Janelle Tan

2SD3

The passage, from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, written in the mid-Victorian period by Anne Bront, reflects key concerns of the Victorian period, such as the oppression of women by more dominant males, morality in the sphere of family, and dignity in relation to morality and gender. The passage presents us with a vivid first-person narration of the oppression of women by more dominant men. This is shown in the text from Arthur Huntingdons tone and looks, which all put the narrator and his wife, Helen Huntingdon, down and mock her. Particularly salient is when Helen describes his looking at her with looks and laughter too insulting to be borne. The tone here clearly reflects some indignation on her part, and the use of diction prior to that in peered into my eyes shows the lack of respect Arthur accords Helen with. The alliteration of looks and laughter only serves to highlight the way Arthur treats her and oppresses her by insulting her with his body language. This also shows dominance on Arthurs part, as Helen claims that the leering is too insulting to be borne, signifying through use of diction that his treatment of her is more than what the regular person should have to bear, even if it is a woman. This oppression and derogation of women, specifically Helen, is also reflected in Arthurs calling her the very devil for spite, in which the narrator, Helen, is compared to a devil through the use of metaphor. The degradation of Helen to such a lowly-regarded otherwordly creature is further compounded by other characteristics of the devil he projects onto her, such as the juxtaposition with mortal in ever any mortal. The implication that she is not mortal is presented in the rather deliberate tone with which the word mortal is contrasted with the metaphor devil. Also, the comparison of Helens eyes to a cats gives her devillike characteristics. The reduction of her human qualities through imagery is established in his mention that her eyes shine in the dark like a cats. The animalistic image ascribed here in the comparison to his very mortal form. These terms, compounded by the fact that Anne Bront wrote under the male pseudonym Acton Bell for most career, emphasize the lack of womans place in Victorian society. The context of the novel and the writers hiding of her own gender highlight the oppression and derogation women were made to suffer in the period particularly due to pre-conceived notions in the period of what females were capable of. Therefore, this text develops the idea that women in the Victorian period were oppressed, derogated and looked down upon by the males, who were the dominant gender in a society and liked enforcing their power over women. This, however, raises the question of morality, specifically gendered morality in relation to kinship and relationships. Morality in the sphere of family is a key theme implicitly raised by Anne Bront in this extract, due to the presentation of the male enforcing power as a deplorable one in contrast to the propriety and independence the narrator, a female, Bront presents moral issues that are salient in other aspects of Victorian society as well, such as the morally deplorable exercising power over the more morally upright. Arthurs absolutely immoral behaviour is shown in the text by symbolic casting of Helens painting tools into the fire. Helens tools represent her independence, and her supporting

herself by her own labour, but the deliberate casting into the fire represents his control over her almost tyrannic, and definitely morally questionable. This moral objection is led on by the diction deliberate, and the image of the fire. The imagery of the fire and tools represent the violent nature by which her independence is confiscated. The image of the fire hot, violent, and dangerous is shown to have violent effects on her tools, which snap into two, and were sent hissing and roaring up the chimney. While the image represents the violent nature of the punishment, leading the reader to question his moral behaviour in the context of his role as a husband, the violence here can also stand for Helens violent refusal to be completely defeated in moral spirit by her husband. Bront also uses very violent, abruptly aggressive verbs when ascribing actions to Arthur, such as suddenly seizing (14), rudely (14), sneered (16). These verbs and adverbs are meant to emphasize his own lack of social graces, manners and moral standing. This is also most clear in Helens description of Arthurs mood as one of self-congratulations. The particular choice of diction here also serves to highlight his absolute lack of moral behaviour, as he still congratulates himself, a behavioral term commonly associated with triumph. Thus, by presenting the violent and morally deplorable nature of Arthurs behaviour, the juxtaposition with Helens responses serve to highlight the issue of morality in the sphere of family and in a marital relationship. The idea of morality in the Victorian period is closely tied to the idea of pride and dignity, especially social dignity. This is also exemplified in the text, with Arthur making references to his social appearance and therefore his own dignity. He mentions that Helens running away would be disgrac[ing] him, and describes the freedom Helen wants to provide her son from corruption as dirty professions, that are low and beggarly. The diction disgrace puts emphasis on Arthurs public persona and faade, and what he is expected to be able to do in the context of the Victorians. His use of deregatory diction within the embedded dialogue n the first-person narrative to descrive professions show his sense of superiority and public appearance. These show his emphasis on social facades and his presentation of himself. Also, he describes needing the sense of power to carry [his] point like a man, as [he has] done. The use of simile like a man shows that there are pre-conceived public notions of masculinity, which are tied with the traits of sense and power. Sense here shows a certain sort of social expectation, that appears to be what is seen as a generally-agreed upon way to do things, and by ascribing this trait to the representation of a man, it presents the way social pride and representations of abstract concepts have a bearing on the way people behave. The use of power here shows a certain misguided representation and ideal of power that is largely to do with oppression. These social concepts are presented here in the extract, and Bront appears to be allowing the reader the chance to see social dignity and representable concepts influence on behaviour. Therefore, the idea of social pride and dignity dictating and justifying behaviour is a salient issue in the text. Overall, this extract from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall depicts a representation of Victorian society and its complex power dynamic and the factors that result in these hegemonic power relations.