Category: 2016 Blog Post

“Look at marriages! Who is to say which shall be the one judicious selection out of the nine hundred and ninety-nine mistakes? Who shall decide from the first aspect of the slimy creature, which is to be the one eel out of the colossal bag of snakes?” (page 205)

This short passage, upon a deeper examination, is uniquely illuminating regarding the role of marriage in the novel. In a novel rife with references to bigamy and implications about Lady Audley’s honesty and sexuality, the passage poses yet another question about the role marriage played in Victorian society. Marriage was tied to standing at the time, but Robert points out that, when considered in a certain light, marriage as an institution is really quite ridiculous. Its very existence is predicated on the notion that a successful pairing can be found on such ludicrous grounds as the sheer luck needed to pick the right one out of nine hundred and ninety-nine.

Additionally, as we discussed in class today, prominent individuals of the time bemoaned the “gumming up” of the marriage market and even suggested the “surplus” amount of women be exported to other countries. If there really were that many potential spouses, and they were living in a rigidly constructed society that did its best to inhibit mobility and force matches of convenience, the odds of any couple truly working in any meaningful way were very slim.

This understanding of marriage then, when combined with the logical consequences of the Victorian contradiction that we discussed in class, allows for Lady Audley’s character to take on insidious undertones. Society at that time was obsessed with the face and first appearances, and on that count Lady Audley’s supposedly stunning looks would serve her well, a fact that ties in nicely with Robert’s observation of marriage being influenced by the “first aspect.” It also puts forth Lady Audley, and her marriage, as a perfect representation of the idyllic public facade that Victorian society sought to promote. At the same time, the institution of marriage, or at the very least the desecration of it, can be seen as the root of the novel’s intrigue. After all, the disappearance and potential murder of George Talboys is strongly suggested to be the work of Lady Audley. If this is the case, her marriage to Robert’s uncle and Robert’s friendship with George put Mr. Talboys in danger, leaving us to wonder if Lady Audley really is nothing more than one of the “colossal bag of snakes.” In any case, she certainly seems to be a “slimy creature.”

In the middle of Volume II, chapter II, Robert Audley asks little Georgey if he would like to go to school. Georgey responds, “Oh, yes, please, I should like it very much. I went to school at Miss Pevin’s once- day-school, you know – round the corner in the next street, but I caught the measles, and granpa wouldn’t let me play with the little boys in the street, because they’re rude boys; he said blackguard boys; but he said I mustn’t say blackguard boys, because its naughty.” Georgey repeats “because” many times as if reciting his grandpa’s words verbatim. This passage shows that Georgey has a great memory, is very perceptive and an even better listener. Georgey’s mental development becomes crucial again to the mystery of the “nice lady” later in this chapter. Georgey is able to remember specific details that are crucial to Robert’s investigation.

I was initially confused with the use of the word “blackguard boys.” After researching the term, I found it was an adjective used to describe homeless orphans, runaways, or scoundrels (Wikipedia). This is an interesting coincidence because technically Georgey is an orphan as well. He lives with his grandfather but has a deceased mother and a missing father. To me, it seems like Mr. Maldon is hiding Georgey because he knows too much about their secret. Keeping Georgey in school is risky because children can’t be expected to keep secrets. Mrs. Plowson tries to keep Georgey away from Robert and will not leave him in the room alone with him for long. When Georgey tries to talk to Robert, Mrs. Plowson signals to Georgey to stop as if she knows it’s a secret. It is obvious Georgey could be a huge help in the mystery of his mother’s death and his father’s disappearance which is probably why Mr. Maldon keeps him from the public.

In contrast, Mr. Maldon’s motive for keeping Georgey from school could be health related. We know that he had the measles, which is a serious disease and we also know that Georgey has been to many children’s funerals. This connects to the “age of doubt” section we discussed in class. Mr. Maldon appears to live in poverty with probably bad sanitation. We also know that Helen Talboys became very ill and allegedly died from her sickness. It made me wonder if she got sick because of caring for Georgey and that’s why she was crying all the time. Regardless, Mr. Maldon’s neighborhood appears to be full of sickness and misfortune.

“There was not much in it; neither gold nor gems; only a baby’s little worsted shoe rolled up in a piece of paper, and a tiny lock of pale and silky yellow hair, evidently taken from a baby’s head. Phoebe’s eyes dilated as she examined the little packet.”
This passage at the end of the third chapter is both startling, and extremely telling. Some really great points about this passage were made in Jumpman’s post yesterday, and this post will also attempt to make sense of this strange passage. There passage within itself is very unusual, even how the small packet is described is odd and off putting. The fact that the secret package contains both a baby shoe and a lock of baby hair might not have been odd for a woman during the era to keep, however the way these items dealing with babies are contrasted with descriptions of that make them seem old and worn-out is off putting. A baby’s shoe being described as “worsted” and even the hair described as “pale yellow” gives these objects an unsettling aura. It makes the reader wonder what could have possibly happened to the child if these items are so beaten up and worn out. This items also add intrigue and mystery to Lady Audley herself and reveal traits about her character. We of course wonder why it is she has these items and what they tell about her life, but even the way their hidden adds to Lady Audley’s enigma. The items are stuffed in the secret compartment of a chest of jewels and rolled up in a piece of paper in a little packet. This is purposely reminiscent of the ring rolled in paper that Lady Audley carries around her neck. She has an entirely unique way of folding away her secrets and stashing them like a squirrel. It makes us wonder what other secrets she has hidden away in the vast house that is a character all its own.

The passage and the following sentences also reveal something about Phoebe, as she excites at the discovery of the items and actually takes them with her. It seems that she will use them to her own advantage but what is it that she will convey about Lady Audley with them? Are the readers perhaps missing a piece of vital information that Phoebe is somehow aware of? We learn that where they were hidden away, with gold and jewels, is important as well when Phoebe says to Luke “You will bear me witness where I found this.” Either way, her excitement at the discovery not only shows their importance but also makes us hesitant to trust Phoebe and even more suspicious of Lady Audley.

In Lady Audley’s secret, it is extremely important to look at word choice when examining any part of the text. Words are replaced, sometimes for aesthetics, but in the writing of Baddon, there appears to be something more significant about any word change. Take for example, the tombstone description on page 45. It reads, “Sacred to the memory of Helen, The Beloved Wife of George Talboys, Who departed this life, August 24th, 1857, aged 22, Deeply regretted by her sorrowing Husband” (45). There are two things that stand out in terms of word choice. The first is the use of the word ‘departed.’ Normally it would be common to use a word associated with death, of which departed is only loosely related. The word ‘departed’ has more of a temporary connotation than a word associated with death would have. This seems to suggest that maybe using the word departed has some ulterior motive in which Braddon is foreshadowing a different fate for Helen Talboys. Another important word choice to note is the use of the word ‘regretted’ to describe George’s sentiments on the matter of his wife’s death. A more common or likely word to be used here is ‘mourned,’ but Braddon could easily be hinting at some unrevealed part of George’s past, where he feels some sort of regret for something he did or could have done. Regret is the second word choice that seems to indicate that the reader does not know all the details of the past relationship between Helen and George.

“The young man was a great favorite with his uncle, and by no means despised by his pretty, gipsy-faced, light-hearted, hoydenish cousin, Miss Alicia Audley. ” (Chapter IV, 5th paragraph)

In this sentence, I noticed two couples of oppositions: “young man” and “pretty, gipsy-faced, light-hearted, hoydenish cousin” connected to the other couple “favorite”/”despised”. I might say that this is because the two cousins are not that different after all. And also, that he is better than Miss Audley because he is described by just positive adjectives, in opposition to her that thanks to the chiasmus “pretty, gipsy-faced, light-hearted, hoydenish”, she is at the same time pretty but still boyish and both cunning as a gipsy – I consider it not physically but as a trait of her personality – and light-hearted.

This simple, descriptive, and superficial language might give us the idea that there’s a bond, a connection between the two cousins. Even if he is their uncle’s favorite, she doesn’t hate him at all. The passage might also mean that she is more interested in men company than that of women but not in a sexual way, she simply doesn’t belong or fit with women’s society.

After all, this short passage may suggest two things: the first is that even if they are blood-related (cousins), there might be a sort of love affair between the two. The second thing it suggests is that they’ll become “partners in crime” for a common goal – or maybe for Miss Audley’s: she is the “gipsy-faced” after all.

To sum up, I believe that what this passage is really about is Lady Audley’s personality that differs from the others’, because even if the language is simple, at the same time it’s effective and mostly focuses on her introduction through her cousin which creates a sort of distorted image of her.

“I’ve heard tell of a murder that was done here in old times.” “There is murder enough in these times, as to that Luke,” (32)

The word murder is repeated between the two character, Phoebe and Luke, as they walk through the mansion. The double mention of this seem a strong foreshadowing of what is to come and also sets the setting as the mansion as a place to be haunted and even feared. The secret chambers that were talked about would a perfect place for a murder.

Phoebe’s retort bring up the possibility of a murder being abounding in the present or could imply that she knew of someone recently murdered. She is described as pale and ghost like herself, which seems to add to her character’s paranormal quality. Perhaps she could even be a ghost haunting the mansion.

Luke’s line of “a murder in the old times” could referring a murder in the past that is relevant. One suspected murder could be Sir Audley. He 56 and Luke is 23 making it possible for him to have murdered someone before Luke and Phoebe even being born. Sir Audley already carries corpses of hope within himself that could be more than just a metaphor. If he had grown up in the house or it had even been passed down in his family, it would be entirely possible for him to the know the secret rooms to hide a body, perhaps the body of his last wife.

Pages 41-42

“’George,’ said Robert Audley, laying his hand gently upon the young man’s arm, ‘you must remember that the person whose name you saw in the paper may not be your wife. There may have been some other Helen Talboys.’

‘No, no,’ he cried, ‘the age corresponds with hers, and Talboys is such an uncommon name.’

‘It may be a misprint for Talbot.’

‘No, no, no; my wife is dead!’

The repeated use of the words “no” and “may” convey a sense of doubt and suspicion to this scene, where George Talboys first finds out about the death of his wife. George Talboys and Robert Audley are supposed to be friends, so Audley’s reluctance to acknowledge the death of Helen Talboys seems to contain an ulterior motive. Furthermore, obituaries and other articles related to death are often fact-checked multiple times, making Robert Audley’s claim that “it may be a misprint for Talbot” seem all the more suspicious. Braddon may use this exchange in order to connect the Audleys to the death of Helen Talboys. In my opinion, this exchange foreshadows Lady Audley’s secret, either that she murdered Helen Talboys, or that she is in some other way connected to her death. However, this is not the only possible outcome; it is also possible that Helen Talboys conspired with the Audleys to fake her own death, in order to avoid George Talboys. Thus, this passage puts an air of uncertainty over the death of Helen Talboys.

“A fierce and crimson sunset. The mullioned windows and the twinkling lattices are all ablaze with the red glory… and the rusty iron wheel and broken woodwork seem as if they were flecked with blood.” (28)

In Lady Audley’s Secret,  Mary Elizabeth Braddon establishes the setting of the third chapter by saturating Audley Court with the color red. During this August sunset, it is shown how various set pieces are altered by the crimson light. In this analysis, I will focus upon how Braddon uses the color red to foreshadow future events within the novel and how the color reflects upon Talboys’ emotions from Chapter 2.

In the real world, the color red is used symbolically to represent happiness, celebration, excitement, warning, anger, aggression, passion, and emotion. However, how is Braddon using this color to represent past and future events within the novel? In the beginning of the previous chapter, before Talboys becomes distressed about his wife, he demonstrates excitement and is eager to surprise his love with his return through stating “Poor little girl! After three years and a half… she will be surprised”(18). These emotions that Talboys experiences are mirrored by the “fierce and crimson sunset” in the next chapter. Not only does Braddon use the color red to reflect upon previous events within the novel, but she also uses them to foreshadow future events. Braddon uses rust to reflect potential murderous intentions as she likens the color to blood. This act of foreshadowing is only amplified by the idea that red is a color of aggression and warning, and in a way, is conveying to the reader that there is danger coming.

Through the author using a red sunset, they draw upon the symbolism of the color. In particular, Braddon may have used red to reflect upon Talboys’ emotions, and alluded to potential danger later in the novel. In my eyes, using such deep and vivid reds to describe a sunset was a great choice by the author because the color encompasses a wide range of meanings. When the color red is used alongside emotion, it adopts the meanings of happiness, passion, and even celebration. When used along the concept of blood, the color’s theme of violence and aggression is amplified, and it provides a source of foreshadowing that may enhance the reader’s focus with the novel.