat, are going hungry. Henchard laments that he can’t recover
past. Henchard compares gr own wheat metaphorically to the wrong
deeds of the past -neither can be taken back. Henchard
understands the significance of this lesson at the end of Chapter IV
but he does not succeed to internalize it. Guilt treats Henchard like
a fuel which keeps him mo ving towards his own demise. He fails to
forget the events which took place in the furmity -woman’s tent. He
repents again and again of his act. Marriage with Lucetta might
have given him some relief, for instance, buthe decides to make
amends for the past by remarrying a woman he never loved in the
first place. Henchard seems to be possessed with the feeling of a
“restless and self -accusing soul”. He seems to find out situations
which further debasement. Although Henchard loses even the
ability to explain himself ,he never relinquishes his talent of
endurance. He bears pain whatever comes in his way. This
resilience which elevates him towards the image of a hero -am a n ,
whose name must be remembered .
11.6.2 Donald Farfrae:
He is young Scotchman who serves a s a foil (a character
whose actions or emotions contrast with and thereby accentuate
those of another character) for Henchard. Will and intuition affect
the course of Henchard’s life but Farfrae is intellectual man. He hasmunotes.in

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credit of bringing to Casterbridg e a method for salvaging damaged
grain, a system for reorganizing and revolutionizing the mayor’s
business, and a mixture of curiosity and ambition which make
possible to him to take interest in -and advantage of ---the
agricultural advancements of the day ;such as the seed –sowing
machine. His motive was moral . He intends to take over
Casterbridge grain trade to make it more prosperous and prepare
the village for the advancing agricultural economy of the later
nineteenth century. He never wishes to dishonor Henchard. Farfrae
is man of science. Hardy draws his character with the stereotypical
strengths and weakness of such people. He has an intellectual
competence so unrivaled that it passes for charisma .He is
emotionally distant throughout the novel. He is successful of wining
the favor of the townspeople with his highly successful day of
celebration. He does not feel any emotion deeply whether it is
happiness got by his carnival or sorrow at the death of his wife. His
character is in bold contrast to Hencha rd whose depth of feeling is
so profound which causes to doom him.
11.6.3 Elizabeth -Jane Newson:
There is a drastic transformation in the character of
Elizabeth -Jane over the course of the novel. The narrative does not
focus on her character as much as other characters. She is kind,
simple and uneducated girl. Once at Casterbridge, she begins
intellectual and social development. So, she begins to dress like a
lady, reads voraciously keeping her best expunge rustic country
dialects from her speech. She gets this self -education but at painful
time. After arriving in Casterbridge, her mother dies, leaving her in
the custody of a man who has learned that she is not his biological
daughter. So, he wants litt leto do with her. One may argue that she
has share equ al to that of Henchard or Lucetta. She does not only
lack Lucetta’s sense of drama but also lacks her stepfather’s desire
to bend the will of others to her own. Elizabeth freely accepts the
circumstance and moves on with life when Henchard cruelly
dismisse s her. This approach of her to living stands as bold
counterpoint to Henchard’.
11.7.4 Lucetta Templeman:
She lives recklessly according to her passions and suffers
for it very similar to Michael Henchard. Lucetta becomes involved in
a scandalously indisc reet affair with Henchard that makes her the
pariah of Jersey before her arrival In Casterbridge. Knowing the
consequence, she proceeds to love whomever she wants however
she pleases. Still there is lack of boldness in her character and
certainty of purpos et h a tw o u l de l e v a t eh e rt ot h el e v e lo f“ t h e
isolated, damned, and self –destructive individualist” Albert Guerard
describes her as “the great nineteenth -century myth.” In the novel
she emerges not as heroic but as childish and imprudent.munotes.in

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11.6.5 The Town speople of Casterbridge:
The people of the Casterbridge are not similar tothose of
Weydon -Priors because they get involved in the affairs of the other
townspeople. They point out that Michael’s crops don’t sell. Farfrae
is a charming and wise man. Lucetta needs a comeuppance. They
serve as a Greek chorus through these remarks.
11.6.6 Joshua Jopp:
This person is competitor for the position of Michael
Henchard’s general manager. Jopp hates Farefrae and will do
anything to ruin him because he was chosen for the position of
manager. He starts to behave as the typical villain from this point.
He also hates Lucetta because she didn’t ready to help him so he
plays upon the hatred of the townspeople and tries to highlight the
weaknesses to Michael to ruin her.
11.6.7 Abel Whittle
He is worker in Henchard’s company but his nature is always
a bit tardy. Once Michael becomes so angry and punishes him by
making him come to work without pants. Still, he is faithful
employee to the company. Michael was kind to his moth er. In the
final days of Michael, Abel willingly cares for him and delivers his
last will to Elizabeth –Jane.
11.7.LET’S SUM UP
This part give sthe details on the biography of the author. It
also talks about the socio -cultural background to the text with the
Victorian characteristics of the text. The short descriptions with key
points pertaining to the text, ofThe mayor of the Casterbridge
enables us to understand the characters and background to the
text. The Mayor of Casterbri dge is a landmark novel in the Victorian
time. It is more a natural discourse than just a commentary of life
size experiences. It seems as a real story of Henchard life. The list
of Characters helps us understand the development of thenovel
and the story.
11.8QUESTIONS
1.Describe Thomas Hardy as a Victorian novelist. Support your
answer with suitable details and precepts of the Victorian times.
2.Bring out the biographical Details of Thomas Hardy
3.Analyze the Plot structure and style in The Mayor of
Casterbridge
4.Comment on the Characterization of the novel The Mayor of
Casterbridge
5.Describe the novel The Mayor of Casterbridge as a novel of
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11.9 REFERENCES
1.www.gradesaver.com
2.www.wikipedia.org
3.www.cliffsnotes.com
4.www.jiffynotes.com
5.www.bookrags.com
6.www.victorianweb.org
7.www.encyclopedia.com
8.www.britannica.com
9.www.classiclit.com
10.www.factmonster.com
11.www.poemhunter.com
12.www.sparknotes.com
13.www. goodreads.com

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Unit-12
CRITICAL STUDY OF THE MAYOR OF
CASTERBRIDGE -THOMAS HARDY
PART -II
Unit Structure:
12.0 Objective
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Chapter wise summary
12.3 Themes
12.4 Motifs
12.5 Symbols
12.6 Important quotations
12.7 Let’s Sum Up
12.8 Questions
12.9 References
12.0OBJECTIVE
The objective of this part -II is to provide students with the
outline of the text. This also gives students the detailed chapter
wise summary of the text. It acquaints students with the themes,
motifs and symbols used in the text. Students are asked to rea dt h e
text and formulate their own views on it.
12.1INTRODUCTION
The Mayor of Casterbridge is one of the master pieces of
Thomas Hardy. It is Hardy’s Wessex novel. The novel wonderfully
presents the lives of country people, their custom sand education,
work and ideas . The subtitle, A Story of a Man of Character ,
indicates the upheaval in the life of the protagonist Michael
Henchard. Tragedy of Henchard is moving because of the cruel
role played by fate and chance in Henchard’ sr u i n .H ei sn e i t h e r
good, nor bad. Like a Greek tragic hero, Michael Henchard, despite
all of his weaknesses, comes across as a dignified individual,
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12.2 CHAPTER WISE SUMMARY
Chapter I
Henchard fam ily in September 1820 travelled and reached
Weydon -Priors. The father Michael Henchard his wife Susan and
their little daughter Elizabeth -Jane were in search of a shelter and
work. But the laborers told him there is neither so they travelled a
little more and found a tent in which a Furmity woman was selling
cereal mixed with rum. Michael ended up drinking to omuch of
alcohol and he began to scream loudly and asked people to buy his
wife and his daughter as he was frustrated from his married life. On
the ot her side his wife was crying and asking him to stop th e
drama ,but being drunk he was not in his senses .Soon a sailor
named Richard Newson appeared and purchased both of them for
five guineas. After a moment as they left ,a n d Michael also passed
out.
Chapter II
Michael w oke up and realiz edthat selling his wife and
daughter was not a dream ,when he found five guineas in his
pocket. He came out of the tent and left secretly as he was very
much ashamed of himself and at the same time, he was very angry
over his wife because she left him without any hesitation. Searching
for his wife and daughter he walked a few miles but didn’t f ind
them. Being very upset he entered a church and took a pledge of
not drinking alcohol for next twenty -one years and beg anh is search
again. He ended up being at a seaport where he found that his wife
and the sailor ha dleft for Casterbridge. Immediately he took the
decision and went to Casterbridge with a hope to find his family.
Chapter III
After long eighteen years Susan and her daughter Elizabeth -
Jane were walking down the streets and reached to the same
Furmity tent where they were sold by Michael because her second
husband Richard Newson died in a sea war. Susan recognized the
furmity lady and enquired about Michael .S h ew as told that he left
the place next morning and came back exactly after a year to ask
for his wife and daughter and his current location was Casterbridge.
After all the updates ,t h e mother daughter duo left for Casterbridge
to find Michael .
Chapter IV
While passing by Susan overheard a conversation of two
men speaking about Michael, she thought of asking them about his
location but her daughter said that it might create problems and
their image can be spoiled ,so they moved on. As they were
travelling for long time,t h e yw e r eh u n g r y .when ask edfor a bakery
to a stranger he informed them that the crops were not well th at
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theyfound a shop and purchased a pack of biscuit which they
shared.
Chapter V
As they reached in the city, they heard some music and a
speech given by a man and a group of people standing outside a
restaurant. A stranger told them that Mr. Michael Henchard the
mayor of the city is having a meeting with some important members
of the city over the demolished crop condition. After peeping in ,
they were shocked and surprised that Michael was the mayor and
he has reached up to such a ni m p o r t a n t position in his life.
Elizabeth observed that his glass was empty ,to which theold man
informed that he ha dstopped drinking and he w ould not drink for
twenty -one years as he had taken an oath. Suddenly Michael did
anannouncement sa ying tha t he w ould be very thank fultoanyone
who would help him to copewith the loss of crops.
Chapter VI
A young man was passing by .Being a student of agriculture,
he understood that they were in need of help .Hew r o t ean o t ea n d
handed itto the waiter standing by the door and asked him to give
thatto the Mayor and proceeded tohishotel. Following him Sus an
and Elizabeth went to the same place as they were new to that
place. Michael received the note and found it interesting and
generous .H e askedthe waiter about the Scotsman’s location ,a n d
went to meet him athis hotel.
Chapter VII
As Elizabeth and Susan entered the hotel, they found it to be
very expensive and they were not in condition to afford a room
there. Elizabeth convinced the owner of the hotel to lend them a
room and that in return she w ould work in thehotel .T h eo w n e r
agreed. Susan was gi ven a room beside theScottish man .W h e n
Elizabeth went downstairs towork ,Susan overhear dthe
conversation between Michael and th em a n .She found outthat the
young man was named Donald Farfrae and he was going to
America for his work .Michael tried to b ribe him in different ways so
that he c ould help them to improve thei rwheat and corn crops but
he failed to do so. However, Farfrae invited Michael for a drink and
during the conversation Michael disclosed about theoath he had
taken long back after a life changing incident that had happened
with him.
Chapter VIII
When the meeting was over, Farfrae order edfood and to
deliver it in the room ,Elizabeth appeared with a tray. Then he went
downstairs to enjoy some songs .Elizabeth found him to be exactly
like her and started f alling for him. The landlady asked Elizabeth to
make Farfrae’s bed as he was about to sleep while coming out ofmunotes.in

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the room, she had an eye contact with Farfrae and they both smiled
at each other. Thinking of various tr icks on how to stop Farfrae from
leaving for America , Michael came up with a plan to give Farfrae
thethird share of the business.
Chapter IX
Elizabeth woke up next morning and found that Michael and
Farfrae were having a conversation standing outside the hotel .she
informed Susan about the same and Susan asked Elizabeth to
follow them handing her a note for Michael. She followed them, and
ended up reaching at Henchard’s office ,where she found that
Farfrae had agreed to Michael’s deal and that he w ould be the
manager for the company.
Chapter X
As soon the meeting ended, Elizabeth went to meet Michael ,
but a man named Joshua Jopp interrupted asking for the position of
manager ,to which Michael responded that th e seat ha dbeen filled
already ,a n d Jopp left heavy hearted. After m eeting Elizabeth -Jane ,
Michael came across the reality of his wife and daughter .He asked
Elizabeth a few question sand gave her a note for Susan, asking
her to meet him later that night .Elizabeth Jane returned to her hotel
with the note .After reading the note, Susan decided to meet her
husband.
Chapter XI
Susan went to meet Michael that night .Michael broke the
silence and asked her why she didn’t return to him and what took
herso many years to get back in touch with him. Susan replied that
she thought the deal was legally bound between the sailor and
Michael who forced her to be sailor’s wife and she c ould not move
out until the sailor’s death .T h e yw a n t e dt ol i v et o g e t h e rb u tt hat
would have created a scandal, so, they decided to get a cottage for
Susan near the town and later would get married again and not
reveal their past ever.
Chapter XII
After the meet Michael returned home and found Farfra e,
still working on some projec t.Interrupting him Michael called him
forthedinner. As they had become good friends lately ,Michael
shared his past with Farfrae, and told him how he had met Susan
again and that he want edto marry her .Farfrae suggested him to
get married to her in thecourt ,but Michael was a little anxious .O n
being asked by his manager ,he told him about his relation ship with
Lucetta a woman in Jersey ,w h o m hehad met when he was on a
business trip in Jersey. Lucetta was humiliated for being in a
relation ship with Michael , and so Michael was forced to promise her
that he w ould marry her .B u t now thathiswife was back ,h ed i d n ’ t
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Michael to write a letter to Lucetta and break therelationship with
her.
Chapter XIII
As it was decided with Susan, Michael got her a cottage and
started visiting her for business .But the rumours started spreading
and they gotmarried. They started living their happy life. Elizabeth
also accepted Michael as her father.
Chapt er XIV
Michael was happy like never before and his personal and
professional life was doing well. One day he observed that
Elizabeth’s hair colour was not same as it was when she was a
child. He thought of changing her surname officially and giving her
allthe rights ofbeing his daughter .Susan ignored this proposition
and left the discussion ,and Elizabeth felt upset and disapproved of
it.Later that day Michael went to Elizabeth and asked her whether
she was willing to change her surname . She asked him w hether
thatwas necessary ,a n d he responded thatitwas upto her and she
said thatshewas happy being Ms. Newson.
Chapter XV
This chapter begins with a lot of anger and frustration .
Michael Henchard and Farfrae were fighting over Whittle who was
an empl oyee of Henchard. Whittle was late to work regularly.
Despite being warned by Michael ,w h e n he was late the other day
with anger Michael entered his room and dragged him out of his
bed and took him to the field ,which was very humiliating and
shameful for him. After this disrespectful act Whittle warned Farfrae
that he w ould diebut not work there again ;a n d after being
sympathized by Farfrae he went back home calmly. Michael and
Farfrae had a heated argument over the incident, Farfrae
threaten edhim that he w ould leave the job and left the field.
Michael was terrified by those words as Farfrae knew all his dark
secrets and might have ruined the respect and designation he h eld
in the town.
Chapter XVI
After th efight the relation between both Mic hael and Farfrae
was affected, but still they were working together .one day Farfrae
went to Michael and asked whether he could borrow some cloth to
build a tent for upcoming festival .Inc o m p e t i t i o n ,Michael booked a
green lawn and organised an event too .But the fate was not with
Michael and it rained heavily ,ruininghis event. He was very angry
with Farfrae’s successful event. When he went inside the tent, he
saw his daughter Elizabeth -Jane and Farfrae dancing together .
people were teasing Michael that Farfrae would soon overtake his
business ,to which is said that Farfrae w ould leave Casterbridge
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Chapter XVII
While dancing with Farfrae ,Elizabeth observed that her
father was not happy by her gesture ,therefore, she left the tent and
ran outside .Farfrae followed her and asked her what had
happened .She told him about her father’s reaction .Hetoldh e rt h a t
hewas going to leave h erfather’s job and start with his own
business as he ha dpurchased a piece of land on the outskirts of
Casterbridge. Sh e asked him not to leave but he was helpless and
he left. In a few months Farfrae’s business reached new heights
and started growing fast because of which Michael was very upset .
Chapter XVIII
It was not a good time for Henchard family as Elizabeth had
sacrificed her love, Michael was facing losses and Susan was not
well. Meanwhile Lucetta wrote a letter from Jersey to Michael telling
him that she respect edhis decision of breaking up with her and he
did a right bygetting back with his wife .H o w e v e r , she asked him to
return all the love letters she had written to him in the past ,so that
both can start a new life.She also mention edthat she wasg o i n gt o
pass through Casterbridge and that she want edto meet Michael
once. Michael went to meet her but s hewasn’t there. When
Michael left to meet Lucetta ,Susan was in her last stage .She
asked Elizabeth to give a piece of paper and pen .She wrote a
letter for Michael and g ave it to Elizabeth with a warn ing that
Michael was supposed to open it only after El izabeth ’smarri age.
She died soon after that as her funeral was going to take place the
discussions were going on which was overheard by Farfrae.
Chapter XIX
Immediately within three weeks of Susan’s death, Michael
thought of telling Elizabeth all the truth of his past ,but with a twist in
it. He told her that his mother Susan and h e had somehow got
separated and both thought that their partner to be dead and that
wast h er e a s o n why Susan got married to the s ailor. Michael asked
Elizabeth to declare in newspaper that from then on, she was
Henchard and not Newson ;a n d she agreed. As Michael went
upstairs to find his documents, he found Susan’s letter .H ew a st o
open it after Elizabeth ’smarri agebut he couldn’ t resist himself and
opened it and found a shocking news that Elizabeth wasn o th i s
biological daughter .His daughter had been died soon after he sold
herto the sailor . The present Elizabeth wasthedaughter of the
Sailor Newso n.Next morning Elizabet h-Jane told Michael that she
accept edhim as her father completely ,butMichael was in shock.
Chapter XX
After learning about the truth about Elizabeth, it was difficult
for Henchard to accept Elizabeth as his daughter .He started
abusing her and scolding her over small things. His cruel, harsh
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as burden. On the other hand, he got to know that he w ould not be
the mayor after the next election , which wors ened his frustration.
One day while she was at her mother’s grave ,E l i z a b e t h found a
lady,who was reading her mother’s name ,butleftwithout talking to
her. Another day Elizabeth met the same lady in the church; so,
she asked her about her identity and how she kn ew them .S h e told
the lad yabout her situation and thatshe wanted to move out from
her father’s place. Th elady offered her to live with her as a
companion, as shewas new in the town. Elizabeth said she w ould
think over it and meet her after a week.
Chapter XXI
For the whole next week Elizabeth kept roaming around the
apartment of th elady,which was near High -Palace Hall ;thinking of
shifting with her. Finally, she asked her father about the same and
he agreed ,offering her some allowance. After aweek th elady met
Elizabeth at thechurch and offered her to move in immediately .
Elizabeth rushed to her home ,packed her bags ,greeted her father
and left. Father daughter duo both had heavy hearted farewell.
Chapter XXII
Chapter twenty -two has a lot of ch aracters be ing involved in.
The same night ,Elizabeth left her father’s place ,Michael received
a letter from Lucetta informing him that she ha dmoved out from
Jersey and shifted in theHigh Palace Hall , and that she wanted him
to meet herthe next day. Michael was shock ed when he found out
how Lucetta hadtrapped his daughter ,and wanted to get back with
him.He ignored the letter and didn’t go to meet her. Lucetta was
upset as she was expecting him to see her. After a few days she
sent him another letter inviting hi ma th o m e .After three day s, when
Elizabeth was not at home, a visitor called upon Lucetta, butwas
notMichael.
Chapter XXIII
It was Farfrae who was searching for Elizabeth and had
come to meet her . Lucetta invited him pleasantly. The two talk ed
and watch edthe bustling marketplace from Lucetta’s window. They
witness eda farmer negotiating the employment of an old shepherd.
The farmer refuse dto take the old man if his son wasn o tp a r to f
the bargain, but the young man was reluctant to go, as he did not
want to leavebehind the girl he love d.Touched by th atscene,
Farfrae went out and hire dthe young man so that he c ould remain
close to his love. After Farfrae le ft, Henchard arrive d, but Lucetta
hadher maid tell Henchard that she ha da headache and d idnot
wish to see him that day.
Chapter XXIV
As days pass by Lucetta and Elizabeth buil tab o n da n dt h e y
enjoyed each other’s company. One day they sa wam a nmunotes.in

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demonstrating his agriculture machine ;they found it interesting ,so
they went downstairs t o have a glance of it. But there was one man
who was insulting the machine and calling it ridiculous as he turned
his face , they find him to be Henchard. A sh et u r n edto leave
Elizabeth thought she hear dhim accuse Lucetta of refusing to see
him. Elizabeth -Jane’s suspicions were aroused, but she decide d
that she must have heard Henchard incorrectly. Soon Farfrae
entered and started praising the machine a ndElizabeth was very
happy to see him. she found that Lucetta and Farfrae had already
met before. Later that night Lucetta ask edElizabeth to advise her
by giving a suggestion for a friend as she was in difficult situation
but deep -down Elizabeth knew that it was not a suggestion for any
friend but for Lucetta. Hence, she replied s he can’t help in such a
difficult situation and has no solution to the problem.
Chapter XXV
The bound between Lucetta and Farfrae was increasing
gradually and they finally fell in love. One day Michael called
Lucetta and asked her to meet. He told her tha th el o v e dher and
he want edto marry her to whom in respond she refused and said
she will marry the man she loves and refused to go back in her past
life.
Chapter XXVI
After refusing Michael’s proposal Lucetta still was a good
friend of him. When they we re walking, he asked her if she kn ew
Farfrae .she immediately said yes but covering up her emotions
she added that she kn eweveryone in Casterbridge. When they
reached her place ,while having a word with Michael, Lucetta found
that there was someone at the door when she opened the door ,
and it was Farfrae this led to the jealously in the mind of Michael
and he understood why and for whom Lucetta rejected his marriage
proposal. Hehired Jopp the guy who hadcome for theinterview for
the post of manager back when Michael had appointed Farfrae as
the manager. The only job of Jopp was to increase the business
and compete with Farfrae and his hay. To do so he said that he
knewaf o r t u n et e l l e r who could tell the accurate season to grow
crop, and perfect plans fo r future success. The fortune teller told
them that it would year rain heavily so purchase all the corns from
the market and later sell them at higher prices .B u t it was aperfect
climate for growing corn and the crop was the best. This led to a
huge loss to Michael’s business .Being angry he kicked Jopp from
his business.
Chapter XXVII to Chapter XXX
With a huge profit in corn business Farfrae became
wealthier. Suddenly there was a fight between Michael’s employee
and Farfrae’ s wagoner to solve the dispute Michael came in. Being
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employee who was wrong. Lucetta was called by him and he told
her to meet but refusing his offer she went to meet Farfrae after this
incident he got angry and entered her home black mailing her that
he w ould disclose all the love letters that she had written to him in
past she was astonished and afraid to which she agreed to get
married to him. One day later there was a court hearing of a
woman .She identified Michael and asked him whether hewast h e
one whom she met twenty years back when he had sold his wife
and daughter to a sailor of a few guineas .Feeling embarrassed he
accepted it and dismissed the court. Lucetta and Elizabeth went for
a walk and they saw a bull approaching towards them making them
run faster they ended up being in b arn. Michael arrived, pulled the
bull with its nose ring and saved their lives. Being impressed by his
deed Lucetta agreed to marry him. After her decision to marry him,
Elizabeth packed her clothes and left her apartment later that night .
Chapter XXXI to Chapter XXXVI
In previous chapters readers learnt how th ewoman in the
court revealed Mayor Michael Henchard’s past .Afterthateveryone
began to hate him and he was expelled from the position of Mayor .
following it he became poor and was in debts of the city. One day
passing from the same old restaurant where Elizabeth found her
father, she observed a group of people standing and discussing
about her father wh ileenter ingthe restaurant .she observed how
other members of the commission were insulting her father and all
his properties were auctioned to repay all his debt .His home was
purchased by Farfrae and his business too. Elizabeth took he r
father along and went to her new home and gave him a shelter
there. Few days later Jopp came and informed Michael how
Lucetta and Farfrae are living a lavish life in his house . Michael
decided to leave Casterbridge and leave everything behind to begin
anew life .suddenly Farfrae came and offered him to stay in his
ware house .At first Michael refused but later accepted the
proposal .Within a couple of days, he fell ill and no one was there to
take care of him .Elizabeth trespassed theproperty and took c are
of her father until he was healthy. In his mind Michael was counting
last days of his oath and soon when the oath ended, he began to
drink and became a drunkard. One day he was drunk and went to a
hotel and sang a song insulting Farfrae and saying how he ruined
his life .Being ashamed of her father’s action Elizabeth took him
back home. In a next fewdays Michael begin to go at Farfrae’s field
to help him with his crop but his inner intention was to kill Farfrae
and conquer his will. Elizabeth warned Fa rfrae about her father’s
intention but he ignored her. Meanwhile Farfrae was informed that
thenew mayor wasd e a da n dh ew a so f f e r e dt ob ean e wm a y o r
Farfrae accepted the offer. Lucetta was begging toMichael ,notto
reveal her old love letters in front o f Farfrae and spare her life.
Michael agreed and asked Jopp to deliver a parcel at Farfrae’s
doorstep and not to open it .ButJopp opened it and discovered themunotes.in

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love letters written by Lucetta to Michael back in past .While on his
way to Farfrae’s home he m et a few women who gathered him
snatched the envelope from his hand and started reading it loud
disclosing that it was written by Lucetta to Michael.
Chapter XXXVII to Chapter XL
The citizens of Casterbridge soon bec ame aware that a
“Royal Personage” pla nned to pass through the town. The town
council met to arrange the details of the event .Henchard
interrupt edthe meeting to ask if he c ould participate. Farfrae sa id
that Henchard’s involvement would not be proper, since he wasn o
longer a member of the council. On rejection of his offer, he went
back home with heavy heart. As the day arrived, he drank and
stood in front of the Royal Carriage waving a handmade flag.
Farfrae forcefully drag ged Henchard away. Being angry about the
insult Michael thou ghtof a revenge and called Farfrae to meet him
in the granary .There they had a fight ,a n d at the end Michael was
badly hurt and wounded. Michael was feeling awful after his silly
decision to fight with Farfrae.
Chapter XLI to Chapter XLV
After her wedding Elizabeth f ound out the birdcage and a
bird. That now is starved. She was surprised to find it dead in a
month later out of starvation. It was ag i f t that must have been
brought by Merchant Henchard. Hence, she regrat edthe way she
has treat ed him. After Farfrae c ame home, she ask edhim to help
finding Henchard. However, they f ound Abel Whittles cottage after
searching Henchard and the man g ave them a paper ,and t oldthat
the man was dead. Th epaper wasHenchard’s will
Themes, Motifs, and S ymbols
12.3 THEMES
12.3.1 The Importance of Character
Michael Henchard as a Man of Character does not fit in the
novel, though Hardy seems to be very optimistic towards life and its
unavoidable mistakes, on morality ground one tends to think on the
term of a “Man of Character” with high moral and righteousness.
His behavior appears to be whimsical and self -centered in certain
instances, even his insecurities as a father look quite dec eitful. For
himbiological affirmation, means more countable than a ne m o t i o n a l
attachment. Henchard’s end in the novel is surprisingly
unremarkable, nobody mourns the death of the mayor, the work
and imagination of power drops in vain. It looks interesting that
Hardy is successful to present Henchard as a protagonist, due to
his power of determination, ability to tolerate great pain. He not only
understands his mistake but also takes the responsibility to
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Even destiny p lays ac u n n i n gg a m ew i t hh i m ,n o w h e r eh e is
able to justify with his achi evements and recognitions .Hem a kes
some unpardonable mistakes and suffer sfor the whole life .The
way he sells out his family, mismanage the business, be haves
treacherous with Newson, Lucetta jeopardiz eshim;alltest his
endurance to establish his heroic image.
Henchard’s name and fame seem dubious and ineffective
with characterization. He sale out his wife and daughter, and in
conscious awakening realized his mistake but unexpectedly decide
to move towards Casterbridge, rather than searching out his fam ily
and recorrect the mistake. In the Casterbridge, he becomes
introduced as a hay -trusser’s trader, who could climb to a civic
leader. However, he assumes to be affirmative in every stance, and
legalize his action to maintain his image. But crucially hi s mediocre
thinking and action put him in trouble. His unpardonable decisions
like jealousy and insecurity towards Farfrae, dec eive with the
women he loves, stoop sdown his reputation and in the end loses
the position he governs. Once he has lost everythi ng his cha racter
seems to be very ordinary and vulnerable to temptations. On
morality ground, Henchard’s cha racter te nds to be more compell ing
persona than am a n with high moral s.
12.3.2 The Ineradicable Past:
The Mayor of Casterbridge is a novel, and its protagonist
grappled with the past. Henchard’s unfortunate decision to sell his
wife and daughter, immoral intimacy with Lucetta, continue his fate
after eighteen years. Even his daughter, turns out to be his most
elusive adventure, and he comes to kno wt h a th i sd a u g h t e rh a s
already died, and Elizabeth discovered as the daughter of Richard
Newson. Weyden -Priors continues to change protagonist life after
eighteen years, The Roman Amphitheater dominates Casterbridge
and provides a forum for discussion a nd deliberation. Henchard
never denied that the past cannot be buried and denied, and his
experiences made it strong to advocate the guilt of wrong. He
could tolerate and presume the beauty of destiny but Lucetta,
couldn’t able to handle the guilt, past a nd surrender her life with no
means to survive.
12.4 MOTIFS
12.4.1 Coincidence:
The Mayor of Casterbridge heavily relies on coincidences
like the reappearance of Newson, furmity -women, and lately,
Henchard creates a twist and turn in the story. Hardy’s point of view
culminates the power of sub consciousness, where deep -rooted
fear, agony, and guilt reappear in front of the audience. Hardly
strongly believe in universal forces tend to mold the human psyche
and create some supernatural impact on behavior. It doesn’t havemunotes.in

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logic, but on the emotional ground, the reader is convinced with the
thought and situation. Henchard struggles against such forces in
the novel, cursing the organized destiny. In such a situation’s
coincidence seems to be necessary and c rucial in structure and
unavoidable part of universal force.
12.4.2 The Tension between Tradition and Innovation:
The setup town of Casterbridge appears to be very old with
thoughts, and customs. It may not have accepted scientific lifestyle
and agricult ural practice. This portrays of lifestyle, business, and
agriculture deliberate superstitious belief in the common
consciousness.
The introduction of Farfrae’s character carries a new idea of
belief, grounded with scientific temper and understanding, it’s
business -oriented and easy to absorb. That is why people accept
him; the struggle was for them, who were reluctant to change. In
further progress, we could see, Hardy normalizes the tension, as
the change is inevitable for those, who believe in customs an d
traditions and Henchard seems to be pray of destiny and his
remote attitude. Hardy should be credited to accepting change for
the English countryside milieu, but he also draws sympathy for
customs and practices, which suddenly disappear with the
advancem ent of technology.
12.4.3 The Tension between Public life and Private life:
Henchard’s failure can be understood with his public and
private life. As he loses his wife and daughter and moves to
Casterbridge, he could succeed to achieve as a successful gr ain
merchant and Mayor of Casterbridge. He was enjoying two key
positions in the city. But at the same time, his private affair with
Lucetta destroy his public image, the rise of Farfrae, Susan, and
Elizabeth meeting, and the arrival of Richard Newson, thi sp r i v a t e
incidence completely changes his life.
12.5 SYMBOLS
12.5.1 The Caged Goldfinch:
In one of the symbolic incidences, Henchard visits Elizabeth -
Jane on her wedding day; he carrie sa gift of a caged goldfinch. He
leaves the bird in a corner while speaking with his step -daughter
and forgets the act. After someday, the maid discovers the same
Caged Goldfinch, the starving bird, which appears toElizabeth as
symbolical resemblances with her own stepfather, Henchard is
trapped the cageof destiny’s crue l game of past deeds .
12.5.2 The Bull:
The bull represents the power, destruction of brutal forces,
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force to l ife. Henchard often presumes the power of this force. The
violent bull display H enchard’s strength, courage, and dominance.
12.5.3 The Collision of Wagons:
The Wagon of Henchard and Farfrae collided .T h e incident
symbolized the tension in relationship, tradition, and innovation and
the rise of the new modern era with Fanfare’s domina nce.
12.6 IMP ORTANT QUOTATIONS FROM THE TEXT
1. “Her experience had been of a kind to teach her, rightly or
wrongly, that the doubtful honor of a brief transit through a sorry
world hardly called for effusiveness, even when the path was
suddenly irradiat ed at some half -way point by day beams rich as
hers. But her strong sense that neither she nor any human being
deserved less than was given, did not blind her to the fact that there
were others receiving less who had deserved much more. And in
being forced to class herself among the fortunate she did not cease
to wonder at the persistence of the unforeseen, when the one to
whom such unbroken tranquility had been accorded in the adult
stage was, she whose youth had seemed to teach that happiness
was but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain.”
2. “She had learned the lesson of renunciation and was as familiar
with the wreck of each day's wishes as with the diurnal setting of
the sun.”
3. “Life is an oasis which is submerged in the swirling waves of
sorrows and agonies.”
4. “Her companion, also in black, appeared as a well -formed young
woman about 18, completely possessed of that ephemeral precious
essence youth, which is itself beauty, irrespective of complexion or
contour.”
5. “Finding this, she was much perplexed as to Henchard's motives
in opening the matter at all; for in such cases, we attribute to an
enemy a power of consistent action which we never find in
ourselves or in our fr iends...”
6. “But the bitter thing is, that when I was rich, I didn't need what I
could have, and now I be poor I can't have what I need!”
7. “Her suspense was terrible.”
12.7 LET’S SUM UP
The mayor of Casterbridge is a prominent Victorian English
novel. The story of Merchant Henchard is heart touching and
remains alive throughout the narrative. His style of writing with themunotes.in

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rustic elements makes it remarkably noteworthy. The elements of
rusticity with additional settings make it identify as a Wessex novel.
He had made his characters to read the nature and to interact with
it. This novel is a finest example of personal loss at the cost of a
habit. How one can become a creative or destructive force for
oneself in life. This is also an introspective ideology which makes
all of us contemplate and experience life so closely. His art of
juxtaposing variety of ideas collectively is superb. This gives us a
more pictorial quality of sensations and exp erience. Thus, the
mayor of Casterbridge remains a great work of art both for its
memorable characters and characteristics.
12.8 QUESTIONS
1. Hardy as a determinist —in other words; he believed that the
course of human life was shaped by forces, internal or external,
beyond human control. Does this philosophy stand true in The
Mayor of Casterbridge? What forces are responsible for shaping
Henchard’s life?
2. Is Henchard a tragic Hero? Why or why not? Does he possess a
tragic flaw that leads to his downfa ll?
3. Discuss the similarities between Elizabeth -Jane and Farfrae, as
well as those between Henchard and Lucetta. What effects does
Hardy achieve through these portrayals?
4. Is Henchard a sympathetic character? Should we pity him at the
end of the nov el, or does he seem to get exactly what he deserves?
12.9 REFERENCES
1.www.gradesaver.com
2.www.wikipedia.org
3.www.cliffsnotes.com
4.www.jiffynotes.com
5.www.bookrags.com
6.www.victorianweb.org
7.www.encyclopedia.com
8.www.britannica.com
9.www.classiclit.com
10.www.factmonster.com
11.www.poemhunter.com
12.www.sparknotes.com
13.www. goodreads.com
munotes.in

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163Unit-13
STUDY OF BLEAK HOUSE –PART I
Unit Structure:
13.0 Objectives
13.1 Introduction
13.2 The Author
13.3 Summary
13.4 Let’s Sum Up
13.5 Questions
13.6 References
13.0 OBJECTIVE S
The objective of the Unit is to introduce the readers into the
world of novel writing and the role the novels play in framing and
understanding the concepts and approaches of a society in
particular. Society has always played a very dominant role in the
novels of great authors –the vice versa technique of influencing
and getting influenced. The delightful way Charles Dickens has
depicted the social affairs in his novels and the role the characters
play in them is highly appreciated. The Unit deals with one of
Dickens’ widely read novels, The Bleak House and the exceptional
approach, through the characters, to the social order of the British
judiciary system.
13.1 INTRODUCTION
Nineteenth century England has produced some of the
world’ s greatest novel writers and Charles Dickens, with his
delightful realistic appeal and brilliant character analysis touches
upon the hearts of the common people. Narrative technique is one
of the most popular style of writing and the realistic Victorian no vels
usually focuses on characters and themes mainly centering on the
plight of the poor and social livelihood of the time. Dickens
particularly portrays the lives of the working -class people, creating
the characters in such a way that the new rising middl e class could
relate to. So, in his novels we come across commercial agents and
political adventurers, newspaper reporters and lawyers, clerks and
schoolmasters, factory workers and prudish aristocrats, homeless
children, pickpockets and convicts; but Dick ens’ love for humankind
is also visible. Dickens’ wonderful depiction of offices and factories,
prisons and slums of London have enriched his writing style and
capacity and has brought him close to the common folk.munotes.in

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164Bleak House was first published as a twen ty-episode serial
and it comprises of numerous characters and several sub -plots.
The story is told partly by the novel’s heroine, Esther Summerson,
and partly by a well -informed narrator. A long -running legal case is
at the center of the novel and Dickens claimed that there were
many actual instances inspiring his fictional case.
13.2 THE AUTHOR
Charles Dickens (1812 -1870), an English writer and social
critic, considered one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era
has created some of the world’s b est known fictional characters.
Born in Portsmouth, in a middle -class family, he was withdrawn
from school and sent for manual work in a factory after his father
was sent to prison for the repayment of debts. His loathing brief
experience of the working cl ass equipped him with a sympathetic
knowledge of the life and its adversities that very beautiful flows
into his writings. Despite his lack of formal education, he was an
editor of a weekly journal for nearly twenty years, had written
around fifteen novels , five novellas and innumerable short stories
and non -fictional articles. Extremely good at lectures, extensively
performing readings and an unrelenting letter writer, he also
strongly campaigned for children’s rights, education and many such
social reform s.
With the serial publication of The Pickwick Papers ,t h e1 8 3 6
serial publication, Dickens’ journey of literary success started.
Famous for his humorous satire and very intense observation of
character and depiction of society, his novels gradually becam e
one of the pioneers of English society. Weaving topical elements
into his narrations, he weaved his plots very carefully and this
touched the hearts of the common man. His childhood experiences
of school with memories of a harsh schoolmaster, his crashin go f
dreams working in a blacking factory, his involvement in legal
business while working for law firms, his employment as a
parliamentary reporter –everything gets vividly reflected in his
novels. He realized the situations and submissions of the common
working class and also understood the various categories and
characters of people that adorned the society –his being a part of
them brought him closer to the world of reality. Having exposed to
this vulnerable society from a very young age, Dickens knew how
to hold the string of the instrument to bring out the perfect chord.
Along with the serialized publication of The Pickwick Papers
Dickens also started writing Oliver Twist which appeared in weekly
parts in a magazine, ‘Bentley’s Miscellany’ , where he worked as an
editor. Oliver Twist expresses Dickens’ interest in the lives of the
slums as he traces the fortune of the innocent orphan wading
through the London streets. While Oliver Twist kept appearing,munotes.in

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165Dickens started monthly serialization o fNicholas Nickleby and to
research the story he even made a trip to Yorkshire, in disguise, to
explore the disreputable boarding schools there. Dickens then
started a weekly magazine, ‘Master Humphrey’s Clock’ that
featured among many other stories, the s tory of Little Nell and his
grandfather title The Old Curiosity Shop . The excessive popularity
of the tale completely took over the weekly editions of ‘Master
Humphrey’s Clock’, excluding all other writings. It was at this time,
after the completion of Barnaby Rudge , Dickens went on a five -
month lecture tour of the United States and spoke out strongly
against bondage and in support of other reforms. An extremely
popular figure not just in England but in America too, he was
extremely dissatisfied with the Am erican Republic and on his return
penned the promised travel book, American Notes , criticizing the
American life as culturally backward and materialistic. Even his next
novel, Martin Chuzzlewit , describes his protagonist’s survival in
America, subject to t he same conceited, mercenary people Dickens
came in contact there. This was the time that Dickens published
two Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol and The Chimes .I ti s
believed that the seeds of the story of A Christmas Carol (1843)
was planted during his trip to Manchester to deliver a speech in
support of education and The Chimes (1844) is an outcome of the
adventures he sent home in letter form during his visit to Italy.
It is with the monthly serialization of Dombey and So n,a
remarkable book where for the first time Dickens used notes which
he called mems to outline the story in advance that resulted in a
structured novel resulting in a good selling and firm financial
footing. After a few more books like The Cricket on the Hearth
(1845), The Battle of Life (1846) and The Haunted Man and the
Ghost’s Bargain (1848), he began writing an autobiography giving it
a fictional account of David Copperfield (1850) which he always
regarded as his personal favorite among novels. Bleak House
(1853), considered his masterpiece, brings out Dickens’ previous
experience of a court reporter which gives shape to the story of a
prolonged case in the Courts of Chancery. This was followed by
Hard Times (1854) that surveys the English society and satirizes
the social and economic conditions of the era. Dickens then
returned to the painful childhood memory of his father’s debt
resulting in imprisonment which is very vehemently portrayed in
Little Dorrit (published between 1855 & 1857).
After a diff icult and disappointing phase in his life –both
personal and professional –Dickens published his next two books,
AT a l eo fT w oC i t i e s (1859) and Great Expectations (completed in
1861), in weekly instalments to boost the sale of the new weekly to
which he got associated. He used the reference of Thomas
Carlyle’s ‘History of the French Revolution’ for his first story and
used some autobiographical elements for the second Our Mutualmunotes.in

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166Friend (1864) can be considered his last completed novel and the
story touche d upon the familiar themes of evils and corruption that
love for money brings.
With his deteriorating health and against the wishes of family
and friends concerned about his physical weakness, he still made a
trip to America and found that both he and Ame rica have
undergone considerable change since his last visit. After a six -
month stay in America, Dickens returned home refreshed and with
a full load of work which he enthusiastically started by editing his
weekly magazine, ‘All the Year Round’. He started the monthly
publication of his last novel; The Mystery of Edwin Drood (April
1870) butt the mystery remained unfolded as Dickens expired on
8thJune 1870 following a severe heart attack.
13.3 BLEAK HOUSE –SUMMARY
The story starts focusing on a hearing at the High Court of
Chancery on a foggy November afternoon. The prolonged case of
Jarndyce and Jarndyce finds a regular spectator in ‘the little mad
old woman’ who patiently waits from the beginning till the end
expe cting some ‘incomprehensible judgment to be given in her
favor’. On the other hand, Sir Leicester Dedlock, an apathetic
fashionable aristocrat maintains his ancestral home in rural
Lincolnshire as well as another in London and his wife, Lady
Dedlock, neari ng fifty but ‘has beauty still’ and very proud and
vainis ‘bored to death’ in her London home and decides to go for a
change to Paris. Mr. Dedlock has great affection for his wife and
does not even have any complain against her though she brought
neither d owry nor prestige. The Dedlocks are in connection with
their legal advisor, Mr. Tulkinghorn –a rich, close -lipped and
secretive solicitor who represents Lady Dedlock’s interests in the
Jarndyce and Jarndyce case. The legal papers, brought by their
lawyer, catch the attention of Lady Dedlock who becomes
interested in the handwriting and is curious to know about the
writer. A suspense takes shape when suddenly Lady Dedlock
faints, augmenting Mr. Dedlock’s character too, who though
surprised stays calm and po lite, associating Lady Dedlock’s swoon
to bad weather.
On the other hand, Esther Summerson, raised by her aunt,
Miss Barbary, was sent to a boarding school by her appointed
guardian, Mr. Jarndyce after the death of Miss Barbary. Serving for
six years both as a student and then as a teacher there, Esther,
now twenty, moves on to be a part of Mr. Jarndyce’s household,
Bleak House. She meets and immediately befriends Ada Clare and
Richard Carstone, the two young people who, like Esther, have
been taken in cus tody by Mr. Jarndyce and both of them, along with
Mr. Jarndyce, are a part of the complicated, incomprehensible andmunotes.in

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167long-standing legal suit called Jarndyce and Jarndyce. On their way
to Bleak House, the three –Richard, Ada and Esther –halt at the
Jellyb y’s where Esther extends her warmth and kindness towards
the Jellyby children who are neglected by their mother involved in a
greater cause. It is here, when they go for a morning walk that they
meet the old Miss Flite who insists them on visiting her lodg ings –
the rooms rented above the ‘rag -and-bottle’ shop of an aged
anomalous character, Mr. Krook, who mentions the names of
Barbary, Clare and Dedlock to be involved in the Jarndyce and
Jarndyce suit and also narrates the account of Tom Jarndyce’s
shootin g himself after the suit had dragged on everlastingly.
Finding themselves unfortunately connected to a case that
has made them enemies of their own relations, Richard and Ada
along with Esther, leave for Bleak House where they are welcomed
by their custo dian, Mr. John Jarndyce, the kindly gentleman whom
Esther recognizes of having shared a stagecoach six years back.
The old -fashioned house triggers a liking in the young minds and
Esther looks forward optimistically to her new -fangled role as a
housekeeper . She gradually learns from Mr. Jarndyce that the suit
in Chancery centers around a will which involved a fortune at one
time but is then meaningless as the cost of the court have
consumed all the fortune. Esther also comes to know from him
about Tom Jarn dyce, the former owner of the Bleak House, who
tried unsuccessfully to extricate the suit and, after many years of
wasted struggle, shot himself. Esther and Ada also pay a visit to a
nearby poor bricklayer’s family at the insistence of Mrs. Pardiggle, a
frowningly antagonistic charity worker, and they later try to inquire
about the boy who had died in their presence and also tries to
reach out to comfort the boy’s mother.
On the other side, the story of the ‘Ghost’s walk’ emerges at
the Dedlock’s estate wh en Mrs. Rouncewell, the old housekeeper,
recounts the two -century old story of the wife of Sir Morbury
Dedlock who suffered a severe hip injury when she slipped during
her fight with her husband who spied on her for having taken his
favorite horse. Limping on the terrace of the Dedlock estate one
fateful day, the lady fell and died vowing to haunt the estate ‘until
the pride of this house is humbled’ and till that day when the tall
French clock beats its loud music, they can still hear the footsteps
of the ‘walking ghost’. Mr. Jarndyce writes to Sir Leicester Dedlock,
one of the distant relatives of Richard Carstone, with the intention
of helping the unrealistic, impatient and aimless young man but all
prospects of support look very remote. In the meantime, Esther
becomes convinced through some obvious revelations that Richard
and Ada are in love. Old Lawrence Boythorn, an intense and
lovable but controversial person has been suing Sir Leicester whom
he dislikes but has high affection and admiration for Lady Dedlock.
Boythorn visits Bleak House and in connection to his legal actionmunotes.in

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168Mr. Guppy, who unconsciously has recounted Lady Dedlock’s
resemblance to Esther, too arrives there and shocks Esther by
suddenly proposing to her which she firmly and immediately re jects.
Mr. Tulkinghorn visits the law stationary store owner, Mr. Snagsby,
an insignificant nervous man married to a strident and fanatical
woman and supported by the only help, Guster, a young woman
afflicted to ‘ fits. The intention of Mr. Tulkinghorn is to make Mr.
Snagsby identify the handwriting who copied the Jarndyce and
Jarndyce affidavits, the handwriting in which Lady Dedlock took so
much of interest. Mr. Snagsby recognizes the handwriting as of Mr.
Nemo’s (‘Nemo’ is Latin for ‘no one’) who stays above Mr. Krook’s
the rag -and-bottle shop. On reaching Crook’s place, Mr.
Tulkinghorn finds Nemo dead apparently because of opium
poisoning and a probe is set. Mr. Tulkinghorn also comes to know
about Nemo’s kind an d considerate nature from little Jo, the street -
crossing sweeper, but this unfortunate man’s death is confirmed as
accidental and is entitled to a pauper’s burial, in some bleak and
deserted churchyard.
Mr. Tulkinghorn informs the Dedlocks about Boythorn’ sl e g a l
action against Sir Leicester and Lady Dedlock thanks him for
sending her the message regarding the handwriting that had
interested her. When told about Nemo’s death Lady Dedlock is
curious to know the whole story though she feigns a casual interest
but Mr. Tulkinghorn can see the deception on her behavior. On the
other hand, Richard is very confused and indecisive about his
career and finally on Mr. Jarndyce’s suggestion of becoming a
surgeon, he enthusiastically and immediately becomes a surgeon’s
apprentice in the house of Mr. Bayham Badger. Richard and Ada
also realize their love for each other but Mr. Jarndyce advices them
not to marry till Richard is well -established in his profession.
Richard leaves Jarndyce household to carry on with his caree rb u t
remains irrationally optimistic of becoming rich from the Chancery
suit which troubles Esther and Mr. Jarndyce. Esther is
uncomfortable having noticed Mr. Guppy, a Clerk, following her
wherever she goes and also casting a dejected countenance
having been rejected as a suitor; on the contrary, she gets attracted
towards a young surgeon of ‘dark complexion’ (Dr. Allan Wood
court) at the Badger’s party.
Although Tulkinghorn is the lawyer of the Dedlocks, it is Mr.
Guppy who, after carrying on a long inv estigation, finally unveils to
Lady Dedlock the fact that Captain Hawdon (Nemo) is the father of
Esther and Lady Dedlock might have a ‘family interest’ in this
information. Lady Dedlock breaks down and admits the Esther is
her daughter and is surprised tha t she is alive; her sister having lied
then that the child had died just after birth. When Guppy, along with
Mr. Weevle, goes for further inquiry to the room where Mr. Hawdon
(Nemo) had died and is expecting Mr. Krook to bring them themunotes.in

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169letters Nemo had wri tten, they become aware of some strange odor
and later realizes that Mr. Krook has burned himself –‘a victim of
spontaneous combustion’ –perceptibly destroyed with him are the
Hawdon letters. Guppy fails to keep his promise of delivering the
letters to M rs. Dedlock and this arises suspicion in Mr. Tulkinghorn.
The subplot of the Jellybys continues as Esther goes to visit them
to see the Jellyby children, Caddy and Peepy. Though Peepy is in
the same messy state, Caddy is hoping to escape her mother’s
tyran ny having got engaged to Mr. Prince Turveydrop, the son of
the old dancing master Mr. Turveydrop, ‘the model of deportment’
who forces his son to carry out all the work of the dancing school.
The future prospect has brought in a freshness in Caddy’s look a nd
Esther also notices that Caddy has become close to Miss. Flite,
who has been blessed with a good fortune and she takes the help
of Caddy to use the money in the most advantageous way. Dr.
Woodcourt professionally attends to Miss. Flite as well as Mr.
Krook, and this is how he becomes friends with Esther, Ada and
Richard. Mr. Jarndyce, Esther and Ada visit the three destitute
children [13 -year-old Charlotte (Chirley), 6 -year-old Tom and 18 -
month -old Emma] after being informed about their father’s death by
Mr. Skimpole where they meet Mr. Girdley who, though very rough
and hostile, is surprisingly generous and helpful to the Neckett
children informs Mr. Jarndyce how the delay of the Chancery Court
has devastated the heritage that belonged to him and his bro ther.
Sir Leicester who is confined to bed with gout, a disease he
considers to be a privilege to be afflicted with as it indicates
aristocracy as well as an honor to follow the lineage, waits in the
country house looking at his mistress’s picture; wherea sL a d y
Dedlock disguises herself in a servant’s dress in London meets Jo,
the Crossing Sweeper, and insists him to guide her to Mr. Krook’s
house where Nemo resided. Though, on way, she is noticed by Mr.
Tulkinghorn, who fails to recognize her, she’s final ly led to the inn
where the investigation happened and also the charnel -house of
bones where Nemo’s body was laid. She is traumatized and
vanishes giving Jo a gold coin and it is during this tie that, on the
other side, Mrs. Rouncewell (the old housekeeper of Chesney
Wold) tells Rosa in Chesney Wold that the ‘step on the Ghost’s
Walk’ has never been ‘more distinct than it is tonight’. Mr. George,
the son of Mrs. Rouncewell, refuses to cooperate with Mr.
Tulkinghorn when he asks George to compare the handwri ting of
Captain Hawdon (Nemo) and this infuriates him and it is very
clearly understood that Mr. Tulkinghorn is planning some mischief.
Richard does not take up his medical apprenticeship seriously and
decides to forego medicine and take up law and starts working at
Mr. Kenge’s office, thus, generating apprehensions in Esther and
Mr. Jarndyce for the sake of Ada. Richard’s indecisiveness is
further seen when he decides to abandon law and enter army as an
officer and even starts with his training. Mr. Jarndy ce, apprehensivemunotes.in

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170about Richard’s instability, asks Ada to break off their engagement.
On the other hand, Richard, for the first time, experiences real
difficulties created by his own unpredictability and his leaving Ada
counterparts and foretells his own p remature death. Ada’s love for
Richard continues but Esther finds him too hostile towards Mr.
Jarndyce and too preoccupied with the Chancery suit. For Esther,
Ada and Mr. Jarndyce an unexpected encounter happens with Lady
Dedlock in a gamekeeper’s lodge an d hearing Lady Dedlock speak
Esther’s heart, strangely enough, beats passionately, unexplainably
–“…. there arose before my mind innumerable pictures of myself”.
Lady Dedlock offends the French maid Hortense preferring Rosa
and Hortense takes her revenge by walking back shoelace through
the wet grass which surprises Esther, Ada and Mr. Jarndyce but is
assured by the gamekeeper and his wife that Hortense is not mad,
only ‘passionate’. Later Hortense persuades Esther to hire her but
fails.
A contrasting pic ture of the femininity of Esther and Ada are
presented through the character of Mrs. Snagsby who suspects her
husband, the law stationary shopkeeper who had employed Nemo
and befriended Jo. She doubts her husband to be the father of Jo
and falls into hyste ria when she is convinced of her husband’s guilt.
Jo becomes seriously ill with a communicable disease and when
Esther brings him to the house of Jarndyce so that he can be help
but later he disappears and, in the meantime, Esther contacts the
disease and is on the verge of losing her eye -sight and is left with a
scaring face. Esther comes to know from Ms. Flite that a lady in
disguise had approached to know about the condition of Esther.
Lady Dedlock then announces to Esther as her mother and hands
her a l etter to be read and then burnt which Esther does. Esther
decides to go to London and meet Mr. Guppy to know the truth but
seeing Esther’s deformed face Mr. Guppy retreats (indicating him
as an absurd and shallow human being) and Esther chooses to find
outthe fact without his help.
On the other hand, Mr. Tulkinghorn discloses the connection
of Esther, Mr. Hawdon and Lady Dedlock without revealing the
names. Though and Lady Dedlock stays composed and shows very
little interest in the narration, later she c onfronts Mr. Tulkinghorn
and is upset about Mr. Tulkinghorn’s knowing her secret. Later
when Mr. Tulkinghorn comes across Lady Dedlock’s previous
servant Hortense, she protests and bitterly accuses of having been
used by him to dress like Lady Dedlock and trick Jo to give her
information. Esther refrains from writing to her mother realizing that
it might create threat to her but discloses to Mr. Jarndyce that she
is aware of who her mother is. Mr. Jarndyce promises to help
Esther and her mother and also agr ees that Mr. Tulkinghorn is a
treacherous character. Mr. Jarndyce also proposes to Esther
through a letter which shocks and surprises her but she is touchedmunotes.in

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171by his benevolence as he had not cared about her scarred face nor
her illegitimate birth and she ac cepts his proposal to be the
‘mistress of Bleak House’.
Dr. Allan Woodcourt starts taking interest in the life of Esther
as he comes across Jo who is terribly ill and is also scared of a
man (Detective Bucket) but finally Jo couldn’t be saved. Lady
Dedloc k’s non -resolved approach surprises Mr. Tulkinghorn and he
threatens Lady Dedlock of informing her secret to Sir Leicester that
night itself. Astonishingly Mr. Tulkinghorn is found dead just before
ten at night (‘shot through the heart’). George is arreste da n dp u t
behind the bars by Detective Bucket on the charges of murder of
Mr. Tulkinghorn and Bucket collects a handsome reward from Sir
Leicester for having captured his lawyer’s killer. Allan, Mr. Jarndyce
and Esther are sure about George’s innocence but George is not
ready to keep a lawyer as he wants to prove his guiltlessness by
himself. George watches Esther closely when she leaves and
informs Mr. Jarndyce that a figure like hers had passed him on the
dark staircase on the night of the murder.
Dr. Al lan and Esther come to know each other better during
Caddy’s illness after delivery and at the same time she also informs
Ada and Caddy about Mr. Jarndyce’s proposal of marriage after
which she notices a subtle change in Ada’s behavior which Esther
fails t o determine the cause. When Richard, on the other hand, is
totally shattered he agrees to seek advice from Dr. Allan and Ada
reveals and shocks Esther about her secret marriage to Richard for
two months and her decision of not returning to Bleak House.
Esther conveys the information to Mr. Jarndyce who accepts it with
serenity but pities the two.
Although George is put to prison, Bucket, the noble detective
keeps his case on by questioning the whereabouts of Lady Dedlock
and comes to know about her going o nal o n ew a l ko nt h ed a yo f
the murder. He then informs Sir Leicester of his wife being a
suspect that shocks him and he is thunderstruck when he comes to
know about his wife’s former lover, her visit to the grave and the
bad connection that she had with M r. Tulkinghorn and it such a
shock for Sir Leicester that he suffers a stroke. Though George and
Lady Dedlock had visited Mr. Tulkinghorn on the night of his murder
but finally it is proved that it was Hortense in Lady Dedlock’s
clothes who committed the c rime and threw the murder weapon in
the lake which was recovered. After recovering a bit from the stroke
Sir Leicester, he is all forgiveness for his lady. On the other hand,
Mr. Bucket attains Esther’s address and visits Mr. Jarndyce and
asks him to allow Esther to go with him in search of her mother. On
their search they come to know about a wretchedly dressed
stranger and when they discover her, she is ‘cold and dead’ and is
revealed to be Lady Dedlock, Esther’s mother.munotes.in

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172Later Esther falls ill and is take n care of by Dr. Allan who is
helped by Mr. Jarndyce to secure an appointment in Yorkshire
where he will provide medical care for the poor. Esther continuously
visits Ada and she finds Ada’s love for unenergetic Richard as
strong as ever and also her worry that Richard might not survive to
see the child she’s carrying. Dr. Allan discloses his love for Esther
but she excuses herself and both part without any discontent.
Esther’s concern for the couple Richard (who keeps haunting the
Chancery Court and sinkin gg r a d u a l l yi nm i n da n db o d y )a n dA d a
(who is totally shattered) is visible when she confronts Skimpole for
having a bad influence on Richard. Esther accuses Skimpole of
having accepted a bribe to betray Jo’s presence at Bleak House to
detective Bucket and Mr. Jarndyce is highly critical of Skimpoles’s
character. But after five years when Skimpole dies, he leaves a
diary behind where he has mentioned Mr. Jarndyce as the
‘Incarnation of Selfishness’.
Esther becomes ready to be the mistress of Bleak House
and informs Mr. Jarndyce who decides for the occasion the coming
month. Detective Bucket discovers another signed will which
reduces Mr. Jarndyce’s concern and encourages that of Richard
and Ada. Mr. Jarndyce settles Allan in a ‘new Bleak House’ and
release s Esther from her promise so that she can marry Allan as
she will be far happier with him and still be the ‘mistress of Bleak
House’. The Jarndyce and Jarndyce case finally comes to a close
but they come to know that the legal costs have exhausted the
entire value of the state and this revelation is so shocking for
Richard that he dies. Lady Dedlock is buried in the family
mausoleum by her devoted husband who keeps the cause of her
death a secret from the world and moves around with George as a
lonely widow er.
The end of the novel moves seven years ahead with Esther
and Allan well –settled with two daughters, Ada managing his son,
who was born not long after his father’s death and was named after
his father, and shuttling between the two Bleak Houses. Mr.
Jarndyce remains the foster father of Esther and Ada and they all,
Mr. Jarndyce, Esther, Allan and Ada with their kids stay happy with
the love and support of one another.
13.4 LET’S SUM UP
Charles Dickens’ Bleak House considered to be one of the
author ’s best works revolves around the story of the Jarndyce
family, who wait in vain to inherit the money from a disputed
fortune. The extremely extended lawsuit of Jarndyce and Jarndyce
critically points out England’s Court of Chancery where cases can
drag on for years and finally yielding nothing. The secret of Esther’s
origin and then the suspense of her love and marriage set anmunotes.in

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173atmosphere of acceptance and rejection in the mind of the readers.
Wonderfully set under the Victorian ambience, this novel is a tr ue
replica of the custom and the culture, the lifestyle and the
characteristics of a true Victorian society.
13.5 QUESTIONS
1.Describe the characteristics of Dicken’s writing in terms of
style and content.
2.Did Dickens’s writing reflect the social situation of his times?
3.What is the primary concern of the novel Bleak House?
13.6 REFERENCES
Works Cited:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleak_House
https://www.shmoop.com/study -guides/literature/bleak -
house/summary
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/bleakhouse/summary/
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/b/bleak -house/book -summ ary
https://www.gradesaver.com/bleak -house/study -guide/summary
https://study .com/academy/lesson/bleak -house -by-charles -dickens -
summary -analysis -quiz.html
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174Unit-14
STUDY OF BLEAK HOUSE –PART II
Unit Structure:
14.0 Objectives
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Analysis
14.3 Major Characters
14.4 Themes
14.5 Let’s Sum Up
14.6 Questions
14.0 OBJECTIVE S
The objective of this Unit is to make the readers understand
the importance of characters and how they play a major role in the
setting and themes of the novel. The analysis of the story Bleak
House brings out the concept of the Victorian social life, wond erfully
amalgamating the working class and the elite class. The themes
are wonderfully set and the readers get an idea of the beautiful
assimilation of love and romance on the one side and legal suit and
justice on the other. There is a beautiful connectio nb e t w e e nt h e
haunting past and the sublime present and the entangled
characters try their best to ensure confidence and composure,
strength and stability.
14.1 INTRODUCTION
Introducing the readers to the High Court of Chancery where
the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has moved on for generations
the story travels into the complicated lives of people. On the one
side the love and romance of the people are highlighted with
passion and perseverance and on the other side the intensity of the
legal case is des cribed as a prolonged affair that takes away the
meaning of existence. The effective integration of love and life,
legal suit and secrecy, the orphan and the benefactor is beautifully
brought forward to make the novel a marvelous representation of
the soci ety and its people. Dickens very clearly indicates the flaws
of a legal suit on one side and the anticipation and acceptance on
the other. Unanticipated, situations take a turn, relationships switch,
secrets unfurled and the world moves on through twists a nd turns.munotes.in

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175The beauty of the novel lies in bringing out the intricacies of life and
existence.
14.2 BLEAK HOUSE –ANALYSIS
The novel initiates with the overview of the High Court of
Chancery, explicitly introducing one of Dickens’ major themes –the
ruin that the Court of Chancery has caused and will continue to
cause in the lives of the common people. Hearing after hearing has
pushed the case on for years and on this foggy harsh November
afternoon Lord Chancellor arrives for the proceedings of the case o f
Jarndyce and Jarndyce. The outside weather unintentionally
matches with the fogginess of the court which, instead of producing
clarity and justice, creates a fog of confusion and depression
among people. The old woman’s wait for justice proves the
procra stination and stagnation of the court.
The superfluous world of the idly rich, expressed through the
Dedlock couple can be analogous to the futile world of the
Chancery Court –meaningless, monotonous, mundane. Lady
Dedlock’s involvement with the Jarndyc e and Jarndyce suit, her
hollow, impatient and vain character and yet Sir Leicester Dedlock,
even with his bad -tempered self -satisfied nature, showering
immense love for her, Mr. Tulkinghorn’s ominous presence, Mrs.
Dedlock’s sudden blackout –everything adds to the suspicious
ambience and a doubtful approach towards the characters. Mr.
Jarndyce’s magnanimity and Esther’s natural good -heartedness
stand as an impressive characterization against the backdrop of an
uncompromising, egocentric society. Dicken s’ theme of vulnerability
and torment of children in the hands of mismanaged elders is very
vividly represented through Mrs. Jellyby, a friend of Mr. Jarndyce
and a place where the three –Richard, Ada and Esther halt on their
way to Bleak House, and her c hildren who are ignored and even
victimized by their mother because of her obsession with projects
designed to benefit Africa. Amalgamating satiric humor and
authentic anguish, Dickens’ Mrs. Jellyby bothers not to take care of
her own home, rather is conce rned about managing others’ who
are far off. The suspense is emphasized when the three continue to
wonder the kind of person John Jarndyce is as they have not seen
him except Richard’s brief encounter which retains no discrete
impression followed by the de stined meeting with the old Miss
Flight and the bizarre Mr. Krook who highlights the version of Tom
Jarndyce’s extreme step of attempting suicide because of the
prolonging Jarndyce and Jarndyce case.
The contrasting characters of Mr. John Jarndyce,
demons trating dynamic responsibilities with contentment, optimism
and ingenuity, and Mr. Skimpole, though vociferously warm and
vaguely agreeable person but his extreme irresponsibility becomingmunotes.in

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176too hazardous, reinforces Dickens’ ethical enlightenment. Even
Mrs. Pardiggle, the social worker, with her affectation and
professional triviality stands as a contrast to the honest concern
and genuine support of the impulsive and self -effacing young
ladies, Ada and Esther.
At the same time, added against the backdrop, is the story of
the ‘Ghost’s walk’ augmenting the reader’s apprehension of the
adversity that is in store not just for the Dedlocks but perhaps for
others too. The depiction of the unreasonable and unprepared
Richard paves the way for his ultimate disaster. Mr. Boythorn’s
dislike for Sir Leicester Dedlock but a sympathetic approach
towards Lady Dedlock, though it’s very well known by him and
others that Lady Dedlock has very apparent precincts, is
extensively ex posed. On the other hand, Esther’s sensible
perception and assertive analysis is projected through her refusal of
Mr. Guppy’s marriage proposal and this creates a quality
impression of Esther among the readers.
Dickens makes a striking contrast between c haracters –on
the one hand, Mr. Tulkinghorn and Snagsby’s undaunted
fascination with documents and , on the other hand, Esther and
Jarndyce trying to eliminate themselves from the legal world and
craving more on the contented life of peace and passion. So on the
one side it is ‘documents’ and ‘signatures’ and on the other
‘domesticity’ and ‘empathy’ –Nemo presented as the extreme
representative of the first category –a person whose name means
‘no one’ but is completely involved in the maze of legal docum ents,
copying and re -copying meaningless legal reports. The plot of the
story intensifies with the curious interest in the legal handwriting by
Lady Dedlock’s followed by the abnormal death of Nemo and the
Lady’s inquisitive as well as deceptive behavior.
The sub -plot of Ada and Richard, the young pair who
recognize their love for each other, but is advised by Mr. Jarndyce
to establish his profession of surgeon apprentice first, leads to the
main plot where Esther subsequently gets attracted towards a
young surgeon. On the other hand, the other sub -plot of Caddy is
also established and Dickens’ theme of oppressing parents is well -
established through the Jellyby family. The third sub -plot gets
connected when Mr. Jarndyce, Esther and Ada visit the three
destitute children of Mr. Neckett, after his death and they meet Mr.
Girdley who establishes his connection with the Chancery Court.
The mystery of Esther’s parentage gradually deepens and
the two meetings with Lady Deadlock produce a strange feeling of
close connection between the two. Esther’s contacting the disease,
her suffering later and her accepting with grace her traumatic
physical changes makes her a more adorable heroine of Dickens.munotes.in

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177On the other hand the secretive character of Mr. Tulkinghorn
become s more suspicious when he starts prying into matters
beyond his business. Dickens creates a kind of suspense with Lady
Dedlock’s disguised visit to Nemo’s lodge and graveyard, on one
side, and the more distinct ‘Ghost Walk’ on the other.
Dr. Allan Woodcou rt appears at a time when Esther has
accepted the proposal from her benefactor, Mr. Jarndyce though
their engagement is not known to anyone and a romantic suspense
develops. The death of the innocent Jo on the one hand and the
vicious Mr. Tulkinghorn on th e other balances the concept of good
and evil and stabilizes the social order. George’s imprisonment as a
suspect of the murder of Mr. Tulkinghorn and his acknowledgement
of a figure like Esther’s to be seen on the night of the murder
creates an atmosphere of suspense and drama.
The plot of the novel, Bleak House , revolves around ‘the
Bleak House’ which is definitely not bleak but a house of passion
and promise, love and life. It is in this house that Esther
Summerson comes under her new guardian, Mr. Jarn dyce, after
the death of the aunt, Miss Barbary, who had raised her. Leaving
her past behind, she moves on towards her new destination and
gets entangled into various situations including being proposed to
be the mistress of ‘Bleak House’. The secret of he r past –her
legacy and her connection –overwhelms her present and she is
destined towards a better future of being the mistress of the new
‘Bleak House’ gifted to her love by her benefactor.
14.3 MAJOR CHARACTERS
Mr. John Jarndyce
The benefactor of Esther, Ada and Richard Mr. Jarndyce is
generous and noble person involved in the Jarndyce and Jarndyce
case. He later falls in love with Esther and proposes her to be the
‘Mistress of Bleak House’ which Esther accepts as a reward of her
gratitude. But Mr. Jarndyce maintains his fatherly figure by gifting a
new Bleak House to the young doctor, Allan, who is in love with
Esther and blesses the couple for a bright future.
Ms. Esther Summerson
At w e n t y -year young lady with an unknown paren tage, who
comes to her legal guardian, Mr. Jarndyce, after the death of her
aunt who took care of her. A modest and intelligent character, she
loves to be serviceable to all those who require her help and
intimacy. Very close to the two other wards of Mr. Jarndyce, Ada
and Robert, she stands by them with confidence and support in the
most critical moments of their life. She even becomes a support for
Ada and her son when, at the end, Robert succumbs into the hands
of his indecisiveness and loses his life fo r no reason at all. Obligingmunotes.in

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178everyone with her simplicity and nobleness, she goes to the extent
of accepting the marriage proposal of Mr. Jarndyce too. Though
she had liked the young Dr. Allan she sacrifices her love too for the
sake of her duty and obliga tion towards her benefactor. Luckily Mr.
Jarndyce retains his fatherly figure by allowing Esther to come out
of the promise. He is also kind enough to provide a new Bleak
House for Dr. Allan so that Esther can be the mistress of Bleak
House that she had pr omised.
Esther’s parentage comes to the limelight when at the outset
of the Chancery case many other unknown facts come to the
limelight. Esther is overwhelmed to realize that Lady Dedlock is her
mother but this truth does not bring any fruits as Esther meets her
mother only after she had died. Esther’s sense of responsibility and
devotion as well as her graciousness and compassion are finally
blessed with her marriage to Dr. Allan and they being blessed with
two daughters.
Lady Dedlock
The elegant, stylish and apathetic wife of Sir Leicester
Dedlock, Lady Dedlock has a mysterious past. She keeps a cold
facade on her face to avoid the cravingthat might lead to the
disclosure of the illegitimate child she had. To conceal her
heartbreak, sh em a i n t a i n san o n -willing and non -bothered attitude
even with her husband, Sir Leicester Dedlock. When the secret is
gradually disclosed it is understood that she kept this non -caring
approach to shield her from fear and pain. She is actually very
apprehen sive that her secret will shatter the Dedlock family and so
she guards herself from everything with her arrogance. No one
could even dream about that such a messy past thuds beneath her
unwavering countenance. She is bold and courageous which can
be notice d through her actions like avoiding the traps of Mr.
Tulkinghorn when he chases to find her secret, her finding out
Captain Hawdon’s burial place, her punishing herself by self -exile
which leads to her suicide. It is revealed finally that she is the
mother of Esther but she had not raised her as she was informed
that Esther died soon after birth.
It is only when her past starts catching up with her that she
starts behaving weird –especially very peculiar for a woman
belonging to the Dedlock clan –for exa mple, disguising herself to
find out from Jo, a street urchin, to show the burial ground of the
dead lodger (Mr. Hawdon) who eventually is revealed to be her
former lover. Even when Esther is sick, Lady Dedlock disguises
herself to find out information abo ut her doing and it is only when
she fears her secret is about to come out, she leaves her jewels
and money behind and escapes finally dying on the street. Lady
Dedlock who always projected to have no passion finally exposesmunotes.in

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179herself to be the most passiona te as she dies to protect all those
whom she loves and feels defensive about.
Ada Clare
Ada is a ward of Mr. Jarndyce –a simple, kind and sweet girl who
becomes Esther’s closest confidante and the greatest source of
happiness. She falls in love with Rich ard though Mr. Jarndyce
warns her considering Richard’s indecisiveness. Eventually she
marries Richard and they have a baby boy but she never attains
complete happiness and solace in his company and it is mainly
because of his obsession with the Jarndyce a nd Jarndyce lawsuit.
A clear example of beauty, love and patience she ensures humility
and simplicity, warmth and endurance.
Richard Carstone
A handsome young man under the legal guardianship of Mr.
Jarndyce –Robert lacks direction and yields easily to the
suggestions and recommendations of others. Although Richard has
a usual enthusiasm and optimism within him, he is unreasonable,
negligent and often restless. He is in love with his distant cousin,
Ada Clare, marries her and they have a baby. But finall y he doesn’t
survive as he dies of shock when the Jarndyce and Jarndyce case
comes to a close but they come to know that the legal costs have
exhausted the entire value of the state. Throughout his life Richard
fails to understand his priorities and thus l eaps toward a sad end.
Dr. Allan Woodcourt
Dr. Allan is apoor but charitable young doctor who loves
Estherand also becomes a friend of Mr. Jarndyce. He proposes to
Esther but she doesn’t accept because by then she had accepted
the proposal of Mr. Jarndyce to be the Mistress of Bleak House. But
later Mr. Jarndyce favors Dr. Allan with a new Bleak House and
stays a fatherly figure by making Esther marry Dr. Allan and be the
mistress of the new Bleak House. Dr. Allan has throughout been
projected as modest an d humble, helping and understanding. This
noble character finally earns the love of Esther as a reward.
Mr. Tulkinghorn
Mr. Tulkinghornis a tremendously proficient solicitor of the
Chancery Court and a legal advisor to Sir Leicester. And so he
believes t hat he has the right and the accountability to take notice
of whatever action happens in and around his client. He begins his
investigation on his client’s wife, Mrs. Dedlock, when she starts
acting strangely and inquires about the handwriting on a legal
document. He becomes so much obsessive and ruthless regarding
Lady Dedlock’s secret that he crosses all limits to reach out to the
ultimate. The suspense increases when Mr. Tulkinghorn is killed
and Detective Bucket comes in to investigate the matter. It is Mr.munotes.in

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180Tulkinghorn’s extreme curiosity that paves his way towards an
unfulfilling and undesirable end.
Jo
Jo is a street orphan with no education, no family and neither
any kind of support. He tries to ensure his living as a sweeper.
Various characters of the novel are seen to be befriending him to
get some evidence of the secretive past. But finally no one is
capable of saving him from an early death. Jo’s life points out to the
negligence of the lower class who are there for the service of others
but fail to save themselves from the crawling misfortune.
14.4 THEMES
The affairs of romance –one of the major themes that can be
seen i n the Bleak House is the romantic life of the major characters.
The romance of Ada and Richard where love sees no bound even
when restrictions befall. The calm and poised love of Mr. Jarndyce
for Esther to make her the Mistress of Bleak House and Esther’s
acceptance owing to her immense gratitude for her benefactor. The
submissive love of Dr. Allan for Esther which he is ready to
relinquish when Esther does not comply, because she has already
promised Mr. Jarndyce. The secretive affair of Lady Dedlock that
finally leads to a great revelation (coming to know that Esther is her
daughter whom she believed to be dead as she was informed so
after her birth) and the final destruction (committing suicide to save
her past and present family). The immense love finall yb e t w e e nD r .
Allan and Esther when Mr. Jarndyce releases Esther from her
promise and makes her the mistress of the new Bleak House that
he had gifted to Allan.
The Court of Chancery –the novel portrays a wonderful picture of
the court of Chancery where judgements take decades to be
resolved. And finally when the resolution is at hand, it makes no
sense as the whole amount gets wasted in carrying on the court
practices. Dickens tries to bring out the ill -practices of fighting a
legal case which eventually brings out no result. Such cases
usually hamper the lives of people and bring out a bad taste in
relationships.
The Absent Parent –the problems of orphans and their various
struggles related to it becomes a major concern of Dickens’s
novels. Characters like Esther might be saved to some extent as he
is lucky enough to have a benefactor as Mr. Jarndyce. But her
emotional pain can be seen when she sacrifices her love for the
young Doctor and accept the proposal of Mr. Jarndyce to become
the Mistress of Bl eak House as she feels an obligation for her
benefactor. On the other side, Jo, the down -trodden orphan
belongs nowhere. Living on the streets as a sweeper he is inflictedmunotes.in

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181with a contagious disease and finally lets his body rest in the hands
of death. The bleakest of all characters, this poor orphan attains
only a little sympathy in lieu of the torturous pain and suffering he
undergoes throughout.
The World of Truth and Secrecy –Lady Dedlock’s character
revolves around the strange world of secrecy and tru th. Being
informed about the death of her daughter (through an illegal
relationship) just after birth, she definitely becomes a tragic
character. Unaware of her daughter’s existence, she stays in
darkness for a long period of time and devotes herself as th ew i f e
of Sir Leicester Dedlock. It is only when she gets interested in a
particular handwriting that leads her to Captain Hawdon (Nemo)
with whom she had an affair and who was no longer alive, that she
comes to know about her surviving daughter, Esther.
The Discomfort of Uncertainty –Throughout there is a kind of
uncertainty in the novel, be it the legal case of Chancery or the
employment of Richard or the love affair of Esther or the life of Lady
Dedlock. The case goes on; no one knows on whose favour the
decision will be but in its pretext the entire amount is consumed.
Nothing is left for the person who wins the case and this shocks
Richard and takes away his life. Richard has always been
indecisive about his career and this uncertainty had led to a l ot of
confusion and pain. Even though Ada and Richard were in
desperate love for each other, their benefactor, Mr. Jarndyce, had
warned Ada to rethink her decision. Though they married later, the
uncertainty continued in the life of Richard till the end. E sther fails
to understand the type of love that needs to be showered on people
around her –when Mr. Jarndyce proposes her to be the mistress of
Bleak House she accepts it because she felt her obligation
demands so. She did not even look back at Dr. Allan, the person
she had liked and wanted to be with. Had not Mr. Jarndyce taken
the fatherly step of gifting Dr. Allan with a new Bleak House and
liberating Esther from her promise and making her marry Allan,
Esther’s uncertain behavior would definitely have t aken her to a
greater crisis. The life of Lady Dedlock is filled with uncertainty –
she wants to forget the past but the past keeps haunting her.
Uncertainty keeps looming over her as her secretive past enters
into her poised present.
14.5 LET’S SUM UP
The major themes, the wonderful setting, the expressive
characters build a kind of a wonderful bond that enriches the novel
and entrusts a great reading. Every character seems to be
searching for something and most importantly searching for love.
Love has throughout been justified –the love of Ada and Richard –
whatever the crises and the consequences they stick to each other;munotes.in