Category: 2017 Blog Post

“No more dependence, no more drudgery, no more humiliations,” she said; “every trace of the old life melted away – every clew to identity buried and forgotten – except these, except these.”

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In this passage, taken from the first chapter of Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s publication called Lady Audley’s Secret, the reader is introduced to the inner thought processes of one of the novel’s protagonists by the name of Lucy Graham. Only moments before, Sir Audley had asked the young woman to marry him and she had accepted his proposal.

On a formal level, the critical reader may notice several linguistic features standing out in this passage. For one, the initial repetition of the letter ‘d’ in “dependence” and in “drudgery” causes the passage to sound rhythmic. The same effect is created by the repetition of the word “every” and the repetition of the final phrase “except these”. The entire passage – from beginning to end – almost sounds like a chant.

Moreover, on a content level, the critical reader is also confronted with certain particularities. What appears most striking is the passage’s reference to an “old life” which “melt[s] away” and an “identity” that is “buried and forgotten”. These formulations sound cryptic and seem to be pointing towards a mystery within the narrative’s plot. Considering the context in which these words are uttered by Lucy, they appear odd as well. Having just accepted a marriage proposal, Lucy’s words and thoughts seem to be consumed with negativity. She speaks of “dependence” and “humiliation” and does not choose happy words to signal her optimism for her future as a married woman.

Essentially, what this passage may indicate is that Lucy Graham might be hiding a secret concerning her true identity which will most likely be the center of the whole narrative.

“I cannot tell how long he sat blankly staring at one paragraph amongst the list of deaths, before his dazed brain tool in its full meaning…”

 

The quote above can be found in chapter 4 of Lady Audley’s Secret. The more “obvious” reading of the paragraph puts readers in the perspective of George, who has returned from his three year voyage to find out from a paper of his wife’s (Helen) death. What may catch the eye of careful readers is the repetition of terminology for length or time, and also how, when describing widower George’s state, he seems almost dead himself. Upon examining the former point; notice the wording in the line. Terms contrast to pursue significance, such as in the direct “long”-ness of the list of deaths, and George’s focus on only “one”. The contrast of these terms helps to paint the scene for readers, almost as if we are also checking the list with this character. Regarding the latter point, Lady Audley’s Secret is not the first book to demonstrate romantic connections and the feeling of being “unable to go on”, nor will it be the last. What was unique to this paragraph was that George seems to resemble a walking corpse in his shock and disbelief. Take the lines, “…he sat blankly…” and “…his dazed brain…” for example. These are traits we often associate with the deceased, or at least medically deceased. The chapter seems to place George in a state of supreme focus (during the quest to find his wife’s name – or rather to not find it) and then throw him into a numb state of semi-consciousness, where, perhaps as a method for grief, George can only seem to react to the events around him as if his senses were blocked by invisible barriers.